Top Tips for Shadowing the Carnegie Awards

The Carnegie Awards are an incredible opportunity for young readers to explore exceptional books, develop critical thinking skills, and participate in lively discussions.

If you’re shadowing the Awards this year, Scholastic prepared a blog post to provide you with useful tips on how to make the most of your shadowing experience, engage with the shortlisted books, and encourage meaningful discussions.

Whether you’re leading a weekly group at your school or a monthly meeting at your local library, these ideas will help you create a fun, engaging, and supportive environment for your shadowing group.

Set a clear shadowing schedule

Depending on your group, you can choose to meet weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly.

School groups

If you’re working with students at school, consider hosting weekly lunch sessions where students can drop in, share their thoughts, and participate in activities related to the shortlisted books. A display board can be a great way to track what everyone has read and their thoughts on the books.

Public library groups

For public library shadowing groups, try organising monthly meetings with email prompts encouraging participants to review and discuss the books. You might consider organising a day where shadowers rotate through activities based on different books in the shortlist. For example, hosting a full day with activities, snacks and voting for the winning book can keep the excitement high.

Utilise the Carnegies resources

Our website has lot of great resources that can really elevate your shadowing sessions. From activity sheets to author events, these tools help spark interest and stimulate discussion.

Author and illustrator virtual events: Sign up for the Carnegies Event Week hosted by Scholastic, the official suppliers of the Carnegie Awards, to build excitement around each book. This not only introduces the ideas behind the stories but also helps shadowers connect with the books on a deeper level.
Activity sheets: Utilise the downloadable resources provided on our website to keep things interactive. You can even run activities like drawing along with the story or designing new book covers – these are a fun way to get kids thinking creatively about the books they’re reading.
Book discussions: A great way to get discussions started is by asking students to share what they think about the front cover or blurb of the book. You can then read the first few paragraphs aloud and ask everyone to make predictions about what might happen next.
Shadowers’ challenges: This year’s Carnegies shortlisted authors and illustrators have each set a creative challenge for shadowers to try out. These challenges are inspired by their shortlisted books and include activities like making three dimensional cards, creating superhero outfits, drawing an entire cast of animals, and exploring local surroundings to then write about. There are tons of great ideas to get your shadowers engaged with the 2025 shortlists and to inspire creativity!

Make the books come to life

One creative way to bring books to life in your shadowing group is through food and fun!

Food and snacks

Incorporate food from the books into your discussions. If the characters eat a specific snack or meal, consider serving that food during your session. This adds a sensory element to the experience and makes the books even more engaging.

Games and activities

Get the group involved with games or fun activities. For example, you can create mood boards based on the story, play charades based on themes from the shortlisted books or even host a mini ‘book cover redesign’ contest.

Encourage open discussions and respectful debate

It’s important to foster an open and supportive environment where everyone in your group feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, even if they disagree. Here are a few strategies to encourage engagement and respectful debate:

Start simple: Begin with easy questions, like “What do you think of the cover?” or “What stood out to you in the first few chapters?” This helps break the ice and makes everyone feel more comfortable.
Use fun prompts: To encourage deeper reflection, try having children describe the book using just three words. Then, challenge them to discuss why they chose those words and listen to others’ interpretations.
Judging criteria: Encourage participants to think critically about what makes a book stand out by reviewing the criteria for the writing and illustration medals. This will not only help them understand the award process but also guide them in forming thoughtful opinions about the books.

Get ready to shadow the Carnegies 2025

Starting a shadowing group or getting involved can feel daunting at first, but it’s all about enjoying the journey together. Be sure to promote the Carnegie Awards as much as you can in your school or library. The more excitement you can generate, the more engaged your group will be.

Don’t forget, you can get your Carnegies shortlist writing and illustration book packs from Scholastic, with a 35% discount, plus free delivery to your school!