William Allen White Children’s Book Award For 3 rd -5 th Grade Students

Background  History: Established in 1952 Ruth GagliardoEstablished in 1952 Ruth Gagliardo Directed by Emporia State UniversityDirected by Emporia State University  Purpose: Honors William Allen White, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from KansasHonors William Allen White, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from Kansas Encourages Kansas children to read and enjoy high quality literature Encourages Kansas children to read and enjoy high quality literature  Distinction: Thought to be the first book award program in the country decided by children Thought to be the first book award program in the country decided by children

Nominated Books  Must be published within the past year  Authors must be from the United States, Canada or Mexico  Text must be fiction, non-fiction or poetry  Selection committee chooses books for their originality, vitality, accuracy and sincerity

Participation  Who: 3 rd – 8 th grade Kansas students  What: Read 2 nominated books  Where: Check them out at the library  When: Read all year long and be ready to vote by April 15 th  Why: To select the winners!

WAW Winner 3rd-5th Grade 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

William Allen White Children’s Book Award 3 rd -5 th Grade Master list

Emily’s Fortune While traveling to her aunt's home in Redbud by train and stagecoach, quiet young Emily and her turtle, Rufus, team up with Jackson, fellow orphan and troublemaker extraordinaire, to outsmart mean Uncle Victor, who is after Emily's inheritance. While traveling to her aunt's home in Redbud by train and stagecoach, quiet young Emily and her turtle, Rufus, team up with Jackson, fellow orphan and troublemaker extraordinaire, to outsmart mean Uncle Victor, who is after Emily's inheritance.. By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Guinea Dog Rufus has been dreaming of getting a dog. But his dad has a few objections: They whine. They gnaw. They bark. They scratch. They beg. They drool. When Mom comes home with an alternative, no one in the family is ready for what happens next. By Patrick Jennings

Junkyard Wonders By Patricia Polacco Trisha is excited about starting fresh in a new school until she learns she is assigned to the room called the junkyard. Her school year takes a surprising turn when her new teacher begins the year by reading the definition of genius and telling them that’s what they are.

Out of My Mind Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it...somehow. By Sharon Draper

Prairie Peter Pan: The Story of Mary White Photographs and text written by Mary White's father, William Allen White, chronicle the short life of Mary from her birth in 1904 until a tragic riding accident claimed her life in By Beverly Olson Buller

Star in the Forest After eleven-year-old Zitlally's father is deported to Mexico, she takes refuge in her trailer park's forest of rusted car parts, where she befriends a spunky neighbor and finds a stray dog. She nurses him back to health and begins to believe she must keep him safe so that her father will return. By Laura Resau

Turtle in Paradise When her mother gets a job as a housekeeper for a woman who does not like children, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to stay with relatives she has never met in far away Key West, Florida in By Jennifer Holm

William Allen White Children’s Book Award 6 th – 8 th Grade Master list

Candy Bomber Describes the efforts of US Air Force Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen to aid the children in Russian-blockaded West Berlin by dropping packages filled with candy from the air. Personal photographs, along with letters and drawings from the children of Berlin are included. By Machael Tunnell

Extraordinary Mark Twain Thirteen-year-old Susy Clemens wants the world to know that her papa, Mark Twain, is more than just a humorist and sets out to write a comprehensive biography of the American icon. By Barbara Kerley

Ghost Dog Secrets Sixth-grader Rusty, is determined to help an injured dog that is chained outdoors in frigid weather. After he calls animal control, he takes matters into his own hands. His best friend and a ghost collie lead him to an even deeper secret. (Includes instructions for knitting cat blankets.) By Peg Kehret

Mockingbird Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father. By Kathryn Erskine

Moon Over Manifest Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter and in the summer of 1936, he sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas. Since that’s where her father grew up, she hopes to learn more about him and his past. By Clare Vanderpool

Strange Case of Origami Yoda Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda. By Tom Angleberger

Tale Dark and Grimm Follows Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into eight more tales, encountering such wicked creatures as witches, along with kindly strangers and other helpful folk. Based in part on the Grimms' fairy tales Faithful Johannes, Hansel and Gretel, The Seven Ravens, Brother and Sister, The Robber Bridegroom, and The Devil and his Three Golden Hairs. By Adam Gidwitz

William Allen White

William Allen White Children’s Book Award For 3 rd -5 th Grade Students