The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (RCYRBA) is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools and libraries. It is named in honor of children's author Rebecca Caudill, who lived and worked in Urbana, Illinois, and has been presented annually since 1988. It is administered by a volunteer board of directors and presented in cooperation with the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, the Illinois Reading Council, and the Illinois School Library Media Association.
Books honored by this award are selected by a popular vote taken of students between the fourth and eighth grades in the State of Illinois. Books are nominated two years in advance of a selection year by students, teachers, and school and public librarians. The nominations are narrowed down to twenty choices by the 70-80 member RCYRBA Evaluator's Committee, and put forward as that year's "Master List." Participating schools and public libraries then collect votes from children starting during the fall of the prior year, up through the end of February in the awarding year, and the award winner is announced each March.
Winners
+Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winnersYearAuthorTitle1988 1989 1990 Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story1991 Matilda1992 Number the Stars1993 Maniac Magee1994 Shiloh1995 Flight Number 116 is Down1996 1997 1998 Mick Harte Was Here1999 Frindle2000 Ella Enchanted2001 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone2002 Holes2003 Fever, 17932004 Stormbreaker2005 Hoot2006 Eragon2007 So B. It2008 Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie2009 2010 All the Lovely Bad Ones2011 2012 Powerless2013 Smile2014 Wonder2015 Legend2016 Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 252017 20182019Ghost2020 Refugee2021Front Desk 20222023 and Omar MohamedWhen Stars Are Scattered 2024Megan E. FreemanLone2025Jennifer Lynn BarnesInheritance Games2026Betty C. TangParachute Kids
References
External links
Illinois School Library Media Association – point of entry to all four statewide reader's choice book awards Meet Rebecca Caudill (Champaign Public Library) Meet Caudill's daughter (Champaign Public Library)