The Monarch Award Illinois K3 Readers Choice Award

The Monarch Award: Illinois’ K-3 Readers’ Choice Award • Sponsored by ISLMA • Schools/libraries register/participate • Master List of 20 titles • Award given annually to book voted favorite by K-3 children • Specifics at website: www. islma. org/ monarch. htm

Monarch Steering Committee • • Judy Bauman, Tate Woods, Lisle Peggy Burton, Williams Elementary, Mattoon Alice Joseph, Wilmette Public Library Molly Masulis, Williams Elementary, Mattoon • Sharon Peterson, Oakview Elementary, Bolingbrook • Dana Russell, New Lenox Public Library • Volunteers – Readers – Nominations – Website

The Monarch Award: Illinois’ K-3 Readers’ Choice Award • Designed to encourage children to read critically and become familiar with books, authors and illustrators. • Named in honor of the Monarch Butterfly, Illinois’ state insect which symbolizes growth, change and freedom, qualities that also characterize the emergent reader. • Organized to find the children’s favorite.

Monarch Packet-Online • • • Information sheet Bibliography with summaries and ISBNs Nomination form and criteria for nominees Ballot template for paper voting Bookmark template Tally sheet to record ALL votes for online submission • Many other resources available on the website

Monarch Dates • • • March, 2011: Winner announced NIU and IRC March, 2011: Website updated for 2011 resources March, 2011: 2012 Registration brochure mailed August 15, 2011: Online 2012 packet available and mailing of sticker and voting information 2011– 2012: Read the 2012 Nominees September 15, 2011: 2013 Nominations close January 15, 2012: Official end of 2012 registration February, 2012: 2013 Master List announced February, 2012: Vote online by the 28 th

The 2005 Monarch Award

Monarch 2005 Winner • 95, 000 K-3 children voted! • 667 schools/libraries • Winner: David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon • Second: Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester • Third: I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

Monarch 2006 Winner • 115, 000 students voted • 719 schools/libraries • Winner: My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza • Second: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin • Third: Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland

Keiko Kasza 2006 Winner

Monarch 2007 Winner • 120, 712 students • • voted 753 schools/libraries Winner: Superdog: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner, illus. by Mark Buehner (Dex) Second: I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont Third: Falling for Rapunzel by Leah

2007 Monarch Award Winner • Mark Buehner, illustrator of Superdog: The Heart of a Hero, accepts the 2007 Monarch Award for himself and his wife/author Caralyn. The book has been re-named Dex due to a copyright question.

Monarch 2008 Winner • Over 131, 000 students voted • 780 schools/libraries • Winner: If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen • Second: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel • Third: Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor

Monarch 2009 Winner • 154, 000 children voted • 894 schools & libraries • Winner: Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O’Malley • Second: Skippyjon Jones by Judith Schnacher • Third: Superhero ABC by Bob Mc. Leod

Kevin O’Malley accepts the 2009 Monarch Award

Monarch 2010 Winner • 156, 158 children voted • 840 schools & libraries • Winner: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt, 35, 975 votes • Second: Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia Mac. Lachlan and Emily Mac. Lachlan Charest, 20, 626 votes • Third: The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst, 14, 498 votes

Monarch 2011 Winner • 140, 720 children voted • 711 schools & libraries • Winner: Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas, 23, 370 votes • Second: Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson, 16, 613 votes • Third: Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel, 12, 899 votes

Monarch Master List Selection • Librarians, teachers, parents and students may nominate. • Nominees are narrowed to 100 by the nomination committee, who considers the criteria, and the balance of fiction/nonfiction/picture books/chapter books/easy readers. • Volunteer readers review groups of 10 books and submit evaluations based on a rubric. • Their evaluations are used to narrow to 50 nominees. • Readers attempt to read all 50 nominees. • At the face-to-face meeting in January, each reader reviews one book in depth.

Monarch Award: Illinois’ K-3 Readers’ Choice Award 2012 Master List Sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Butler • While searching for his mysteriously lost human family, Buddy the dog is adopted by another family and helps solve the mystery of their missing boy. • Discuss pets. • Do a FREE Skype Q&A with the author. • Read the others in the series.

A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker • Despite Bear's efforts to ignore his birthday, Mouse will not rest until his friend celebrates. • Discuss birthdays and how we celebrate. • Talk about manners and how Mouse uses them. • Prequel: A Visitor for Bear. • Sequel: A bedtime for Bear.

Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith • Little Mouse gets dressed to go to the barn with his mother, brothers, and sisters. • Discuss getting ready for different activities. • Talk about graphic books and comics. • Read other books by the author.

Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishop • This book provides full-color photographs and illustrations describing the physical characteristics, behaviors, habits, and life cycle of butterflies and moths. • Visit Bishop’s website: http: //www. nicbishop. com • Look at other books by Bishop. • Draw your own butterfly or moth.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca • Simple text and illustrations describe the flight of "Apollo 11" and the Moon landing in 1969. • Research NASA, the moon, Apollo 11, and space travel.

Never Smile at a Monkey: and 17 Other Important Things to Remember by Steve Jenkins • Some creatures have developed unusual ways of protecting themselves or catching prey, and this can make them unexpectedly hazardous to your health. In this book, you'll find out what you should never do if you encounter one of these dangerous animals. • Research some of the animals in the book.

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson • As a testament to his courage, Jackie Robinson's daughter shares memories of him, from his baseball career to the day he tests the ice for her, her brothers, and their friends. • Research Jackie Robinson. • Discuss the concept of courage. • Talk about fathers.

Panda Kindergarten by Joanne Ryder • Photographs and text follow sixteen panda cubs at the Wolong Nature Preserve, where they are raised and observed by scientists and workers while they learn survival skills that will allow them to be re-released into the wild. • Research pandas. • Compare to kindergarten for humans.

The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth • This book is a retelling of the traditional tale of how a boy's lost mitten becomes a refuge from the cold for an increasing number of animals. • Read other versions of the tale. • Discuss winter and ways to keep warm.

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton • A shark and a train compete in a series of contests on a seesaw, in hot air balloons, bowling, shooting baskets, playing hide-and-seek, and more. • Discuss other toys which could have a contest. • Use a Venn diagram to illustrate differences and similarities. • Think of other contests for shark and train.

Dogku by Andrew Clements • This story, told through haiku, is about the many things a dog named Mooch does, such as riding in a car, barking at the neighbors, and chewing on dirty socks. • Discuss dogs as pets. • Write your own Haiku. • Do a class poll about dog breeds and graph the results.

Grace for President by Kelly Di. Pucchio • Grace decides to run in her school's mock election, where she learns about the American electoral system and sets out to be the best person for the job, even though her opponent, Thomas, seems to be winning all the boys' votes. • Talk about voting and the electoral process. • Hold a classroom election.

Imogene’s Last Stand by Candace Fleming • Enamored of history, young Imogene Tripp tries to save her town's Historical Society from being demolished in order to build a shoelace factory. • Talk about local history. • Is Imogene a hero? What is a hero?

Let’s Do Nothing by Tony Fucile • Frankie and Sal have played every board game, read every comic book, and painted a zillion pictures. Just when it seems they will collapse from boredom, Sal gets a brilliant idea. • Try to do nothing. • Draw yourself as something else.

Bridget’s Beret by Tom Lichtenheld • When Bridget loses the beret that provides her with artistic inspiration like other great artists, she thinks she will never be able to draw again. • What is “inspiration”? • Discuss what things you are good at doing.

Otis by Loren Long • When a big new yellow tractor arrives, Otis, the friendly little tractor, is cast away behind the barn, but when trouble occurs, Otis is the only one who can help. • What is friendship? • Talk about farms and how they have changed.

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal • Two unseen characters argue about whether the creature they are looking at is a rabbit or a duck. • Look at other optical illusions. • Talk about perspective. • Talk about trying to see both sides of a situation.

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian • A goldfish presents a tell-all tale of his experiences of swimming around his bowl as it slowly fills with intruders. When he is relocated for a cleaning, he realizes how much he misses his new companions. • Talk about what should go in a goldfish bowl. • Draw pictures of your ideal goldfish bowl.

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein • It's bedtime for the little red chicken, and Papa starts reading her a story, but she can't help herself. As soon as the story gets going, out jumps the little red chicken, right into the story, saving characters from danger and ending the story early. • Discuss bedtime rituals. • Talk about favorite stories. • Change the endings of other favorite stories.

Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic • When Max the duck decides to stay behind when his flock flies south, Irene invites him to stay with her for the winter. • Discuss migration. • Talk about being a “good guest”. • Read the other Max books: Sitting Duck, Duck and Cover, Duck Soup.

Maximizing the Monarch • Label the books: orange stickers, orange tape, label protectors, butterfly stickers, logo stickers for sale • Display ideas: bulletin board, wall, special Monarch shelf • Reading ideas – Reserve/rotate books, to every classroom – Offer stickers/certificate for classroom reading ALL 20 nominees – Make bookmarks/checklists for kids to keep track of books read – Read in classroom/library/home • Fun gimmicks–orange hat, shirt, butterfly

Monarch Award: Illinois’ K-3 Readers’ Choice Award Sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association http: //www. islma. org/monarch. htm dsmma@frontiernet. net

Questions/Comments • Any questions? • Don’t forget to register (only $10), read, and vote! • Visit the website soon http: //www. islma. org/monarch. htm