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Louisiana Readers' Choice
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award

The Louisiana Young Readers' Choice program was founded in 1999 with the first award given in 2000. Participation in this program has climbed from 5,485 votes the first year to over 29,000 students participating in 2009. The purpose of the program is to foster a love of reading in the children of Louisiana by motivating them to participate in the recognition of outstanding books. The lists are well-balanced selections of high-quality fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Now entering its 24th year, the program continues to encourage Louisiana’s youth to read for pleasure. The Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award is a reading enrichment program of the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library with additional support from the following sponsors:

 

2021-2022 LOUISIANA READERS' CHOICE WINNERS

Link to Press Release

3-5th Grade
Winner: The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) written by Natascha Biebow, illustrated by Steven Salerno
Honor: Titan and the Wild Boars: The True Cave Rescue of the Thai Soccer Team (HarperCollins Children's Books) written by Susan Hood and Pathana Sornhiran, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
 
6-8th Grade
Winner: New Kid (Quill Tree Books, HarperCollins) written and illustrated by Jerry Craft
Honor: Maybe He Just Likes You (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster) written by Barbara Dee
 
9-12th Grade
Winner: Two Can Keep a Secret (Delacorte Press, Penguin Random House) written by Karen M. McManus
Honor: With the Fire on High (Quill Tree Books, HarperCollins) written by Elizabeth Acevedo
 

2023-2024 LOUISIANA READERS' CHOICE NOMINATED TITLES

Link to Press Release

 
 
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

Promotional materials, including posters, brochures, bookmarks, and seals for award books, are available free of charge while supplies last. Promotional materials may be ordered by downloading and filling out the LYRC Order Form or the LTRC Order Form and e-mailing the form to Megan Thomas, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or faxing to 225-342-3547. (As of September 27, 2022, materials are still available and are still being mailed.)

Any student who reads every title on their Louisiana Readers’ Choice Nominated list can receive a certificate of achievement signed by the State Librarian. 

If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact Youth Services Consultant, Megan Thomas at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 225-342-9716.

LOGO Click here for reproducible images of the LYRC SEAL black and white or color and the LTRC SEAL black and white only. You are welcome to use these logos to promote the LYRC program at your library or school.

Pelican 1 (Black and WhiteFull Color)
Pelican 2 (Black and WhiteFull Color)



2018-2019 LYRC 3-5 Discussion Guides and Additional Resources

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Below is a collection of resources for each of the 2018-2019 3-5th grade nominated titles, including two sites that teachers and librarians can use to promote student participation: 

Book Taco is a free online resource designed to support the administration, assessment, and motivation of student participation in the LYRC program while providing educators a dynamic, interactive platform where they can monitor student reading progress (quiz results, book reviews, surveys), assign activities, and reward effort. Click the logo to access the site and create your free account, https://booktaco.com.

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Teaching Books has partnered with us to give access to their collection for the 3-5 grade LYRC nominated resources at https://www.teachingbooks.net/qldobm5. 

 

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1.      Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

·        Common core curriculum guide (with activities): http://www.susanhoodbooks.com/sites/default/files/Adas_Violin_CG.pdf

·        Book trailer: https://vimeo.com/194621162 (2.03 minutes long), CBN 6 minute video about ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzHj6Xqol0U

·        Author website: http://susanhoodbooks.com/node/181

·        Illustrator website: http://sallycomport.com/

·        Book Website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Adas-Violin/Susan-Hood/9781481430951

 

2.      Adrift at Sea: A Vietnamese Boy’s Story of Survival by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, with Tuan Ho, illustrated by Brian Deines

·        Discussion Guide made by LSU SLIS Graduate Students 

·        Book trailer: None as of 10/27/17

·        Author website: http://www.calla.com/wordpress/

·        Illustrator website: http://briandeines.com/

·        Book Website: http://pajamapress.ca/book/adrift_at_sea/

 

3.      The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

·        Discussion guide: http://resource.scholastic.com.au/resourcefiles/8375915_31376.pdf

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZA-aFxMQU

·        Author website: http://www.aaronblabeybooks.com

·        Book website:  https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/bad-guys-the-by-aaron-blabey/

 

4.      FRAMED! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery by James Ponti

·        Book guide: http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/tagged_assets/2326961/framed_cg.pdf

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUI0duNPWzs

·        Author website: https://www.jamesponti.com/

·        Book website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Framed!/James-Ponti/Framed!/9781481436311

 

5.      The Marvelous Thing That Came From a Spring: The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation by Gilbert Ford

·        Common core curriculum guide with activities: http://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/tagged_assets/2691862/9781481450652_cg_marvelous%20thing%20that%20came%20from%20a%20spring.pdf

·        Process video with author: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4vbdky (3:49 minutes long)

·        Author website: http://gilbertford.com/news/

·        Book website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Marvelous-Thing-That-Came-from-a-Spring/Gilbert-Ford/9781481450652

 

6.      My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke

·        Discussion Guide made by LSU SLIS Graduate Students

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCQRRg1wW18

·        Author website: http://www.deborahzemke.com/

·        Book website: http://www.beagarciabooks.com/  and http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/316428/my-life-in-pictures-by-deborah-zemke/9780147513120/

 

7.      Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

·        Discussion and activity guide: https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/Peachtree/SevenandaHalfTonsofSteelTG.pdf

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqK5QdQhDs0

·        Author website: http://www.janetnolan.com/

·        Illustrator website: http://www.tomprints.com/index.html

·        Book website: http://peachtree-online.com/product/seven-and-a-half-tons-of-steel/

 

8.      Soar by Joan Bauer

·        Educator guide, discussion ideas, questions and activities:  https://texasbluebonnetaward2018.wordpress.com/soar/

·        Discussion Guide made by LSU SLIS Graduate Students

·        Book trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzHWxWXT65d-SEo5N0dMRlc4WVk/view

·        Author website: http://joanbauer.com/

·        Book website: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/316432/soar-by-joan-bauer/9780147513151/

 

9.      Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness by Donna Janell Bowman, illustrated by Daniel Minter

·        Author website: http://www.donnajanellbowman.com/

·        Illustrator website: http://danielminter.net/

·        Book website: https://www.leeandlow.com/books/step-right-up

·        Study guide: http://www.donnajanellbowman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Step-Right-Up-Teachers-Guide-2016.pdf

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM3VUWqSRCY

·        Illustrator process video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af-uifTYSeg#action=share

      

10.   Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks, illustrated by Colin Bootman

·        Educator guide: https://www.leeandlow.com/uploads/loaded_document/380/Tiny_Stitches_Teacher_s_Guide_PDF_2017.pdf

·        No book trailer as of 10/27/17

·        Author website: http://gwendolynhooks.com/

·        Book website: https://www.leeandlow.com/books/tiny-stitches

 

11.   Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

·        Educator guide:  http://jewellparkerrhodes.com/children/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Towers-Falling-Educator-Guide.pdf

·        Educator guide, discussion ideas, questions and activities:  https://texasbluebonnetaward2018.wordpress.com/towers-falling/

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH1qCd1ZJ1I

·        Author website: http://jewellparkerrhodes.com/children/

·        Book website: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jewell-parker-rhodes/towers-falling/9780316262224/

 

12.   The Voyage to Magical North (The Accidental Pirates #1) by Claire Fayers

·        Discussion Guide made by LSU SLIS Graduate Students

·        No book trailer as of 10/27/17

·        Author website: http://clairefayers.com/

·        Book website: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/claire-fayers/voyage-to-magical-north

 

13.   The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Jez Tuya

·        Study guide: file:///C:/Users/ldsw/Downloads/William-Hoy-Teachers-Guide.pdf

  • The author, Nancy Churnin, is happy to skype with your classes. Her email is “nancychurnin at mac.com”  (that's also her Skype handle). The hearing children love learning sign language — William’s language. That’s something she would be happy to include in any Skype presentations.

    The author would also like to invite you to involve your students in the WILLIAM HOY project, HOY FOR THE HALL. We're writing letters to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, asking for him to be inducted. If inducted, he would be Deaf player honored there. Hoy for the Hall has more information, http://www.nancychurnin.com/hoy-for-the-hall/ has some more information.  He's very deserving and it would mean the world to the Deaf community and his family. The next vote is in 2020 so we're trying to deluge them with letters.

    National Baseball Hall of Fame, 25 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326

·        Video of the author reading the entire book (with ASL): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT9nh-jBv2s (16:20 minutes long)

·        Author website: http://www.nancychurnin.com/

·        Illustrator website: http://jez-tuya.blogspot.com/

·        Book website: https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/the-william-hoy-story/

 

14.   Wish by Barbara O’Connor

·        Common core curriculum guide: http://www.barbaraoconnor.com/docs/BOC_common-core-guide.pdf

·        Reader and discussion guide: http://www.barbaraoconnor.com/docs/wish-discussion-guide.pdf

·        Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-MgvFwVpvc

·        Author website: http://www.barbaraoconnor.com/index.html

·        Book website: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374302757

 

15.   Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Joe Sutphin

·        Discussion Guide made by LSU SLIS Graduate Students

·        Book trailer: No trailer as of 10/27/17

·        Author website (Patterson): http://www.jamespatterson.com/

·        Author website (Grabenstein): http://www.chrisgrabenstein.com/

·        Illustrator website: https://www.joesutphin.com/

·        Book website: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/james-patterson/word-of-mouse/9780316349567/

 
 

2018 LTRC Study Guides and Additional Resources

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Below is a collection of resources for each of the 6-8th grade nominated titles.
Additionally, Teaching Books has partnered with us to give access to their collection for 6-8th grade LYRC nominated resources as well, https://www.teachingbooks.net/ql8vg2u
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1. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
 
2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, 
 
3. The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks, 
 
4. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender
 
5. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
 
6. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
 
7. The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher 
 
8. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
 
9. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 
 
10. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
 

2018 LYRC 6-8 Discussion Guides and Additional Resources

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Below is a collection of resources for each of the 6-8th grade nominated titles.
Additionally, Teaching Books has partnered with us to give access to their collection for 6-8th grade LYRC nominated resources as well, https://www.teachingbooks.net/qlo2rtt
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1. Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova 
2. Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman 
3. The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
4. A Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel

5. Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

6. Charlie and the Grandmothers by Katy Towell
7. The Disappearance of Emily H. by Barrie Summy
8. Ferals by Jacob Grey
9. 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger
10. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
11. How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown
12. Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff
 

2018 LYRC 3-5 Discussion Guides and Additional Resources

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Below is a collection of resources for each of the 3-5th grade nominated titles.
Additionally, Teaching Books has partnered with us to give access to their collection for 3-5th grade LYRC nominated resources as well, https://www.teachingbooks.net/ql9bubc.
 
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1. Bigfoot is Missing! by J. Patrick Lewis
 
2. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
 
3. The Doublecross: (And Other Skills I Learned as a Superspy) by Jackson Pearce
 
4. Ellie’s Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel by W. Bruce Cameron
 
5. Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks
 
6. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick
 
7. Flunked by Jen Calonita
 
8. Fort by Cynthia DeFelice
 
9. The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Kathryn Brown 
 
10. Luna & Me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to Save a Forest by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
 
11. Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina And the Spirit of New Orleans by Phil Bildner, illustrated by John Parra
 
12. Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully
 
13. Ratscalibur by Josh Lieb
 
14. The Terrible Two (Book 1) by Mac Barnett and Jory John
 
15. Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
 
 
 
 


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