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Each year tens of thousands of young people take part in the Carnegies’ Shadowing Scheme. Schools and libraries across the UK host thousands of reading groups, giving students the chance to engage with Carnegies titles and shadow the judging process.
praised the “transformative journey from confusion to confidence” as readers gain insight into what reading can be like for someone with dyslexia; mountains of words and walls of letters. Importantly, it doesn’t end with dyslexia something to ‘overcome’. Instead, Kate joyfully experiments with typography to visualise how she still struggles with language, whilst celebrating the way dyslexia helped her find creative solutions and fall in love with storytelling. Kate said: “Wiggling Words began with a contradiction: I absolutely love books, but reading has never come easily to me. That’s why I’m so grateful to the Carnegie judges, librarians and shadowing groups for championing it, and why receiving this award during the National Year of Reading feels so incredible. “Wiggling Words was inspired by my own experience as a dyslexic reader, but it’s a book for everyone. Learning to read is something we all go through, and Wiggling Words celebrates creative thinking, imagination and playful ways into stories. Stories introduce us to voices beyond our own, expand our understanding of humanity, and remind us how much connects us. The stories that capture our hearts when we’re young shape our values, compassion and understanding. They inspire us to build the world we want to live in. But stories can only do that if people can access them.
“Accessibility isn’t about making things easier. It’s about deciding who gets to take part, who gets heard and who gets left out of the conversation. If stories shape the future, accessibility and representation decides who has a voice in that future.”
Shadowers’ Choice Awards Each year tens of thousands of young people take part in the Carnegies’ Shadowing Scheme. Schools and libraries across the UK host thousands of reading groups, giving students the chance to engage with Carnegies titles and shadow the judging process. As well as engaging young readers and promoting reading for pleasure, the groups also give those taking part to discuss the books and decide on their own winners in the Shadowers’ Choice Awards.
l The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing is Wolf Siren, meaning a double win for Beth O’Brien’s modern re-telling.
Aimée de Jongh. Spring-Summer 2026
l The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration is Lord of the Flies adapted and illustrated by Aimée de Jongh (Faber+Faber). Judges described it as a “strong, impactful graphic retelling has a cinematic quality. The story of a group of boys trying to survive on an island as civilisation erodes into savagery is repellent at points but in the best possible way because of the prowess and power of the illustration,” and Shadowers clearly agreed.
The winners of the Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration each received a specially commissioned medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The winners of the Shadowers’ Choice Medals also receive a medal and £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice, generously provided by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) for the illustration winner and by CILIP for the writing winner.
The Carnegies are supported by Scholastic, Sora, ACLS and First News. PEN&INC.
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