Selection Criteria for the Louisiana Readers’ Choice Awards
Eligibility of Books
- Books must be published three years prior to the award being given. For example, books that are currently being considered for the 2022-2023 lists must have been published in 2020. Books published in 2021 will be considered for the 2023-2024 lists.
- If a nominated title is in a chronological series, the book must be the first book in the sequence. Titles that are part of a group of companion novels or prequels, that can be read independently and out of sequence from the accompanying books, may be considered.
- Considerations for inclusion on the list include literary quality; effectiveness of expression; creativity; authenticity; reading enjoyment; reading level; interest level; genre representation; racial and ethnic diversity; diversity of social, political, economic, and/or religious viewpoints; and availability.
- The books must be in print in the United States to be eligible for the list. The author does not have to be an American citizen, but the book must be published in the United States, in print, and readily available.
- The book may be published originally in another country, but the U.S. copyright date must be three years prior to the LYRC award list it is being considered for. For example, a copyright date of 2020 for the LYRC/LTRC award 2022-2023 lists. *Occasionally a title will have a copyright date for one year but the first printing will be in the next calendar year. For example, a title may have a copyright date of 4 December 2019 but the first publication/printing of the book may be January 2020. In this case we will accept the book for consideration to the 2022-2023 list since it was not printed until 2020.
Suggestions for LYRC/LTRC Titles
We welcome suggestions for books to be considered for the nominated lists that are apropriate for students in grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The deadline to suggest titles is March 1st of the year in which they will be considered. For example, titles with an original U.S. publication in 2021 will be considered for the 2023-2024 Nominated Title List. The deadline to suggest a title for the 2023-2024 list is March 1, 2022. The ballots of 2023-2024 titles will be announced in fall of 2022.
Send suggestions to Jamie Hebert This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Books may be mailed to:
Jamie Hebert
State Library of Louisiana
701 North 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Committee Policy and Procedures Manual
3-5th Grade Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Policy and Procedure Manual
6-8th Grade Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Policy and Procedure Manual
9-12th Grade Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice Policy and Procedure Manual
Questions and book suggestions may be sent to Jamie Hebert, Administrative Coordinator
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it | (225) 342-4996
