Top six teenage titles revealed

Today, after months of frantic voting, Staffordshire’s top six teenage book titles can be revealed and young people are now being encouraged to vote for a winner.

Since October last year, young people in Staffordshire aged between 11-14 years have been nominating their favourite book of the year as part of Staffordshire Library Service’s Young Teen Fiction (YTF) Award.

Designed to encourage young people to enjoy books and share their enthusiasm with their peers, the award is now in its sixth year and is going from strength to strength.

This year, there were almost 900 nominations for books that Staffordshire’s teens felt worthy of the 2010 award and those with the most votes can now be revealed as: Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy, Grass by Catherine MacPhail, Brigands MC by Robert Muchamore, Wings by Aprilynne Pike, Black Heart by Justin Somper and Blood Hunters by Steve Voake.

Book loving teenagers now have until midday on Monday July 5 to vote online for their pick of the shortlist.

The winner will be announced at a fun-packed celebration day at Staffordshire’s County Showground on Tuesday July 6.

County Councillor Ben Adams, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture said: “Books have to compete with modern technologies for the time of our teenagers. It is so heartening to see that Staffordshire’s young people want to get involved in the Young Teen Fiction Award and that they feel passionately about what they like to read. I want to encourage them to make their opinion count and vote for a winner!”

To find out more about the short-listed books, or if you are aged between 11 and 14 years old and want to vote for a book to win this year’s award, then please visit: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/YTF.