Massachusetts Children's Book Award
The Massachusetts Children's Book Award was established as a program to encourage children to read. The children themselves vote for the one book they think deserves to be named the winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for that year. Each year the book with the most votes is the winner. Several books, generally four each year, that have received the next largest number of votes are declared honor books.
The award was started in 1975 by Dr. Helen Constant. The award program was developed because, to their educational detriment, many children in intermediate grades lose interest in reading for pleasure. The award is sponsored by Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts.
Each year, participating teachers, librarians, and publishers nominate titles for the program. A selection committee chooses 25 titles to appear on the Master List. Criteria for the Master List include literary quality, variety of genres, representation of diverse cultural groups, and reader appeal. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders who have read, or have heard read aloud, at least five books from the Master List vote for their favorite book. The author of the winning book receives a plaque to commemorate the award and participating schools receive a certificate of participation with the name of the winning book. Participation is coordinated through schools, often through the school library. Public librarians may facilitate the program for home-schooled children or children whose schools do not participate in the program.
Read more about Massachusetts Children's Book Award: Winners
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