Through this PowerPoint you will learn about the different book awards

that are given out, who is eligible to receive the award, and how the awards are chosen.

Book Awards

The Coretta Scott King Awards are presented annually by the American Library Association to honor African-American authors and illustrators who create outstanding books for children and young adults. Initially, the award was established in 1969 to recognize authors and then was expanded to include a separate award for illustrators in 1979. These awards are given to commemorate the life and work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King(1926-2006)for her continuing efforts in working for peace and civil rights issues.

In 1969, while attending the American Library Association Meeting in New Jersey, Mabel McKissick and Glyndon

Greer, two school librarians, had a chance meeting at a booth when both were trying to get a poster of the late

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was a time of great turmoil in the country. Both women loved children's literature and

were discussing that African American authors and illustrators had not been distinguished with awards for

their work. John Carroll, publisher at the booth where the two were trying to get a poster asked them why they

didn't start an award to do so. From that seed of an idea, the Coretta Scott King Award was born.

Criteria:

1. Must portray some aspect of the black experience, past, present, or future.

2. Must be written/illustrated by an African American3. Must be published in the U.S. in the year preceding presentation of the Award.4. Must be an original work5. Must meet established standards of quality writing for youth which include:

-Clear plot-Well drawn characters, which portray growth and development during the course of the story.-Writing style which is consistent with and suitable to the age intended accuracy

6. Must be written for a youth audience in one of three categories: -Preschool-grade 4-Grades 5-8-Grades 9-12

Particular attention will be paid to titles which seek to motivate readers to develop their own attitudes and behaviors as well as comprehend their personal duty and responsibility as citizens in a pluralistic society.

Illustrations should reflect established qualitative standards.

Charlie May Simon Book Award

2012 Nominees

Charlie May Simon1897-1977

The first prominent children’s book author from Arkansas.

Wrote almost 30 books in her lifetime.

Married to another writer. The two lived in a home

overlooking the Arkansas River in Little Rock.

An award was created in her name in 1971 and is given to an outstanding book chosen by Arkansas students in grades 4-6.

The Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award for children's literature has been presented annually since 1971 to an author whose book has been selected through a vote taken by Arkansas school children in grades four, five and six. The purpose of the award is to promote better reading for children and to recognize Mrs. John Gould Fletcher, an outstanding Arkansas author who wrote under the pen name Charlie May Simon.

Charlie May Simon was born August 17, 1897, at Monticello, Arkansas, but moved to Memphis at an early age. She attended Memphis State University, Stanford University and the Chicago Art Institute. She returned to Arkansas after she married John Gould Fletcher in 1936. Throughout her lifetime, Mrs. Fletcher traveled extensively, gathering information for her many prize winning biographies.   She lived at Johnswood, her home in Little Rock, until her death in 1977.

Newbery Award Books

An award that is given to a author that has wrote the most distinguished children’s book of the year.

Who decides how a book is a Newbery Award winner?

Book Selection

The Children’s School Librarian’s Sections of the American Library

Association decides who wins the Newbery Award.

John Newbery 1713-1767

John Newbery was an English publisher and bookseller. He established juvenile literature as an important branch of the publishing business.

Although he published his books anonymously, it is assumed that he planned and wrote a number of them himself.

In 1921 the Newbery medal was established by Frederic Melcher to be awarded by the American Library Association to the most distinguished children's book of the year written by an American.

Criteria

The book must be published in English in the United States the previous year.

The author must be a citizen or resident of the United States.

The book must relate to a child audience. The book must contribute to literature. The book must stand alone and not as a

part of a multimedia presentation

The Caldecott Medal

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.

This has been awarded annually by the American Library Association since 1938 "to the artist of the most

distinguished American picture book for children." There is one medal winner and usually a number of honor books.

Frederic G. Melcher suggested in 1937 the establishment of a second annual medal to the Newbery Medal. This medal is to be given to the artist who had created the most distinguished picture book of the year and named in honor of the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott (1846-1866).

Terms

1. Medal shall be awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year.

2. There are no limitations as to the character of the picture book except that the illustrations be original work.

3. The award is restricted to artists who are citizens or residents of the United States.  Books published in a U.S. territory or U.S. commonwealth are eligible.

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that

exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas

school librarian who was a long-time active member of the

Young Adult Library Services Association. 

Michael L. Printz Award

Eligibility

1. The award-winning book may be fiction, nonfiction, poetry or an anthology.2. As many as four honor titles may be selected.3. Books must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the year preceding announcement of the award.4. To be eligible, a title must have been designated by its publisher as being either a young adult book or one published for the age range that YALSA defines as "young adult," Adult books are not eligible.5. Works of joint authorship or editorship are eligible.6. Books previously published in another country are eligible (presuming an American edition has been published during the period of eligibility).7. If no title is deemed sufficiently meritorious, no award will be given that year.

Printz was a school librarian at Topeka West (KS) High School for many years

and retired from teaching in 1994.

He was active in YALSA and served on the Best Books for

Young Adults Committee and the Margaret A. Edwards Award

Committee. He had a passion for books and reading. Finding the

right book for the right student at the right time was not just a

slogan to Mike-he lived it.

Kindergarten and First Grade participate in the Arkansas Diamond

Awards.  This is a program where Arkansas students read, or hear read to them at least 3 books on the list of

books for the current year

Arkansas Diamond Award

The Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award was established in 1998 to encourage reading for students in Grades K-3.

•The award was established to encourage reading for students in grades K-3.

•The award is selected by an annual vote.

•Children in Grades K-3 must have read at least three of the titles from the annual reading list and select one title.

• Voting is done each year in April.

Arkansas Teen Book Awards

The purpose in establishing this award is to encourage young adults across Arkansas to read.  The award will recognize books in two divisions: Level 1, 7th-9th grade and Level 2, 10th-12th grade.

The books chosen for the final teen reading lists were read and voted on by teachers and librarians across Arkansas. 

1. Unless the book can stand on its own, it must be the first in a series.

2. Copyright date goes by the hardback edition unless it was originally published as paperback.

3. Translations going by the US copyright date.

Guidelines