Award Curriculum

Tell the students about the award and that children all over the United States are reading these books, discussing them, and voting for the best book of the year.

Tell students that they’ll be able to evaluate these books and select the best of the year after they are read aloud and discussed.

We are asking the children to decide which book they like the best. In which book do they think the pictures and the words really work together to tell the story? It is not enough to love the story but feel only so-so about the art. Similarly, if they love the pictures but don’t really understand the text, they should not vote for it as their favorite.

• Read the books to your class at the usual read-aloud time. If possible read only one book at a time.
• Carry on your usual method of commenting on or reacting to the story. This should be as natural a part of your day as possible; you don’t need to elicit responses if the children don’t usually make them, at least the first time around.
• Leave the books where they can be available to the children for looking, poring over, or trying to read.
• Be sure to read the books more than once. After the second reading, you might want to ask questions about the children’s feelings about the book, what parts they like or don’t like, whether they’d like to have the same experiences the protagonist had, or any questions that might clue you in to their reactions.

It is important to remind the students that there is no right or wrong answer. Different people react to the books in different ways. The illustrations might appeal to one person but not another. Some people find a story funny while others do not.

• How did the pictures relate to the text? For example, were the illustrations essential to their understanding of the book, or did they just highlight particular moments or concepts?
• Were the illustrations consistent with the tone of the story? If not, did it matter?
• What information do they think the author was trying to give them?
• Did they understand all, most, or only some of what the book was about?
• Did the author and artist clearly present the facts or concepts so you could understand them?
• Did the author use interesting language and vocabulary?
• Did the illustrations and/or photographs add to or enhance the text?
• Did the author give you other ideas about how to find out more?
• Did the design of the book make it easy to follow the ideas presented?
• If the book is about a person, why did the author choose to write about that person? Do they feel they got to know the person?