Make your voice heard! Read books from the 2021 Illinois Readers’ Choice lists and vote on which is your favorite. Track which books you’ve read using the Beanstack app (iOS/Google Play) or website. Once you’ve created your Beanstack account, choose the challenge for your grade level and start reading. You can find all the IL Book Award nominee books in our catalog on this page.
Prefer to keep track on paper? Pick up a log at the Youth Services Desk at the Harnish Main Library or the Customer Service Desk at the Eastgate Branch Library. Meet the reading goal for your award to get your invitation to vote in February 2021 and keep reading to earn your patch!
The Monarch Book Award was created in 2003 by the Illinois School Library Media Association to help Kindergarten through 3rd grade readers become familiar with books, illustrators and authors; encourage children to read critically; and to develop a statewide awareness of outstanding literature for children.
The Bluestem Book Award was created in 2008 by the Illinois School Library Media Association. The award is designed for students in grades 3-5 who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles.
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades 4 through 8 in participating Illinois schools. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years.