First for the North East Book Award

The North East Book Award, which this year involved 35 schools in the North East of England reading, discussing and voting on the short-listed books, has ended this year in a dead heat.

At an exciting event at Newcastle City Library on Friday, it was announced that the 350 students had managed to award exactly the same number of votes to two books:

Looking for jj by Anne Cassidy

Roxy’s Baby by Catherine MacPhail

In addition each title had the same number of schools putting it top, and both books were based on stories which hit the headlines in the newspapers.

The North East Book Award is unique in that there is no prize money for the winners, but every student taking part receives a £5 book voucher supplied by Blackwells, to spend in the local bookshop.