Randolph Caldecott, born on March 22, marks an opportune occasion for celebrating the world of children’s literature! What better way to honor his legacy than by engaging in captivating classroom activities centered around award-winning children’s books? Incorporating these books and their respective award celebrations into your classroom is a powerful way to inspire a lifelong love of reading.
The Caldecott Medal and the Newbery Medal are two of the most prestigious children’s book awards in the United States. The Caldecott, first awarded in 1938, honors the most distinguished American picture book for children each year. The Newbery, which dates back to 1922, is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Exploring the Diverse Range of Book Awards
When it comes to book awards, there are so many to choose from, and it can sometimes be overwhelming. Narrowing down the list by the type of book award you are looking for can help. If you want to bring some book diversity into your classroom, look at one of the book awards that celebrate diversity. Want to have some fun? Check out offbeat and fun book awards. State book awards are an excellent resource for books vetted by local educators. Reading book blogs can also be a great way to find class-worthy children’s book award books. There is even a children’s book award blog hop sponsored by The Federation of Children’s Book Groups!
Engaging Classroom Activities
There are numerous activities and lessons to bring the excitement of book awards into your classroom.
- Online Resources – Utilize free online resources like TeachingBooks.net’s Coretta Scott King Book Awards curriculum resource center, which features original recordings with award-winning authors and illustrators, a multitude of lesson plans, and more. State book awards are always a great source of classroom or library activities. Find your state book awards website for activities related to winning and nominated books.
- Author Studies – An easy-to-plan activity is an author study based on an author of an award-winning book or books. You can also start with a general Caldecott activity, a Newbery Award activity, or an activity centering around a less famous book award like the Jane Addams Award or the William Allen White Children’s Book Award.
- Mock Book Awards – A great activity related to children’s book awards is creating a mock book award such as a mock Caldecott, a mock Newbery, a mock Ezra Jack Keats award, an NCTE mock award, or your own classroom book award.
- Battle of the Books – If you really want to go big, create a schoolwide battle of the books, challenging students to read and vote on a selection of award-winning books!
However you choose to do it, it is always a great idea to celebrate children’s book awards in your classroom or school library! You can go to TeachersFirst first for resources about children’s book awards, like this article entitled “Going Deep with Award Winning Books: Close reading and text-dependent questions” and these book award-related blog posts! Explore the possibilities for fostering a love of reading, appreciating diverse voices, and nurturing critical thinking skills.