The Massachusetts Children's Book Award is an annual literary award recognizing one book selected by vote of Massachusetts schoolchildren from a list prepared by committee. It was established in 1975 by Dr. Helen Constant, associate professor of education at Salem State College,[1] and it continues to be sponsored by the School of Education at Salem State University. The purpose is to help maintain interest in reading among children in the "intermediate grades".[2]

Students in grades 4 to 6 (almost all 9 to 12 years old) are eligible to vote for one favorite book if they have read at least five on the list, which now comprises 25 books that are no more than five years old.[2] Participation is coordinated through schools, often by the school library, but public librarians may facilitate the program for home-schooled children and those whose schools do not participate in the program. The book with the greatest number of votes wins the Award—the writer gets a commemorative plaque—and a number of runners-up, commonly four, are named honor books.

Currently "teachers, librarians, and interested publishers" nominate books and all of those selected must be available in paperback editions. Other criteria include "literary quality, variety of genres, representation of diverse cultural groups, and reader appeal."[2] For the 2014 award, the Master List comprised 25 books published from 2009 to 2013, almost half in 2011. A "Grade Level Guide" placed five of the books in each of five levels from "low fourth" (low fourth grade) to "advanced sixth".[3]

History

The Mass. Children's Book Award program was inaugurated during the 1975–76 school year and the first winner was How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell,[4] which was then three years old. The "First Annual Massachusetts Book Award Conference" was scheduled to run for seven hours from 8:30 at Salem State College Library on July 1. It was one of the "Specials", distinct from "Bicentennial" events, listed by The Boston Globe that morning.[5] One year later Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume won the second poll, in which 5000 students in 400 classes voted on 25 books "nominated by teachers, librarians, and youngsters". Second to fifth-place finishers were also identified at the mid-year conference.[1] Late that year the Globe reported that "children in grades 4 through 9 will vote for their favorite books in the third annual contest".[6] For six years then, to 1983, there were a pair of MCBA determined by votes of children in grades 4–6 and in grades 7–9 (generally, ages 9–12 and 12–15).[2][4] The grades 7–9 winner in 1979, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger, had been the runner-up in 1977, voted by grades 4–6 only.[1]

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing won the grades 4–6 award again in 1983, the only book to win two MCBA. Four books published during the 1950s and 1960s were winners, as late as 1987 (see table). After 1995, however, the Master List was limited to books published during the five-year span ending that year (that is, 1992 to 1996 for the 1997 award).[2] The winning books since then have ranged from one to five years old.

Nominees

2017 MCBA Nominees[7]

AuthorTitlePublication Year
AviSophia’s War - A Tale of the Revolution2012
Bell, C.El Deafo2014
Barnhill, K.The Witch’s Boy2014
Blakemore, M. F.The Water Castle2013
Bowen, F.Out of Bounds2015
Butler, D. H.The Buddy Files: The Case of the School Ghost2012
Chambliss Bertman, J.Book Scavenger2015
Ellis, D.No Ordinary Day2011
Farber, E.S.Fish Finelli Book 1: Seagulls Don’t Eat Pickles2013
Gibbs, S.Poached2014
Graff, L.Absolutely Almost2014
Herrick, A.The Time Fetch2013
Holm, J. L.The Fourteenth Goldfish2014
Holub, J.Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom (Heroes in Training)2012
Jones, K.Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer2015
Kurtz, C.The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A Novel of Snow and Courage2013
Lendle, I.The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet2015
Lerangis, P.Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises2013
Littlewood, K.Bliss2012
Lloyd, N.A Snicker of Magic2014
Martin, L. & Martin, V.Anton and Cecil, Book 1: Cats at Sea2013
Schanen, A. B.Quinny and Hopper2014
Tarshis, L.I Survived: The Great Chicago Fire, 18712015
Watson, J.Loot: How to Steal a Fortune2014
Wright, T.Mystery on Pine Lake: Cooper and Packrat2013

Winners

Massachusetts Children's Book Award winners[4]
Title Author Publ.Note
2014[8] Out of My Mind Sharon Draper2010
2013 Because of Mr. Terupt Rob Buyea2010
2012 When You Reach Me Rebecca Stead2009
2011 11 Birthdays Wendy Mass2009
2010 Found Margaret Peterson Haddix 2008
2009 The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart2007ill. Carson Ellis
2008 The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan2005ill. John Rocco
2007 The Tale of Despereaux Kate DiCamillo2006ill. Timothy B. Ering
2006 Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism  Georgia Byng2002
2005 The Thief Lord Cornelia Funke2002illustrated by Funke;
orig. German, 2000
2004 Jackie & Me Dan Gutman1999photo illustrations
2003 Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer2001
2002 Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo2000
2001 Holes Louis Sachar1998
2000 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling1997ill. Mary GrandPré, 1998 (US)
1999 Frindle Andrew Clements1996ill. Brian Selznick
1998 Crash Jerry Spinelli1996
1997 Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger Louis Sachar1995
1996 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Avi1990
1995 Hatchet Gary Paulsen1987
1994 Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor1991
1993 Maniac Magee Jerry Spinelli1990
1992 Matilda Roald Dahl1988ill. Quentin Blake
1991 There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom Louis Sachar1987
1990 (no award program)
1989 The Chocolate Touch Patrick Skene Catling1952ill. Margot Apple, 1979
1988 The Indian in the Cupboard Lynne Reid Banks1980ill. Brock Cole
1987 Where the Red Fern Grows Wilson Rawls1961
1986 Dear Mr. Henshaw Beverly Cleary1983ill. Paul O. Zelinsky
1985 Nothing's Fair in the Fifth Grade Barthe DeClements1981
1984 Charlotte's Web E. B. White1952ill. Garth Williams
1983 Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Judy Blume1972ill. Roy Doty
1983 Stranger with My Face Lois Duncan1981grades 7–9
1982 James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl1961various illustrators,
none recent in 1982
1982 Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan1978grades 7–9
1981 The Great Gilly Hopkins Katherine Paterson1978
1981 A Summer to Die Lois Lowry1977grades 7–9
ill. Jenni Oliver
1980 Chocolate Fever Robert Kimmel Smith1972ill. Gena Fiammenghi
1980 Summer of My German Soldier Bette Greene1973grades 7–9
1979 The Cricket in Times Square George Selden1960ill. Garth Williams
1979 The Cat Ate My Gymsuit Paula Danziger1974grades 7–9
1978 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C. O'Brien1971ill. Zena Bernstein
1978 That Was Then, This Is Now S. E. Hinton1971grades 7–9
1977 Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Judy Blume1972ill. Roy Doty
1976 How to Eat Fried Worms Thomas Rockwell1973

Multiple awards

Louis Sachar has written three MCBA-winning books, published from 1987 to 1998: There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger, and Holes. Several people have written two winning books and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Dutton, 1972) by Judy Blume won both the 1977 and 1983 awards.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Favorite book of children's poll". Stephanie Loer. The Boston Globe. June 30, 1977. Page A10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Massachusetts Children's Book Award" Archived 2009-07-12 at the Wayback Machine (home). Salem State University (salemstate.edu). Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  3. (Corrected 2013–2014 MCBA Master List and Grade Level Guide.pdf) Archived 2014-05-03 at the Wayback Machine. Salem State University. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Massachusetts Children's Book Award Winners" Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine. Awards & Other Booklists. Minuteman Library Network (mln.lib.ma.us). Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  5. "Other Events". The Boston Globe. July 1, 1976. Page A20.
  6. "Children to vote on favorite books". The Boston Globe. Nov 10, 1977. Page A14.
  7. Salem State University – In the Community (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2016, from http://www.salemstate.edu/academics/schools/28393.php Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
  8. (2014 MCBA Winners.pdf) Archived 2014-05-03 at the Wayback Machine. Salem State University. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
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