Monarch Award


The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award was established in 2003 by the Illinois School Library Media Association to help Kindergarten through 3rd grade readers become familiar with books, illustrators and authors; encourage children to read critically; and to develop a statewide awareness of outstanding literature for children.
The award name and image was chosen as a symbol of growth, change and freedom and to help familiarize students with the state's insect.
WWW islma.org

Award Process

The award is given annually to a single author and/or illustrator by a collective vote of Kindergarten through 3rd grade students in Illinois. The award is administered by a steering committee that seeks nominations from public librarians, school library media specialist, teachers, and students. A volunteer reading committee then forms a master list of 20 of the nominated titles which include a range of interests and reading levels as well as 3 of each of the following types of children's books:
Students vote in February of each year for their favorite from the master list and the results are announced the following month.

Criteria for nomination

  • Nominator must have read the book
  • Book copyrighted within the past 5 years
  • Be in print at the time of selection
  • Author and/or illustrator must be living at the time of selection of mater list
  • Book must be of interest and appeal to children in grades kindergarten through 3rd grade
  • Must have literary merit
  • May be fiction or nonfiction
  • No title or series may be on two consecutive master lists
  • If a title in a series has been awarded, other books in that series are ineligible for 5 years
  • Book must not be a textbook, anthology, translation, toy, puzzle, pop-up or formula fiction

Recipients

Yellow background distinguishes winners from those runners-up that are listed.
YearWriterIllustratorTitleCitation
2005ShannonWinner
20052nd Place
2005Child3rd Place
2006KaszaWinner
2007Winner
2008Winner
2009Winner
2010WattWinner
2011ThomasWinner
2012Winner
20122nd Place
2012Stein3rd Place