Thousands of Staffordshire teenagers have crowned ‘The Last Dragon on Mars’ by Scott Reintgen as this year’s Young Teen Fiction (YTF) Award winner.
Hundreds of pupils gathered at the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands on Tuesday 7 July for the grand finale of the event, celebrating a year of reading, discussion and debate.
Since the autumn, teenagers from schools across Staffordshire have been reading and voting for their favourite title from a shortlist of four books.
This year’s shortlist featured ‘The Last Dragon on Mars’ by Scott Reintgen, ‘The Girl with the Red Boots’ by Alex Wheatle, ‘The Lovely and the Lost’ by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and ‘Red Flags’ by Sophie Jo.
Following months of reading and voting, ‘The Last Dragon on Mars’ emerged as the county-wide winner.
Hayley Coles, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture at Staffordshire County Council, said:
"The Young Teen Fiction Award is a fantastic example of how reading can bring young people together, spark imagination and build confidence.
“What makes this award so special is that the winner is chosen entirely by Staffordshire’s young readers, giving them a genuine voice and encouraging them to engage with books they may not otherwise have discovered.
“It's wonderful to see so many pupils taking part and celebrating their love of reading. A huge well done to everyone involved in another hugely successful year for the award."
Scott Reintgen, author of the winning book, said:
"I was honoured to learn that 'The Last Dragon on Mars' won the Staffordshire YTF book award. I have spent the first decade of my career writing for young people. My greatest hope is to invite more readers to the table of reading. I want them to know they have a place there and that sometimes all it takes is one book to make them a lifelong reader. Thank you to all the young readers who voted for Last Dragon this year. It means the world."
Now in its twenty-first year, the award encourages young people aged 11 to 14 to read for pleasure, discover new authors and share their views on some of the best young adult fiction published in the UK.
The celebration event also welcomed two popular authors, A.J. Clack and Ross Welford, who met young readers, answered questions and signed books. A.J. Clack’s thriller ‘Lie or Die’ won the 2025 YTF Award, while bestselling children's author Ross Welford shared insights into his writing career and inspired attendees with stories about the power of imagination and creativity.
