PUPILS at a Newton Aycliffe school are to help select the winners of two nationally important literary awards.

Greenfield School Community and Arts College is the only school in the country selected to shadow the judging for the Carnegie Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal.

The Carnegie Medal is awarded to the writer of an outstanding book for children, while the Greenaway Medal is for distinguished illustration in a book for children.

The medals are awarded annually by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

There are 14 pupils from Greenfield, and librarian Judy Waite, involved in shadowing the project.

They have been selected because of their enthusiasm for reading.

They are reading all of the shortlisted titles and will decide which is their favourite and why.

Their decision will be taken into account by the adult judges, who will announce the results on July 11.

The pupils are meeting in the school library once a week to update reviews and swap books.

As a reward for their hard work, the pupils will receive one book from the list to keep and a full set will be donated to the school library.

Pupils involved are Hannah Hatfield, Laura Bayles, Amy Wilson, Kelly Henwood, Jonathan Robinson, Duana Pearson, Danielle Hudson, Kirsty Mackintosh, Anne-Marie Turton, Adam Stott, Craig Hannant, Emma Martin, Jonathan Stace and Sarah Charlesworth.

For more information on the awards and the shortlisted books visit www.carnegie greenaway.org.uk.