Mark Twain Readers Award facts for kids
The Mark Twain Readers Award is a special prize for children's books. It is given out every year in Missouri. Schoolchildren in Missouri get to choose the winning book! They vote from a list of books picked by librarians and volunteers. This award is mainly for students in grades 4 to 6. It is one of several awards from the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL). The very first Mark Twain Award was given in 1972. The book Sounder by William H. Armstrong won that first award. A writer named Peg Kehret has won this award four times, which is a lot! She won in 1999 for her book Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. She also won three more times between 2007 and 2012 for other novels.
How Books Are Chosen
To be considered for the Mark Twain Award, books need to meet a few rules:
- The books should be interesting for kids in grades four through six.
- The author must live in the United States.
- The book should be well-written and help children learn or grow.
- Books must have been published two years before they are nominated. A list of twelve books is chosen each year.
How Students Vote
Even though the books are for grades 4-6, any student can vote if they follow these steps:
- The student must have read the book they want to vote for.
- They need to read at least four books from the nominated list.
- Each student can only vote one time.
Schools create their own voting slips. All the votes from each school are counted together. Then, the total votes are sent to the MASL.
Award Winners
The Mark Twain Award has recognized one book by one writer every year since 1972.
- 2024 Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones
- 2023 Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty
- 2022 White Bird: A Wonder Story by R.J. Palacio
- 2021 Blended by Sharon Draper
- 2020 One for Sorrow: a Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
- 2019 Framed! by James Ponti
- 2018 The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- 2017 A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi-Winget
- 2016 Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
- 2015 Wonder by R.J. Palacio
- 2014 The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
- 2013 Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
- 2012 Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
- 2011 Stolen Children by Peg Kehret
- 2010 Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn
- 2009 The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
- 2008 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
- 2007 Abduction! by Peg Kehret
- 2006 The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
- 2005 Wenny Has Wings by Janet Lee Carey
- 2004 Zach's Lie by Roland Smith
- 2003 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
- 2002 Dork In Disguise by Carol Gorman
- 2001 Holes by Louis Sachar
- 2000 Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
- 1999 Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret
- 1998 Titanic Crossing by Barbara Williams
- 1997 Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn
- 1996 Ghosts of Mercy Manor by Betty Ren Wright
- 1995 The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood
- 1994 Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
- 1993 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
- 1992 The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
- 1991 All About Sam by Lois Lowry
- 1990 There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar
- 1989 Sixth-Grade Sleepover by Eve Bunting
- 1988 Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job by Willo Davis Roberts
- 1987 The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith
- 1986 The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
- 1985 A Bundle of Sticks by Pat Rhoads Mauser
- 1984 The Secret Life of the Underwear Champ by Betty Miles
- 1983 The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
- 1982 The Boy Who Saw Bigfoot by Marian Place
- 1981 Soup for President by Robert Newton Peck
- 1980 The Pinballs by Betsy Byars
- 1979 Champion of Merrimack County by Roger W. Drury
- 1978 Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
- 1977 The Ghost of Saturday Night by Sid Fleischman
- 1976 The Home Run Trick by Scott Corbett
- 1975 How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
- 1974 It's a Mile from Here to Glory by Robert C. Lee
- 1973 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
- 1972 Sounder by William H. Armstrong
See also
- 1971–1972 Mark Twain Awards nominees
- 1972–1973 Mark Twain Awards nominees
