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RI Children's Book Award

March 27, 2017

RI Children's BookAwardMarch 27, 2017

2018 RI Children's Book Award Nominees

On behalf of the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award committee I’m happy to announce the 2018 RI Children's Book Award nominees. This list reflects the recent change in the grades targeted by the award. RICBA now serves students in grades 3-5 and the newly created RI Middle School Book Award serves students in grades 6-8.


Be sure to stay up to date with RICBA by liking the Facebook page and checking out the RICBA web pages on the OLIS website.


2018 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award Nominees (Printable List)
For Grades 3-5


Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay
by Susan Hood, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (2016)
Backyard Witch: Sadie’s Story by Christine Heppermann and Ron
Koertge, illustrated by Deborah Marcero (2015)
Brave Like My Brother by Marc Tyler Nobleman (2016)
Cinnamon Moon by Tess Hilmo (2016)
The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo by Drew Weing (2016)
Fortune Falls by Jenny Goebel (2016)
FRAMED! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery by James Ponti (2016)
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark
by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley ( 2016)
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan (2016)
A Long Pitch Home by Natalie Dias Lorenzi (2016)
Mo'ne Davis, Remember My Name: My Story From First Pitch to
Game Changer by Mo’Ne Davis with Hilary Beard (2015)
Ollie’s Odyssey by William Joyce (2016)
The Prize Winners of Piedmont Place by Bill Doyle (2016)
Secrets of the Seven: The Eureka Key by Sarah L. Thomson (2016)
Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes (2016)
Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban,
illustrated by Katie Kath (2016)
Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka (2016)
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
by Chris Barton, illustrated by Don Tate (2016)
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (2016)
Wish by Barbara O’Connor (2016)

Sharing the RI Children's Book Award: Rooster Games and More

School libraries and classrooms share the RICBA nominees through read-alouds, book clubs, creating and viewing book trailers, and a bookish competition known as the Rooster Games. The Rooster Games typically include trivia, activities, and discussion. Karen Mann, a School Library Media Specialist at the Ashaway Elementary School has shared several resources for planning your own Rooster Games.


The RICBA committee has also created a Curriculum Connections guide to facilitate the use of RICBA nominated books in the classroom.


These resources, as well as the printable bookmark, book tracker, and poster, can be found on the RICBA Resources web page.

RI Children's Book Award Labels

Award labels and nominee stickers are currently available to Rhode Island schools and public libraries at no cost.


To request your free award labels and nominee stickers, please contact Danielle Margarida. When making your request please include:

  • The number of award labels and/or nominee stickers you need.
  • Your full name.
  • The name of your library or school.
  • Your mailing address if you are requesting award labels and/or nominee stickers for a school library or classroom.


Public libraries requesting award labels and/or nominee stickers will receive them through delivery. School libraries or classrooms requesting award labels and/or nominee stickers will receive them through the USPS.

Voting for the 2018 RI Children's Book Award

Children in grades 3-5 who have read at least 3 books from the list of 20 nominees are eligible to vote. Voting takes place at participating schools and public libraries throughout the state. Votes may be submitted from the end of January 2018 through early March 2018.

Voting information for the 2018 RI Children's Book Award will be available in January 2018. If you would like to be directly notified when the link to access the online voting survey, the student ballot, and the voting instructions are available, please submit your contact information and you will receive an email notification.

2017 RI Childrens Book Award Winner

The 2017 RI Children's Book Award Winner is Sisters by Raina Telgemeier. This year, 86 schools and public libraries throughout the state submitted votes from 6,764 children in grades 3 to 6 who read at least 3 titles from the list of 20 nominees.

About the RI Children's Book Award

Annually children in grades 3 to 5 have the opportunity to vote on their favorite book from a ballot of 20 selections nominated for the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award by a panel of librarians, reading specialists and teachers. Children vote as part of their class or with their local public library.

The award began in 1990 as a joint project of the Rhode Island State Council of the International Reading Association, the Rhode Island Library Association, and the Rhode Island Educational Media Association, under the coordination of the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services. Today, the Rhode Island Children's Book Award is co-sponsored by the School Librarians of Rhode Island (SLRI), the Rhode Island Library Association (RILA), and the Rhode Island Center for the Book at the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICFB), and is advised by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS).Three public youth services librarians, three members of SLRI, and three members of RICFB are each chosen to each serve three year terms on the committee.

20 nominees are announced each spring. Public libraries, school libraries, and classrooms promote the award and share the nominees throughout the year. Voting takes place the following February and the winner is announced in March. Children in grades 3-5 who have read at least 3 books from the list of 20 nominees are eligible to vote. Voting takes place at participating schools and public libraries throughout the state.

More Information

Please visit the RICBA web pages or contact Danielle Margarida for more information.