Greetings!

We participate in a program each year here at Rogers called Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award. I go to the website and find the list of nominations for the coming year. I then go to Amazon.com and look up information on each book and decide which of them I feel are appropriate for our school. I purchase them and I read one each week during library class. All students in public and private schools, from kindergarten through third grade in Washington State may vote on their favorite. I do a different program with Kindergarten and since our school has multigrade classrooms, I don’t include the third grade. At our school this program is only for our first and second graders. After all the books are read, I line them up along a counter and do a very quick booktalk for each to remind students about the story. Then each student votes on his or her favorite book. I count the votes and send them in to the award committee.

Last year the winner was one of my favorites. It was called “Little Pink Pup” and was about a runt piglet who was adopted by a dachshund mother and nursed to health. The illustrations are photographs and at the end of the book, there is information about the pig after it is grown. I accessed the author’s blog during library class and we got to see more photos about “Little Pink Pup”.

This year there are 20 nominations for the 2014 Washington Children’s Choice Picture book Award. I immediately eliminated three of them, have questions about six of them and have chosen eleven of them to purchase. I try to purchase them through the Scholastic Book Fair. This way I can buy hardbacks with points instead of spending cash for them. I usually only have to purchase one or two through our local bookstore or Amazon.

I have found some wonderful books through the Washington Children’s Choice award and have shared many with you already. If you don’t live in Washington, I am sure that your state has a similar program. I suggest that you see what is on the lists and do a little research to find some great ideas for books. Be warned that the awards for books for older students may be unsuitable for your library.

You can google Washington Children’s Choice or go to http://childrenschoiceaward.wikispaces.com for information.

Have a wonderful week!
Audrey