William Allen White Children's Book Award
The William Allen White Children's Book Award is a set of two annual awards for books selected by vote of Kansas schoolchildren from lists prepared by committee. As a single award it was established in 1952 by Ruth Garver Gagliardo, a children's literature specialist at Emporia State University, which continues to direct the program.[1] It is named for William Allen White (1868–1944), long-time publisher and editor of The Emporia Gazette. The White Award is the oldest statewide children's choice book award in the United States.
From 2001, two winners have been chosen each year, one by students in grades 3 to 5 and one by students in grades 6 to 8, from separate lists of books.[2][3] The award website at ESU includes an archive of annual Master Lists that is complete back to the list of 18 books for school year 1952–53.[3] Curriculum Guides "designed to be used in teaching or preparing instructional units" are prepared for books on the year's Master List and some past Guides are available.
Currently (2013), the annual celebration at Emporia early in October includes Friday evening "Read-Ins and Sleepovers" with space for 100 people. After Saturday morning activities, student representatives present medals to the winning writers at the Awards Ceremony.[4] Travel to Emporia is an incentive in some classroom reading programs.[5] At least once (2011), a writer declined because of a conflict on the celebration date and was replaced as the White Award winner.[lower-alpha 1]
The 2013–2014 Master Lists comprised 8 books for grades 3–5 and 10 books for grades 6–8, all published during 2012.[3]
Recipients 1953–2000
There were 49 winners of the single William Allen White Book Children's Book Award in its 48 years through 2000, with two winners in 1974.[2]
Recipients 2001–present
| Year | Grades 3–5 | Grades 6–8 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Cynthia C. DeFelice | The Ghost of Fossil Glen | Louis Sachar | Holes |
| 2002 | Andrew Clements | The Landry News | Christopher Paul Curtis | Bud, Not Buddy |
| 2003 | Kate DiCamillo | Because of Winn-Dixie | Frances O’Roark Dowell | Dovey Coe |
| 2004 | Peni R. Griffin | Ghost Sitter | Andrea Warren | Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps |
| 2005 | Jerry Spinelli | Loser | Stephanie S. Tolan | Surviving the Applewhites |
| 2006 | Sue Stauffacher | Donuthead | Jeanne DuPrau | The City of Ember |
| 2007 | Andrew Clements | The Report Card | Sarah Weeks | So B. It |
| 2008 | Ann M. Martin | A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray | L. D. Harkrader | Airball: My Life in Briefs |
| 2009 | Sara Pennypacker | Clementine | Jennifer Roy | Yellow Star |
| 2010 | Barbara O'Connor | How to Steal a Dog | Cynthia Kadohata | Cracker! The Best Dog in Viet Nam |
| 2011[lower-alpha 1] | Patricia Reilly Giff | Eleven | Susan Campbell Bartoletti | The Boy Who Dared |
| 2012 | Wendy Mass | 11 Birthdays | Diana López | Confetti Girl |
| 2013 | Patrick Jennings | Guinea Dog | Peg Kehret | Ghost Dog Secrets |
| 2014[5] | Don Brown | America is Under Attack: September 11, 2001 | Helen Frost | Hidden |
| 2015 | W. H. Beck | Malcolm at Midnight | M. H. Herlong | Buddy |
Notelist
- 1 2 The 59th celebration in 2011 conflicted with the National Book Festival in Washington where Gordon Korman was keynote speaker. So he declined and Eleven by Giff replaced Swindle by Korman as WAWCBA grades 3–5 winner.[1]
References
- 1 2 "Winner 2010–2011". WAWCBA. ESU. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- 1 2 "Winners". WAWCBA. ESU. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- 1 2 3 "Master Lists". WAWCBA. ESU. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ↑ "Celebration". WAWCBA. ESU. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- 1 2 "Home". William Allen White Children's Book Awards (WAWCBA). Emporia State University (emporia.edu). Retrieved 2014-05-05.