Monarch Award

The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award was established in 2003 by the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA) 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.

Award Process
The award is given annually (beginning in 2005) 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.
 * Picture books
 * Easy readers
 * Chapter books

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.