Two schools in Community Consolidated School District 181 are celebrating the receipt of grants from the Illinois School Library Media Association / Library Book Selection Service. The grants allow the schools to receive a set of the books nominated for the Illinois reader’s choice awards.
The Bluestem and Monarch award program committees publish a list of 20 nominated titles each year. Students are encouraged to read the books and then vote for their favorite in the spring. The Bluestem Award is for students in Grades 3-5 while the Monarch Award is for students in kindergarten and Grades 1-3.
Elm School has received the Bluestem grant and will therefore receive the 20 books nominated for the 2015 Bluestem Award. Elm Media Resource Center (MRC) Director Jill Berry explains, “Our students will read these books and vote for their favorite in March. In 2014, 80 Elm students were eligible to vote by reading at least four books from the list of 20 titles.” Berry says that 30 of those 80 students read all of the books on the 2014 list. The 2014 Bluestem Award winner was Wonder by R.J. Palacio. “We are grateful to the LBSS Endowment Fund for these book grants.”
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Prospect School has received the Monarch grant and will therefore receive the 20 books nominated for the 2015 Monarch Award. Prospect MRC Director Becky Haagsma notes that 196 Prospect students in Grades K-2 were eligible to vote in 2014 by reading at least five books from the list. “Prospect is also very proud that 19 second graders read all 20 books on the Monarch list this year.” The 2014 Monarch Award winner was The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray.
In a congratulatory letter from the ISLMA/LBSS Endowment Fund Board, Chair Gail Janz shares that more than 200 libraries applied to receive one of the reader’s choice award grants given for the 2014-15 school year.
