ROUND UP: Winner of the Surrey Libraries’ Children’s Book Award announced; Towpath safety reminder

Winner of the Surrey Libraries’ Children’s Book Award announced

Award-winning author Jennifer Gray came out on top in the fifth annual Surrey Libraries’ Children’s Book Award with her fantastic book Chicken Mission: Danger in the Deep Dark Woods.

The award celebrates the best fiction written for seven to nine year olds and saw 300 children, the five shortlisted authors and an illustrator attend the ceremony at the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill with children from 10 schools in Surrey voting for their favourite of the shortlisted books.

The 2015 Shortlist

The five books that contested the 2015 Award:

Author Jennifer Gray with her award-winning book. Click image to download

• Hairy Horror by Sandra Glover
• Chicken Mission by Jennifer Gray
• The Dragonsitter’s Island by Josh Lacey
• The 13th Fairy by Kaye Umansky
• Queen Sardine by Kate Willis-Crowley

The children had the chance to give presentations to the audience with new plot and character ideas and book reviews while they also had the chance to get their copies of the titles signed by the authors themselves.

Helyn Clack, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services said: “The award is a great way to encourage children to enjoy books. Reading is an important skill and this award is just one of many schemes we run to encourage children to make the most of their local library.”

Jennifer Gray, author of Chicken Mission: Danger in the Deep Dark Woods, said: “I had a wonderful time and didn’t expect to win at all, so that was the icing on the cake! It’s a fantastic event and it was really humbling as an author to see first-hand what books can mean to the children who read them.”

Further information:

The 10 schools worked with are:

• Furzefield Primary School, Merstham
• Godstone Village School
• Langshott Primary School, Horley
• Leatherhead Trinity School
• New Monument Primary Academy, Woking
• Ongar Place Primary School, Addlestone
• Our Lady of the Rosary RC Primary School, Staines
• St Martin’s CofE Junior School, Epsom
• Nicholas CofE Primary School, Shepperton
• Paul’s CofE Primary School, Dorking

Towpath safety reminder

With summer on its way, visitors to the Basingstoke Canal are being reminded to use the towpaths safely.

Extra visitors are expected along the canal as the weather warms up and cyclists, walkers and anglers are being asked to share space considerately.

They are being urged to follow some simple rules so everyone can enjoy their trip to the canal – for example cyclists should pass people slowly and walkers should keep dogs under control.

The Basingstoke Canal is run by the county councils in Surrey and Hampshire.

Picture opportunity:

What: Basingstoke Canal towpath safety reminder with user groups

Where: WWF Building next to Bedser Bridge, Woking

When: Friday 15 May, 2pm