Award Winning Children and Youth Book/Media

The Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award was created in 2004 in an attempt to stimulate interest in books for the beginning reader and the emergent independent reader. Other organizations have begun to offer beginning reader awards as well. For example, the American Library Association (ALA) established the Geisel award in 2004 in response to this need in children's publishing.

Purpose:

• Identify and promote the best fiction and nonfiction books published at the K-2nd grade reading level (early readers) and at the 2nd-4th grade reading level (transitional readers), both for children reading at grade level and for reluctant older readers.
• Provide teachers, librarians, and caregivers with a resource list of excellent books for beginning readers.
• Encourage publishers, authors, and illustrators to create high quality books for beginning readers.

Each year, 1 (one) winning book and up to 3 (three) honor books will be selected to receive an award in each of the following categories:

1. Beginning Reader Fiction
2. Beginning Reader Nonfiction
3. Transitional Fiction
4. Transitional Nonfiction

*photo courtesy of Maryland Library Association

List of winning books from all years