The Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award is a literature award created to recognize high quality books for beginning and transitional readers in kindergarten through fourth grade. It is granted annually by the Maryland Library Association Children's Services Division (CSD).[1] The Children's Services Division initiated the award in 2004 as a means of identifying and promoting the best fiction and nonfiction books for beginning readers.
The further intention in granting the Award is to provide teachers, librarians, and caregivers with a resource list of excellent books for beginning readers, and to encourage publishers, authors and illustrators to create high quality, interesting and beautiful books that will entice young readers.
The Award is decided by a committee made up of public librarians and school media specialists who examine qualifying literature published within the calendar year. The committee considers criteria such as legibility, vocabulary, visual and literary appeal, support matter (i.e. glossaries or pronunciation keys) and appropriateness to the needs of beginning readers.The committee selects one title each to receive the award in each of the following categories:
In addition, the committee generates an honor list of up to three titles for each reading level the award covers. Books that the committee feels are especially appropriate for reluctant older readers are indicated.
Anyone working in a Maryland public library, and members of the Maryland Library Association (MLA),[2] the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL),[3] or the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA),[4] may nominate titles for the award. Eligibility guidelines and nomination forms are listed on the Blue Crab page of the Maryland Library Association website.[2]
As of 2012, winners will be announced at the spring CSD Southern/Western Conferences in March and April, respectively. Prior to this year, winners were announced in October at the fall "Kids Are Customers, Too" conference. A Blue Crab Award author is frequently invited to speak at either the annual Maryland Library Association Conference in the spring or the Kids Are Customers, Too conference in the fall.
| Year | Beginning Fiction | Beginning Nonfiction | Transitional Fiction | Transitional Nonfiction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Fly Flew In Written and illustrated by David Catrow | Welcome to the World, ZooBorns! by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland | The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz illustrated by Dan Santat | Dreaming Up Written and illustrated by Christy Hale | |
| 2012 | Max Spaniel: Best in Show written and illustrated by David Catrow | Capybara Written by Anita Ganeri | Labracadabra by Jessie Nelson and Karen Leigh Hopkins | Dolphins Written by Kate Riggs | |
| 2011 | We Are In a Book! written and illustrated by Mo Willems | Just One Bite Written by Lola Schaefer,illustrated by Geoff Waring. | Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst illustrated by Lane Smith | Pika: Life on the Rocks Written by Tannis Bill Photographs by Jim Jacobson | |
| 2010 | Good Dog, Aggie by Lori Ries illustrated by Frank W. Dormer | My People by Langston Hughes and Charles R. Smith, Jr. | How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills illustrated by Heather Maione | 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 photographed by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell | Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up by Melissa Thomson illustrated by Frank Morrison | Our Three Bears by Ron Hirschi photographed by Thomas Mangelsen | |
| 2008 | My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems | Best Friends: The True Story of Owen and Mzee by Roberta Edwards illustrated by Carol Schwartz | Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole by Wong Herbert Yee | Who Likes the Rain? by Etta Kaner illustrated by Marie Lafrance | |
| 2007 | Dirk Bones And The Mystery of The Haunted House by Doug Cushman | Emperor Penguins by Patricia Trattles | Pirate Mom by Deborah Underwood illustrated by Stephen Gilpin | Time for Kids: Butterflies! by David Bjerklie | |
| 2006 | Hi! Fly Guy | by Tedd Arnold | Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Cowley photographs by Nic Bishop | The Next-Door Dogs by Colby Rodowsky illustrated by Amy June Bates | Turtle Tide: The Way of Sea Turtles by Stephen Swinburne illustrated by Bruce Hiscock |
| 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 | Gretchen the Bicycle Dog by Anita Heyman |