California Young Reader Medal
The California Young Reader Medal is a set of five annual literary awards conferred upon picture books and fiction books selected by vote of California schoolchildren from a ballot prepared by committee.[1] The program was established in 1974 with Intermediate, Primary, and Young Adult Medals that were inaugurated in 1975, 1976, and 1977 and were conferred biennially, and annually beginning in 1983.[2][a]
The program is intended to encourage recreational reading and is sponsored by four organizations that promote reading and literacy: the California Association of Teachers of English, the California Library Association, the California Reading Association, and the California School Library Association.[1]
There are five medals, last modified for 2002: Primary (grades K-3), Intermediate (grades 3–6), Middle School/Junior High (grades 6–9), Young Adult (grades 9–12), and Picture Books for Older Readers (grades 4 and up)—that is, roughly age 10 and up.[b] Both writer and illustrator receive the Primary and Picture Book Medals, where applicable.[1]
The ballot for each medal comprises 3–5 books published during the preceding four years—two to five years ago when the process concludes. For example, 17 books published from 2010 to 2013 were nominated for 2014–2015.[3]
Rules and process
Young readers, their parents, educators, librarians, and "anyone who works with young people" may recommend books. Candidates must be original works of fiction by living authors, available in English, published during the four preceding years and still in print.[4]
Nominations are made by award category and the books should be "often read or requested" and have "strong appeal for the age group".[4] A committee of the sponsoring organizations selects "a well-balanced list of nominees" (finalists), considering merit and appeal.[1]
Children may vote in all categories where they know all of the candidates by reading or hearing read aloud. They cast a combined paper ballot at once, in a classroom or library monitored by an adult.[5][c]
Winners
The medals in four categories inaugurated in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1980 were biennial until 1983, and thereafter annual.[2] For each category (now five) CYRM maintains a "Booklist" of finalists (3–5 annually) that provides basic bibliographic data for all, and cover images beginning in 2005 or so.[6]
1970s
| Year | Category | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Intermediate | Thomas Rockwell | How to Eat Fried Worms |
| 1976 | Primary | Bill Peet | How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head |
| 1977 | Intermediate | Mary Rodgers | Freaky Friday |
| Young Adult | Richard Adams | Watership Down | |
| 1978 | Primary | Lucy Bate, illus. by Diane de Groat | Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth |
| 1979 | Intermediate | Roald Dahl | Danny, the Champion of the World |
| Young Adult | Sandra Scoppettone | The Late Great Me |
1980s
| Year | Category | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Middle School/Junior High | Betsy Byars | The Pinballs |
| Primary | Bill Peet | Big Bad Bruce | |
| 1981 | Intermediate | Wilson Rawls | Summer of the Monkeys |
| Young Adult | Lois Lowry | A Summer to Die | |
| 1982 | Primary | Harry Allard, illus. by James Marshall | Miss Nelson is Missing |
| Middle School/Junior High | Ellen Conford | Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood | |
| 1983 | Primary | Mercer Mayer | Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp |
| Intermediate | Judy Blume | Superfudge | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Judy Blume | Tiger Eyes | |
| Young Adult | Lois Duncan | Summer of Fear | |
| 1984 | Primary | Phyllis Green, illus. by Joel Schick | Bagdad Ate It |
| Intermediate | Theodore Taylor | The Trouble with Tuck | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Paula Danziger | There's a Bat in Bunk Five | |
| Young Adult | Lois Duncan | Stranger with My Face | |
| 1985 | Primary | Carol Chapman, illus. by Kelly Oechsli | Herbie's Troubles |
| Intermediate | Lynne Reid Banks | The Indian in the Cupboard | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Norma Fox Mazer | Taking Terri Mueller | |
| Young Adult | Frances Miller | The Truth Trap | |
| 1986 | Primary | Edward Marshall, illus. by James Marshall | Space Case |
| Intermediate | Barthe DeClements | Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Willo Davis Roberts | Girl with the Silver Eyes | |
| Young Adult | Meredith Pierce | The Darkangel | |
| 1987[d] | Primary | Audrey Wood, illus. by Don Wood | The Napping House |
| Intermediate | Betty Ren Wright | The Dollhouse Murders | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Patricia Hermes | You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye | |
| Young Adult | Michael French | Pursuit | |
| 1988 | Primary | Laura Joffe Numeroff, illus. by Felicia Bond | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie |
| Intermediate | Stephen Manes | Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Janet Lunn | The Root Cellar | |
| Young Adult | William Sleator | Interstellar Pig | |
| 1989 | Primary | Carol Carrick, illus. by Donald Carrick | What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs? |
| Intermediate | Elizabeth Winthrop | The Castle in the Attic | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Joan Lowery Nixon | The Stalker | |
| Young Adult | Eve Bunting | The Face at the Edge of the World |
1990s
| Year | Category | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Primary | Margaret Leaf, illus. by Ed Young | Eyes of the Dragon |
| Intermediate | Robert Kimmel Smith | The War with Grandpa | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Joan Lowery Nixon | The Other Side of Dark | |
| Young Adult | Cynthia Voigt | Izzy, Willy Nilly | |
| 1991 | Primary | Helen Lester, illus. by Lynn M. Munsinger | Tacky the Penguin |
| Intermediate | Dick King-Smith | Harry's Mad | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Mary Downing Hahn | December Stillness | |
| Young Adult | M.E. Kerr | Night Kites | |
| 1992 | Primary | Denys Cazet | Never Spit on Your Shoes |
| Intermediate | Lois Lowry | All About Sam | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Theodore Taylor | Sniper | |
| Young Adult | Eve Bunting | A Sudden Silence | |
| 1993 | Primary | Kevin Henkes | Julius, the Baby of the World |
| Intermediate | Judy Blume | Fudge-a-Mania | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Avi | Something Upstairs | |
| Young Adult | Annette Curtis Klause | The Silver Kiss | |
| 1994 | Primary | Mary Calhoun, illus. by Erick Ingraham | High-Wire Henry |
| Intermediate | Willo Davis Roberts | Scared Stiff | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Jerry Spinelli | There's a Girl in My Hammerlock | |
| Young Adult | Robert Cormier | We All Fall Down | |
| 1995 | Primary | Susan Meddaugh | Martha Speaks |
| Intermediate | Pam Conrad | Stonewords | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Ben Mikaelsen | Rescue Josh McGuire | |
| Young Adult | Will Hobbs | Downriver | |
| 1996 | Primary | Janell Cannon | Stellaluna |
| Intermediate | Mary Downing Hahn | Time for Andrew | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Rodman Philbrick | Freak the Mighty | |
| Young Adult | Sherry Garland | Shadow of the Dragon | |
| 1997 | Primary | Erica Silverman, illus. by S. D. Schindler | Don't Fidget a Feather! |
| Intermediate | Bruce Coville | Jennifer Murdley's Toad | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Ben Mikaelsen | Sparrow Hawk Red | |
| Young Adult | Chris Crutcher | Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes | |
| 1998 | Primary | Dav Pilkey | Dog Breath |
| Intermediate | Erika Tamar | The Junkyard Dog | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Christopher Paul Curtis | The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 | |
| Young Adult | Chris Crutcher | Ironman | |
| 1999 | Primary | Pamela Duncan Edwards, illus. by Henry Cole | Livingstone Mouse |
| Intermediate | Sid Fleischman, illus. by Peter Sis | The 13th Floor | |
| Middle School/Junior High | Graham Salisbury | Under the Blood Red Sun | |
| Young Adult | Kristen Randle | The Only Alien on the Planet |
2000s
2000
- Primary: Lost, written by Paul Brett Johnson and Celeste Lewis, illustrated by Johnson
- Intermediate: Riding Freedom, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Middle School/Junior High: Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
- Young Adult: Breaking Bones, by A. M. Jenkins
2001
- Primary: Grandpa's Teeth, by Rod Clement
- Intermediate: Honus & Me, by Dan Gutman
- Middle School/Junior High: Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Young Adult: Armageddon Summer, by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville
2002
- Primary: Hooway for Wodney Wat, written by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn M. Munsinger
- Intermediate: The Million Dollar Shot, by Dan Gutman
- Middle School/Junior High: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, by Jack Gantos
- Young Adult: Bad, by Jean Ferris
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Weslandia, by Paul Fleischman
2003
- Primary: I Will Never, Not Ever, Eat a Tomato, by Lauren Child
- Intermediate: Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
- Middle School/Junior High: Touching Spirit Bear, by Ben Mikaelsen
- Young Adult: Define "Normal", by Julie Anne Peters
- Picture Books for Older Readers: The Babe and I, by David A. Adler
2004
- Primary: A Fine, Fine School, written by Sharon Creech, illustrated by Harry Bliss
- Intermediate: The School Story, by Andrew Clements
- Middle School/Junior High: Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen
- Young Adult: Ties that Bind, Ties that Break, by Lensey Namioka
- Picture Books for Older Readers: And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, by Janet Stevens
2005
- Primary: Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, written by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
- Intermediate: Ruby Holler, by Sharon Creech
- Middle School/Junior High: Things Not Seen, by Andrew Clements
- Young Adult: Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Mr. Lincoln's Way, by Patricia Polacco
2006
- Primary: Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook, by Michael Garland
- Intermediate: The Good Dog, by Avi
- Middle School/Junior High: 12 Again, by Sue Corbett
- Young Adult: After, by Francine Prose
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Boxes for Katje, written by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen
2007
- Primary: My Lucky Day, by Keiko Kasza
- Intermediate: Christopher Mouse, by William Wise
- Middle School/Junior High: Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko
- Young Adult: Shattering Glass, by Gail Giles
- Picture Books for Older Readers: The Cats in Krasinski Square, written by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Wendy Watson
2008
- Primary: Superdog: The Heart of a Hero, written by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner
- Intermediate: Each Little Bird That Sings, by Deborah Wiles
- Middle School/Junior High: The Schwa Was Here, by Neal Shusterman
- Young Adult: Private Peaceful, by Michael Morpurgo
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Mr. Maxwell's Mouse, written by Frank Asch, illustrated by Devin Asch
2009
- Primary: Stanley's Wild Ride, written by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin
- Intermediate: Sheep, by Valerie Hobbs
- Middle School/Junior High: Heat, by Mike Lupica
- Young Adult: Sold, by Patricia McCormick
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Mystery at the Club Sandwich, written and illustrated by Doug Cushman
2010s
2010
- Primary: Millie Waits for the Mail, by Alexander Steffensmeier
- Intermediate: No Talking, by Andrew Clements
- Middle School/Junior High: Alabama Moon, by Watt Key
- Young Adult: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Owney: The Mail-Pouch Pooch, written by Mona Kerby, illustrated by Lynne Barasch
2011
- Primary: Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, written by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin
- Intermediate: Zorgamazoo, by Robert Paul Weston
- Middle School/Junior High: Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam, by Cynthia Kadohata
- Young Adult: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
- Picture Books for Older Readers: John, Paul, George & Ben, written and illustrated by Lane Smith
2012
- Primary: I Need My Monster, written by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam
- Intermediate: Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, by Danette Haworth
- Middle School/Junior High: Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass.
- Young Adult: Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Henry's Freedom Box, written by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2013
- Primary: We Are in a Book!, written and illustrated by Mo Willems
- Intermediate: The Giant Slayer, by Iain Lawrence
- Middle School/Junior High: Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper
- Young Adult: Matched, by Ally Condie
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle, written by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery, illustrated with photographs by members of the Marines team
2014
- Primary: Press Here, written and illustrated by Herve Tullet
- Intermediate: The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann
- Middle School/Junior High: Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick
- Young Adult: Divergent, by Veronica Roth
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Queen of the Falls, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
2015
- Primary: Exclamation Mark, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
- Intermediate: Wonder, by R. J. Palacio
- Middle School/Junior High: The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Young Adult: The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Team, written by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Steven Salerno
2016
- Primary: The Day the Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
- Intermediate: A Dog Called Homeless, by Sarah Lean
- Middle School/Junior High: Dogtag Summer, by Elizabeth Partridge
- Young Adult: Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, written by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
2017
- Primary: Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
- Intermediate: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, by Chris Grabenstein
- Middle School/Junior High: Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger
- Young Adult: Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Each Kindness, written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
2018
- Primary: The Book with No Pictures, by B. J. Novak
- Intermediate: Pax, written by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen
- Middle School/Junior High: A Night Divided, by Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Young Adult: Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Barbed Wire Baseball, written by Marissa Moss, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
2019
- Primary: The Bear and the Piano, written and illustrated by David Litchfield
- Intermediate: The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Middle School/Junior High: Echo, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Young Adult: Written in the Stars, by Aisha Saeed
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, written by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls
2020s
2020
- Primary: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors, written by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
- Intermediate: The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Middle School/Junior High: Refugee, by Alan Gratz
- Young Adult: Scythe, by Neal Shusterman
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Her Right Foot, written by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris
2021
- Primary: Poor Louie, written and illustrated by Tony Fucile
- Intermediate: Restart, by Gordon Korman
- Middle School/Junior High: Lily and Dunkin, by Donna Gephart
- Young Adult: All We Have Left, by Wendy Mills
- Picture Books for Older Readers: Sergeant Reckless, written by Patricia McCormick, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
Notes
- ^ The Middle School/Junior High Medal was added in 1980 and all four became annual in 1983. The fifth award category, Picture Books for Older Readers, was inaugurated in 2002. ("Nominees and Winners List" at google.docs)
- ^ US school children commonly turn six years old during kindergarten (K), nine years old in grade 3, and so on.
- ^ Presumably children may cast ballots at school and once for each public library or after-school program they join. ("Vote" at CYRM)
- ^ Beginning in 1987, the illustrators of Primary Award-winning books have officially received full recognition alongside the writers.
References
- ^ a b c d
"(Home page)". California Young Reader Medal. May 1, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
The home page covers the current cycle below a short introduction. As of May 18, 2015, for example, it presents the five 2015 medal winners and the 17 books that are on the 2016 ballots. - ^ a b c d e "California Young Reader Medal Nominees and Winners List". CYRM (at google.docs). Retrieved 2015-05-18.
- ^ "Nominees". CYRM. Retrieved 2015-05-18. Linked front cover images 2010–2011 to present.
- ^ a b "California Young Reader Medal Recommendation Form"[permanent dead link]. CYRM. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
- ^ "Vote". CYRM. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
- ^ "Winners". CYRM. Retrieved 2021-08-12. Linked front cover images 2011 to present.