[CASL-L] State Children's Choice Awards - an Assessment for Your Information

[Williams, Linda]

There has been some discussion on these lists about what the Nutmeg Award should and shouldn't be. So I have taken a look at all of the other states' children's choice awards and put together a few facts for you. I did this on my own, and not in my role as Nutmeg Facilitator. It seemed time to find where we stand in the crowd.

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS

We have it lucky in Connecticut because our organizations cooperate on the one Nutmeg Award program, rather than each having their own. Some states have competing awards to juggle or one level comes from one organization and others from another.

The Pennsylvania School Librarians Association has awards for K-3, G3-6, G6-8, and Young Adult, while the Keystone Reading Association has awards for Preschool, Primary, Intermediate, Middle School, and High School.
In New York, the State Reading Association has awards for P-2, G3-5, G6-8 and G9-12 and the Library Association has awards for P-2, G3-6, and Teen.

Sometimes one organization has had a level or two, and another organization has jumped in to fill a perceived need. 
For example, Emporia University's William Allen White Award has no picture book level, so the Kansas Reading Association stepped up to the plate with a picture book level.
And the University of Georgia's Georgia Children's Book Award had a Picture Book and a Book Award (grade 4-8) level, and The Georgia Library Association jumped in to add a Teen Level.

NOMINEES

We fall right in the middle on the total number of nominees in our award.
Almost half (22) of the states have a total of nominees that is more than ours.
And a little over half (26) have fewer nominees. 
(One has the same)

LEVELS

All of these 30 states have a high school level award: Alaska (G10-12), Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho (G10-12), Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana (G10-12), North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont and Washington (G10-12).
Of the remaining states, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming all have a "Teen" or "Young Adult" award category.

These 18 states all have a "Picture Book" award level: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, and Utah. And California has a category specifically for Picture Books for Older Readers (G4+).
IN ADDITION:
While not calling it specifically "Picture Books" these 6 states have a "K-3" level: Arkansas, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wyoming. And these have a "K-2" level: Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, South Dakota and Tennessee.

New Jersey has TWO easy reader levels.

In terms of different levels here's the breakdown. Note that one state has a level called "Poetry" (K-12), a few have Graphic Novel groups, and several states have one or more levels that are nonfiction only. Many, if not most age level groupings may consist of a mix of fiction and nonfiction. Four levels, the number in the Nutmeg Award, is about average. And a lot of them don't have to be available in paperback at all.

9 Levels
Pennsylvania - total 110 nominees

7 Levels
Delaware - total 38 nominees
New Jersey - total 140 nominees
New York - total 85 nominees
Washington - total 76 nominees

6 Levels
Arizona - Total 60 nominees

5 Levels
California - total 17 nominees
Maryland - total 55 nominees
Michigan - total 40 nominees
Missouri - total 59 nominees
Oregon - total 36 nominees
Texas - total 159 nominees

4 Levels
Alabama - total 40 nominees
Arkansas - total 64 nominees
Connecticut - total 45 nominees
Florida - total 65 nominees
Illinois - total 82 nominees
Indiana - total 80 nominees
Iowa - total 74 nominees
Kentucky - total 40 nominees
Mississippi - total 40 nominees
Montana - total 29 nominees
Nevada - total 26 nominees
New Hampshire - total 60 nominees
North Carolina - total 45 nominees
North Dakota - total 16 nominees
Ohio - total 20 nominees
South Carolina - total 80 nominees
South Dakota - total 64 nominees
Tennessee - total 80 nominees
Virginia - total 40 nominees

3 Levels
Alaska - total 24 nominees
Colorado - total 42 nominees
Georgia - total 60 nominees
Idaho - total 24 nominees
Kansas - total 28 nominees
Louisiana - total 37 nominees
Nebraska - total 30 nominees
New Mexico - total 30 nominees
Oklahoma - total 46 nominees
Vermont - total 55 nominees
Wisconsin - total 15 nominees
Wyoming - total 43 nominees

2 Levels
Maine - total 60 nominees
Minnesota - total 24 nominees
Rhode Island - total 42 nominees

1 Level
Hawaii - total 30 nominees
Massachusetts - total 25 nominees
West Virginia - total 12 nominees

So, if you've made it this far, I arm you with this information and ask you where you want to fit in to this picture?

Sincerely,
Linda Williams
Children's Services Consultant
Connecticut State Library