Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award

The Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award is a literature award created to recognize high quality books for beginning and transitional readers in kindergarten through fourth grade. It is granted annually by the Maryland Library Association Children's Services Division (CSD).[1] The Children's Services Division initiated the award in 2004 as a means of identifying and promoting the best fiction and nonfiction books for beginning readers.

The further intention in granting the Award is to provide teachers, librarians, and caregivers with a resource list of excellent books for beginning readers, and to encourage publishers, authors and illustrators to create high quality, interesting and beautiful books that will entice young readers.

The Award is decided by a committee made up of public librarians and school media specialists who examine qualifying literature published within the calendar year. The committee considers criteria such as legibility, vocabulary, visual and literary appeal, support matter (i.e. glossaries or pronunciation keys) and appropriateness to the needs of beginning readers. The committee selects one title each to receive the award in each of the following categories:

  • Beginning Fiction
  • Beginning Nonfiction
  • Transitional Fiction
  • Transitional Nonfiction

In addition, the committee generates an honor list of up to three titles for each reading level the award covers. Books that the committee feels are especially appropriate for reluctant older readers are indicated.

Anyone working in a Maryland public library, and members of the Maryland Library Association (MLA),[2] the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL),[3] or the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA),[4] may nominate titles for the award. Eligibility guidelines and nomination forms are listed on the Blue Crab page of the Maryland Library Association website.[2]

As of 2012, winners will be announced at the spring CSD Southern/Western Conferences in March and April, respectively. Prior to this year, winners were announced in October at the fall "Kids Are Customers, Too" conference. A Blue Crab Award author is frequently invited to speak at either the annual Maryland Library Association Conference in the spring or the Kids Are Customers, Too conference in the fall.

Blue Crab Book Award winners

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Year Beginning Fiction Beginning Nonfiction Transitional Fiction Transitional Nonfiction
2013

The Fly Flew In
Written and illustrated by David Catrow

Welcome to the World, ZooBorns!

by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland

The Three Ninja Pigs

by Corey Rosen Schwartz
illustrated by Dan Santat

Dreaming Up

Written and illustrated by Christy Hale

2012

Max Spaniel: Best in Show
written and illustrated by David Catrow

Capybara

Written by Anita Ganeri

Labracadabra

by Jessie Nelson and Karen Leigh Hopkins

Dolphins

Written by Kate Riggs

2011

We Are In a Book!
written and illustrated by Mo Willems

Just One Bite

Written by Lola Schaefer,illustrated by Geoff Waring.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus

by Judith Viorst
illustrated by Lane Smith

Pika: Life on the Rocks

Written by Tannis Bill
Photographs by Jim Jacobson

2010

Good Dog, Aggie
by Lori Ries
illustrated by Frank W. Dormer

My People

by Langston Hughes and Charles R. Smith, Jr.

How Oliver Olson Changed the World

by Claudia Mills
illustrated by Heather Maione

Never Smile at a Monkey: and 17 Other Important Things to Remember

written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins

2009 Annie and Simon

by Catharine O'Neill

Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator

by Sarah C. Campbell
photographed by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell

Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up

by Melissa Thomson
illustrated by Frank Morrison

Our Three Bears

by Ron Hirschi
photographed by Thomas Mangelsen

2008 My Friend is Sad

by Mo Willems

Best Friends: The True Story of Owen and Mzee

by Roberta Edwards
illustrated by Carol Schwartz

Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole

by Wong Herbert Yee

Who Likes the Rain?

by Etta Kaner
illustrated by Marie Lafrance

2007 Dirk Bones And The Mystery of The Haunted House

by Doug Cushman

Emperor Penguins

by Patricia Trattles

Pirate Mom

by Deborah Underwood
illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

Time for Kids: Butterflies!

by David Bjerklie

2006 Hi! Fly Guy!

by Tedd Arnold

Chameleon, Chameleon

by Joy Cowley
photographs by Nic Bishop

The Next-Door Dogs

by Colby Rodowsky
illustrated by Amy June Bates

Turtle Tide: The Way of Sea Turtles

by Stephen Swinburne
illustrated by Bruce Hiscock

2005 Baa-Choo!

by Sarah Weeks

Platypus!

by Ginjer Clarke

Down Girl and Sit: Smarter than Squirrels

by Lucy Nolan

Choppers!

by Susan E.Goodman and Michael Doolittle

2004 See Pip Point

by David Milgrim

Hunting Sharks

by Kristin Nelson

Stuart Goes to School

by Sara Pennypacker

Gretchen the Bicycle Dog

by Anita Heyman

[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Mla | Csd". Mdlib.org. 2012-07-24. Archived from the original on 2010-05-31. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  2. ^ a b "MLA Home Page". Mdlib.org. Archived from the original on 2014-04-10. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  3. ^ "Maryland Association of School Librarians |". Maslmd.org. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  4. ^ "Maryland State Education Association". Marylandeducators.org. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  5. ^ "MLA | CSD MD Blue Crab Young Reader Award". Mdlib.org. Archived from the original on 2010-05-13. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
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