Introducing Books to Inspire a Love of Reading in Louisiana's Young People
BATON ROUGE, La.– Entering its 20th year, the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice (LYRC) Awards Program is excited to announce the 2020-2021 nominated title lists for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Since the program’s first list in 1999 over 378,000 students have read the recommended titles and voted for their favorites, reading more than 1.2 million books in the process.
Every year thousands of students from elementary to high school age vote on their favorite book from a list of titles curated by librarians serving on LYRC committees from across the state. Many students cast their ballot on real voting machines supplied by the Secretary of State’s Voter Outreach Division.
“The Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards is just one of many phenomenal programs offered through the State Library which inspires a love of reading among the young people of our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
The 2020-2021 nominated title list includes many award winning authors such as Elizabeth Acevedo, winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award; Edgar Award winner Courtney Summer, Walter Dean Myers Honor and Newbery Honor recipient Veera Hiranandani; Pura Belpré Honor Book Author Pablo Cartaya; and Golden Kite Award winner Jarrett J. Krosoczka, to name only a few. From fiction to nonfiction, picture books to novels, science fiction to romance, historical to contemporary, these carefully chosen booklists cover a variety of interests and genres, so there is something for every reader.
“The titles on these lists are selected by professional school and public librarians from across the state with decades of experience working with children and children’s literature,” said State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. “The nominated titles represent a variety of interests and viewpoints, but what unites the titles is that they are high interest. These are books that kids will love and that will inspire them to keep reading beyond the classroom walls, helping to create a culture of literacy in Louisiana, all of which is a key part of our mission here at the State Library.”
The Louisiana Readers’ Choice is a reading enrichment program of the Louisiana Center for the Book, housed in the State Library of Louisiana. Its mission is to foster a love of reading in the children of Louisiana by motivating them to participate in the recognition of outstanding books. According to a 2017 Kids Count report, 74% of Louisiana’s fourth graders were not reading at a proficient level. The Louisiana Center for the Book and the State Library of Louisiana believes fostering a lifelong love of reading among Louisianans will contribute to the state’s overall economic growth and quality of life.
To view the 2020-2021 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Awards Program nominated titles list, see the attached document or click here. For information about the program including previous winners, how to participate and additional resources such as free bookmarks, posters, and study guides, please visit the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Program webpage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rebecca Hamilton
State Library of Louisiana
225-342-4923
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Julio Guichard
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
225-342-7009
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