STUDENTS at a Teesdale school tried to out-guess the judges of a literary award ahead of the winner being announced.

Almost 50 year nine pupils at Staindrop Comprehensive School took part in the Carnegie Medal shadowing scheme on Friday.

The school was the first in County Durham to take part in the national initiative when it joined last year. More than 1,000 schools have taken part this year.

In seven weeks, they read the seven titles shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the oldest and most respected award for children's books, and debated which work they believed should win.

On Friday, judges of the medal announced the winning book as Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech. Anne Fine's Up On Cloud Nine was highly commended.

Pupils at Staindrop decided Sharon Creech's story about orphans was one of their favourites, just behind Lian Hearn's Across the Nightingale Floor.

The day before the decision was announced, Ms Fine, who recently received an OBE for services to children's literature and completed her office as Children's Laureate, visited the school.

She said: "The scheme is useful because it introduces young people to a range of books they might not otherwise read.

"It is good to make them read books that adults feel have some literary value and they have, almost without exception, enjoyed them all for different reasons."

Staindrop school librarian Bev Stuttard said: "It is wonderfully positive to have an author visit the school and talk with passion about books.

"The pupils are encouraged to read and work hard to get what they want out of life when they hear how much Anne enjoys her work."