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The Worst Thing About My Sister voted best ‘happy read’ by children: new poll results revealed
Young readers have voted The Worst Thing About My Sister by Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt the book that makes them happiest. It has topped a UK-wide online poll which celebrates the first-ever Chatterbooks Week (11-18 October) and all the fun to be had via national charity The Reading Agency’s ever-growing network of Chatterbooks reading groups for children.
"I'm thrilled that The Worst Thing About My Sister has won this poll – what could be lovelier than hearing a book I've written makes readers happy? If my character, Marty were real I think she'd be leaping about whooping for joy at this news!" says Jacqueline Wilson.
Voting took place via the Summer Reading Challenge website, which gives children all-year-round access to a whole range of exciting reading-related activities (see ‘Notes to editors’).
The Worst Thing About My Sister scored 17.88% of the total votes, leading a ‘top ten’ of titles which had been selected to enter the online poll as favourite ‘happy books’ amongst children using the Summer Reading Challenge website.Comments from young readers supporting the winning title, published by Yearling included:
“This book was hilariously funny. My favorite character was the girls Mum as she only wanted to do what was best for the family. I would recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor but could still feel sympathy for both Marty and Melissa.” (From website user Director Pinky Paddington)
“I'm hard to please and I rate this 5 *****.” (From website user Madam Beryl Lanzarote)
“It is funny entertaining emotional and it tells you the differences of others!! ” (From website user Professor Phoenix Fascination) Please see ‘Notes to editors’ for more reviews.
In second place was Gangsta Granny by David Walliams (published by HarperCollins Children’s Books) with 13.77% of the total votes. Third place was taken by The Twits by Roald Dahl with 12.50% (published by Puffin). For a full list of all the ten books shortlisted for the online poll vote, please see ‘Notes to editors’.
Launched in 2001, Chatterbooks is now the largest network of reading groups for children aged 4 – 12 years: over 10,000 young readers around the UK are now part of over 800 Chatterbooks groups. They are run in libraries, schools and other settings by librarians, teachers, teaching assistants, or anyone with a passion for reading. Bestselling children’s author Jacqueline Wilson is the official Chatterbooks patron.
At each Chatterbooks session children talk about what they are reading, take part in fun activities inspired by the best children's books, and choose new books to take home and read. Because the Chatterbooks network is supported by The Reading Agency’s publisher partners and many children's authors and illustrators, Chatterbooks groups get access to offers, competitions, opportunities to find out how authors are inspired to create their work, together with advice and support on running a group. Chatterbooks groups are an ideal way to build on the reading for pleasure momentum generated amongst children by the Summer Reading Challenge. For advice on setting up and running a Chatterbooks group, go to: readingagency.org.uk/children/practitioners-guides/running-chatterbooks.html
"Chatterbooks groups help children make new friends, talk about books in a fun way, and learn new skills," says Linda Margerison of Lancashire County Council’s library service, who leads the Chatterbooks reading group at Pike Hill Library, Burnley. The group began meeting in February this year; Linda has also noticed an increase in confidence among young group members to not only talk about books they enjoy, but to say if they don't like a particular book and why.
All around the UK, activities are taking place to celebrate Chatterbooks Week, with existing groups encouraged to send in pictures to chatterbooksweek@readingagency.org.uk, post to Facebook at www.facebook.com/SummerReadingChallengeUK or tweet @readingagency with #cbxweek
The best picture will win the group who sent it a visit from a top ‘Chatterbooks champion’ children’s author.
“This first-ever Chatterbooks Week is a great opportunity for us to show how much children are enjoying reading and talking about books in Chatterbooks groups – and how so many passionate readers are inspiring children through running fantastic Chatterbooks events and activities,” says Lynne Taylor, who leads The Reading Agency’s Chatterbooks work.
A wide range of partners including The Reading Agency are working together under the aegis of Save The Children on the Read On. Get On campaign, with the goal of ensuring that by 2025 every 11 year old child will be able to read well: achieving this objective will require every adult around those children to be able to read well too.