The Washington State Student Award for Informational Text

The Committee Members

◦Beth Bruno◦Rochelle Brown◦Carol Miller◦Art Spencer◦Thom Garrard◦David Winkeljohn◦Mary Davies◦Charity Cree◦Carol Hattemer◦Carter Kemp

Why Another Award?

WA Children’s Choice Picture Book Award

Sasquatch

YRCA

The Joys of Solo Highway Driving

Insert picture of Yakima here

Rationale

Non-Fiction often fits uncomfortably next to Fiction selections on the Sasquatch List

A Non-Fiction list would ‘round out’ the fiction selections on Sasquatch and YRCA

Help with Collection Development

Teacher-Librarians could use the new list to generate excitement around reading Informational Text in ways similar to how they use Sasquatch, WCCPBA and YRCA

Drum roll… the tension mounts!

But whatever will we call the new award?

William C. Towner “Bill”

The Washington State Student Award for Informational Text

The Towner Award

Bill and his daughters: Melissa, Jennifer & Hilary

Lenore Look

Now, on to the books!

Selection Process

Towner Award Committee's Informational Text Definition

Eligibility RequirementsBifurcation and Why It Didn't HappenVoting for "Best" or Voting by Category

 

Douwlina: a Rhino's story by Grace Borgeson

Electric Ben: the amazing life and times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd

Spotty, stripy, swirly: what are patterns? written and photographed by Jane Brocket

Unspoken : a story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole

Get the scoop on animal poop!: from lions to tapeworms, 251 cool facts about scat, frass, dung & more! by Dawn Cusick

Barnum's bones by Tracey Fern, pictures by Boris Kulikov

My first soccer book: [from warm-ups and gear to kickoff and techniques] by Clive Gifford

What to expect when you're expecting hatchlings: a guide for crocodilian parents (and curious kids) by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch

Annie and Helen, by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Raul Colón.

The beetle book by Steve Jenkins

Bird talk: what birds are saying and why by Lita Judge

The worst of friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the true story of an American feud by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, illustrated by Larry Day

Go out and play! : favorite outdoor games from Kaboom

The boy who harnessed the wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer , pictures by Elizabeth Zunon

Earth-friendly buildings, bridges and more : the eco-journal of Corry LaPont by Etta Kaner, illustrated by Stephen MacEachern

The great molasses flood: Boston, 1919 by Deborah Kops

World’s greatest lion by Ralph Helfer, illustrated by Ted Lewin

Presidential pets: the wierd, wacky, little, big, scary, strange animals that have lived in the White House by Julia Moberg, illustrated by Jeff Albrecht Studios

Life in the ocean: the story of oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola

Helen's big world: the life of Helen Keller written by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares

The camping trip that changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Parks by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

Wumbers: it's words cre8ed with numbers! wri10 by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustr8ed by Tom Lichtenheld

The mighty Mars rovers: the incredible adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch

Bomb: the race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Can you tell a gecko from a salamander? by Buffy Silverman

The great divide by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Erin E. Hunter

Alex the parrot: no ordinary bird by Stephanie Spinner, illustrated by Meilo So   2014 nominees and recommended titles are all copyright 2012.

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston

Ocean Sunlight by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm

Snakes by Nic Bishop

1. Reading the captions throughout the book for the 5 Ws           

After reading the caption on page 7, students will find information to answer the question “Why do people often confuse blind snakes with worms?”

2. After reading page 32, guide students as they give a step-by-step description of how snakes swallow and digest prey and answer in writing,  “Why can’t a human swallow whole prey larger than its head?”

3. Students review ways that snakes protect themselves from predators after reading the entire book. Students then write using textual evidence for or against the statement “Snakes seek humans to make them afraid and to hurt them.”

A Black Hole is Not a Hole by Carolyn DeCristofano

Giant Squid by Mary M. Cerullo

Island by Jason Chin

Castle: How it Works by David Macaulay

Eight Days Gone by Linda Mcreynolds

What We Wearby Maya Ajmera

The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs by Sandra Markle

Our Web Address

http://www.wlma.org/towner

Towner Award Web Page

Curriculum Support

Contact Us

wlma.org/towner

http://towneraward.wikispaces.com

Thanks to Jennifer Maydole at Mackin for the terrific posters!

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