Last summer Year Eight students took part in the Hampshire Book Award, run by the Schools Library Service.  A kind of mini-Booker Prize, they read a range of fiction titles from a shortlist.  Twelve students attended a discussion forum at Frogmore School, where a group of schools weighed up the merits of each title.  After a great deal of heated debate some firm favourites emerged.  Katy Easthill and Jago Thornton were chosen to take part in the voting process at Winchester’s flagship new library.  The winner was “Dogfight” by Craig Simpson, a fast-paced World War Two adventure story.  Now in Year Nine, our students visited the Guildhall in Winchester for the Presentation Ceremony, where they met the author, who answered questions and signed copies of his books.  These students will now be helping to select the shortlist for the Hampshire Book Award 2010.