Young Reader's Choice Award
An excerpt from the Handbook for the Young Reader's Choice Nominees, by Bette D. Ammon and Gale W. Sherman (Pocatello, Idaho: Beyond Basals). Reprinted with permission.
Participating in the Program
Nominations
Suggested titles for the YRCA ballot are made by teachers, librarians,
students, and other interested persons. The PNLA Manual recommends
that titles nominated be those of universal appeal. Nominations
are limited to those titles published three years prior to the
voting year. They should include, but are not limited to, books
which are popular with children. Librarians and teachers who read
quantities of children's books should nominate "sleepers"
which spark the imagination and appeal to the heart. Keep in mind
the target reading audience for the two divisions of the award
(grades 4-8 and grades 9-12), their reading interests, abilities,
levels of maturity, and their general developmental stages in
order to ensure an appropriate range of titles.
As more interested people participate in the nominating process,
the award becomes more representative of the numerous fine, popular
children's books. Some librarians and teachers keep a running
list of potential nominees throughout the year. Record your potential
nominees for the next ballot as you read books with a publication
date three years prior to the voting year.
Books may be nominated by sending title(s) to your state or provincial
representative or to the current YRCA Chair. Nominations must
be received by February 1st and have a U.S. or Canadian copyright
date three years prior to the voting year. (For example books
nominated for the 1999 list must have a 1996 copyright and are
due to the chairperson by February 1, 1998.) The YRCA Committee
Chairperson makes the final selection of nominees based on how
often titles are nominated while balancing the list in light of
genre variety, appeal to both boys and girls, reading levels,
and interest levels.
Voting
Children and young adults living in the region encompassed by
PNLA (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon
and Washington), vote during the first two weeks of March and
choose their favorite book from the list of nominated titles.
Voting can take place at both school and public libraries. In
order to be eligible to vote, children must have read (or have
had read to them) at least two of the nominated books in their
division. Students reading two or more titles in both the 4th-8th
grade division and the 9th-12th grade senior division may vote
in both divisions. PNLA encourages individual students to read
as many books as possible before voting.
Participating libraries should send tallied votes for all nominated
titles to GSLIS-FM 30, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
by March 20th of the voting year. (PLEASE do not send the individual
ballots, just the total votes for all nominated titles!) Include
a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your voting results in
order to receive next year's ballot and notification of the new
winner. The award itself is presented to the winning authors
at the annual PNLA Conference. Since 1987 the winners have received
a medal, struck in Idaho silver.
Back to the Young Reader's Choice Award List
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Saturday, April 12, 1997
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