Blog

It’s a cold winter day.  A Saturday.  Early in the morning.  Many have traveled from all over Illinois, by highway and through snow, just to get there. 

These educators and librarians make up the Monarch committee, through ISLMA, and they have an important job to do. 

They are sequestered in a room all day just to talk about books.  Books are debated, hands are raised, more talking occurs; votes are tabulated.  By the end of the day, a list of twenty titles has been chosen as the Monarch Award nominees for the upcoming school year.

These twenty books have been determined as the best examples of picture books, early readers, beginning chapter books, and nonfiction titles for kindergarteners to third graders.

These books will be devoured by the youngsters of the entire state of Illinois.  In the end, only one will be crowned the Monarch Award winner. 

Last year, it was The Day the Crayons Quit.  Who will win this year?  

The only way to determine who will win is to read the titles on the list and vote at your elementary school or at the Des Plaines Public Library. 

That's right.  The winner of the Monarch Award is determined by the kids of Illinois. 

Those who read get to vote, so don't waste any time.  All of the Monarch Award Books can be found in our boutique bin labeled Monarch Award (currently living behind the computers). So, take some home, read, and keep track of your favorites. 

Be sure to grab a Monarch rating sheet at the beginning of November from the youth desk; read all the books by March 4th and you could receive your own copy of the 2016 Monarch winner.

Here is a sampling of this year's nominees: