RI Children's Book Award
May 18, 2022
Join the Rhode Island Children's Book Award Committee!
Ever wonder what goes into creating a RICBA nominee list? Looking for a professional development opportunity that puts you front and center with the newest and best books for children?
Join the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award committee!
The Rhode Island Children's Book Award committee is now seeking:
- 1 public youth services librarian to serve a 3 year term, 2022-2025
- 1 school librarian to serve a 3 year term, 2022-2025
- 1 teacher to serve a 3 year term, 2022-2025
Those interested are invited to complete the application below by Friday, June 10. Applicants will be notified at the end of June regarding their application status for the term beginning in September 2022 and ending in May 2025. Please feel free to share this application with anyone you think may be interested.
About Serving on the Rhode Island Children's Book Award Committee
Each committee member serves a 3 year term and acts as either the Chair, Book Chair or Secretary during the second year of their term. The committee meets monthly from September through April to discuss current children's literature and make nominations. Committee members typically read 12-15 children's books per month before deciding on the final list of 20 nominees in April. Committee membership requires a significant time commitment that includes 2.5 hours a month for meetings, and approximately 30 hours a month for reading. Committee members also participate (on a voluntary basis) in events such as the Kids Reading Across RI kickoff (May), the RI Festival of Children's Books and Authors (September), and various professional conferences. If you would like to use your committee participation for professional development, the Office of Library and Information Services can issue a letter confirming your PD time.
Committee Meetings and Communication
The committee meets monthly September - April. Committee meetings will be held via Zoom on the third Thursday of the month from 6pm-7pm. Committee members may also meet with their small reading group virtually throughout the month. When appropriate, the committee will collectively decide if and how meetings will return to being held in person. Between meetings committee members communicate and work collaboratively through email and Google Drive.RICBA at the RI Library Association Conference
If you are attending next week's RI Library Association Conference, be sure to check out "Rhode Island Children's Book Award 2023 Reveal: Book Talk with the RICBA Committee!" on Thursday, May 26 from 1:30pm - 3:30pm. Meet the committee, learn about the 2023 list, and find out how to become a 2022-2025 committee member.
Video Messages from 2023 Nominees
RICBA LibGuide
RI Choice Awards for Tweens and Teens
RICBA isn't the only choice award in town! RI Latino Books Award promotes literacy amongst Latinos through the celebration of Latino authors, illustrators and books that highlight Latino culture and Latin American identity.
The RI Middle School Book Award, serving tweens in grades 6-8, and the RI Teen Book Award, serving teens in grades 9-12, offer carefully curated lists of nominees that students are invited to vote on during late winter through early spring.
*The RI Middle School Book Award Committee is currently seeking new members and accepting applications through June 30. Visit https://sites.google.com/view/ri-middle-school-book-award/home for more information. *
Statement from the RI Children's Book Award Committee
The Rhode Island Children’s Book Award Committee, composed of Rhode Island teachers, school librarians, and public librarians, works annually to create a diverse list of nominated books using specific criteria. The committee is intentional in seeking books that affirm marginalized groups and champions stories and characters that reflect the lived experiences of Rhode Island youth as well as the larger world. The committee aims to provide an annual list of nominees that maintains diversity in race, gender, sexuality, family makeup, socioeconomic status, and ability. Nominee lists are thoughtfully curated with an anti-racist lens, to allow all youth to be seen and their voices actively heard. The Rhode Island Children’s Book Award Committee believes representation matters and strives to create mirrors, windows and prisms for all children.
A growing list of resources for addressing book challenges can be found on the RICBA LibGuide at https://olis-ri.libguides.com/ricba/challenges.
About the RI Children's Book Award
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 (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.