The 2014 South Carolina Book Award Winners were announced on March 14, 2014, to attendees at the 39th Annual South Carolina Association of School Librarians conference held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The students of South Carolina have chosen:
Picture Book Award: Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes by Eric Litwin
Children's Book Award: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Junior Book Award: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Young Adult Book Award: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Since 1976 when sixteen schools participated, the book award program has expanded to include more than 500 schools and nearly 70,000 students participating in the program.
The South Carolina Book Award program includes a vetting process for each of the four levels of books. Committees composed of school librarians, teachers, parents and students prepare a list of 20 books for each level. Students who have read a minimum of three books (five books for picture book level) vote in February each year for the book they feel is the best. The winning authors are honored at the association's annual conference held each March.
The South Carolina Book Award program was honored for its impact on literacy by the South Carolina Center for Children's Books and Literacy at the University of South Carolina in 2012 when the program was named a Literacy Leader.
The South Carolina Association of School Librarians provides an advocacy voice for the school library profession, working tirelessly to equip librarians with tools useful in convincing decisions makers to recognize the school librarian and school library program as a significant factor in daily impacting learning and increased student achievement. The association is currently in the initial stage of contracting for a statewide research study documenting the impact of school libraries on student achievement.
For more information, please contact Melissa Keefer, Public Awareness Chair, South Carolina Association of School Librarians, 704-207-6455 or keeferm@email.sc.edu.
