Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award facts for kids
The Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award is a special prize for great books. It celebrates high-quality books for young readers, from kindergarten to fourth grade. The Children's Services Division (CSD) of the Maryland Library Association gives out this award every year. They started it in 2004.
The main goal of this award is to find and share the best fiction and non-fiction books for young readers. It also helps teachers, librarians, and parents find excellent books. The award encourages authors, illustrators, and publishers to create amazing books. These books should be interesting and beautiful, making young kids want to read more.
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What is the Maryland Blue Crab Award?
The Maryland Blue Crab Award is given out by the Maryland Library Association. It focuses on books for kids learning to read. These books are for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. The award helps highlight books that are perfect for these age groups.
How Books Are Chosen
A special group of people decides which books win the award. This group includes librarians from public libraries and school libraries. They look at books published during the past year. They check many things about each book. These include how easy it is to read, the words used, and if the pictures and story are appealing. They also check for helpful parts like glossaries or pronunciation guides. Most importantly, they make sure the book is right for young readers.
The committee chooses one winning book in each of these four groups:
- Beginning Fiction
- Beginning Nonfiction
- Transitional Fiction
- Transitional Nonfiction
Besides the main winners, the committee also makes an "honor list." This list includes up to three other great books for each reading level. Sometimes, they point out books that are good for older kids who might not enjoy reading much.
Who Can Nominate Books?
Many people can suggest books for the award. If you work in a Maryland public library, you can nominate a book. Members of the Maryland Library Association (MLA) can also suggest titles. The same goes for members of the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL). Even members of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) can nominate books. You can find the rules and forms on the Maryland Library Association website. Just look for the "Blue Crab" page.
When Are Winners Announced?
Since 2012, the winners are announced in the spring. This happens at the CSD Southern and Western Conferences in March and April. Before 2012, the winners were announced in October. This was at a conference called "Kids Are Customers, Too." Often, an author who won the Blue Crab Award is invited to speak. They might speak at the Maryland Library Association Conference in the spring. Or they might speak at the "Kids Are Customers, Too" conference in the fall.
Blue Crab Book Award winners
| Year | Beginning Fiction | Beginning Nonfiction | Transitional Fiction | Transitional Nonfiction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 |
The Fly Flew In |
Welcome to the World, ZooBorns! by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland |
The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz |
Dreaming Up Written and illustrated by Christy Hale |
|
| 2012 |
Max Spaniel: Best in Show |
Capybara Written by Anita Ganeri |
Labracadabra by Jessie Nelson and Karen Leigh Hopkins |
Dolphins Written by Kate Riggs |
|
| 2011 |
We Are In a Book! |
Just One Bite Written by Lola Schaefer,illustrated by Geoff Waring. |
Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst |
Pika: Life on the Rocks Written by Tannis Bill |
|
| 2010 |
Good Dog, Aggie |
My People by Langston Hughes and Charles R. Smith, Jr. |
How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills |
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 |
Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson |
Our Three Bears by Ron Hirschi |
|
| 2008 | My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems |
Best Friends: The True Story of Owen and Mzee by Roberta Edwards |
Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole by Wong Herbert Yee |
Who Likes the Rain? by Etta Kaner |
|
| 2007 | Dirk Bones And The Mystery of The Haunted House by Doug Cushman |
Emperor Penguins by Patricia Trattles |
Pirate Mom by Deborah Underwood |
Time for Kids: Butterflies! by David Bjerklie |
|
| 2006 | Hi! Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold |
Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Cowley |
The Next-Door Dogs by Colby Rodowsky |
Turtle Tide: The Way of Sea Turtles by Stephen Swinburne |
|
| 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 |
Gretchen the Bicycle Dog by Anita Heyman |
