Skulduggery Pleasant beat competition from Harry Potter to win this year's Young Teen Fiction Award

Skulduggery Pleasant revealed as top read for Staffordshire's teens

On Tuesday 1 July, over 200 pupils from schools across the county visited Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford to take part in the Young Teen Fiction (YTF) Award Celebration Day.

It was there that they cast the final vote in a nomination and voting process that has been running since October last year.

Earlier this year, the six books short listed for this year's award were announced as:

• Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson
• Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
• Blood Beast by Darren Shan
• Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
• Kiss by Jacqueline Wilson

To encourage their peers to vote for their pick of this year's short list, pupils performed sketches on each of the books to rapturous applause.

Those taking part in the day also heard from inspirational guest authors Linda Buckley-Archer and Cliff McNish before the news that they were all waiting for was announced - the winner of YTF08.

Fists punched the air and shouts of 'Yes!' echoed around the room as Skulduggery Pleasant was crowned best teen read for 2008.

The winning book sees the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard team up with twelve year old Stephanie to battle various evil cretins in an attempt to avenge his family's death.

The story of this unlikely duo beat competition from infamous wizard, Harry Potter as well as titles by popular teen read authors Jaqueline Wilson and Anthony Horowitz to claim the top prize.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling came second in this year's award and Kiss by Jaqueline Wilson followed in third place.

County Councillor and Cabinet Support Member for Culture and Heritage, Maureen Compton, said: "Every year Staffordshire's School Library Service runs the Young Teen Fiction Award to encourage young people to shout about the books that they enjoy and every year I am astounded by the impassioned response of our young people."

She continued: "Staffordshire's teenagers obviously feel very strongly about what they like and do not like to read and I want to encourage every 11-14 year old to make their view count in next year's award."