Arkansas Children's Book Awards:The Charlie May Simon Award & The Arkansas Diamond

Primary Award

Drop you vote in the ballot box!

This award was named for and honors Ms. Charlie May Simon an Arkansas native. Charlie May Simon was originally from Monticello, Arkansas where her family resided until they moved to Memphis, Tennessee in her adolescent years. Ms. Simon was the author of nearly thirty books, most prominently known for her work in children's literature. Simon also wrote for adult and dabbled in the writing of short stories. Simon endured several divorces and the suicide of her late husband John Gould Fletcher. After such hardships Simon moved more into biographical writings which showcased her humanitarian desires and her passion for peace. The state of Arkansas chose to honor Ms. Simon’s accomplishments by naming a children’s literature award after her in 1971. A short 6 years after the start of this award Ms. Simon passed away, however the state continues to honor her each year by continuing this Charlie May Simon Award.

The Charlie May Simon Award

The Arkansas Diamond award was developed in 1998 . This award came as a supplement to the Charlie May Simon award which includes votes only from grades 4-6. The Arkansas Diamond Award focuses primarily on the votes and selections for children kindergarten through 3rd grades. This award allows for a broader range on students voting on and getting involved in reading material. This award is also an annual award and is often announced and awarded at the same date the Charlie May Simon Award is given.

Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award

In your opinion, do you feel two awards are necessary or that the committees should possibly combined them both into one under the Charlie May Simon name?

What do you feel the purpose of having two awards could be?

Why Two Awards?

Charlie May SimonAnnual awardVoted on by students

grades 4, 5, &6Voters must have

read at least three of the books from the list to vote.

Students may only vote for one title.

Annual awardVoted on by students grades

K, I, 2, &3Voters must have read or

heard at least three of the books on the list to vote.

Due to age of the students teachers or media specialists may devise a play or system to help students remember information and feeling on books they have read or heard.

Side By SideArkansas Diamond

Primary

Each year the Arkansas library system releases recommendation forms for participants to make suggestions for books that they would like to see on the reading list for next year. After the recommendations have been considered, a reading list is finalized and released for students to choose from in the upcoming year. Students read books from these lists over the course of the year and choose their favorite by entering a ballot provided by either their school or the library website. Votes are now being submitted electronically but are often tallied at individual schools and then entered. After the votes are counted a annual celebration is held in which the winners are announced and rewarded. This celebration is in the form of a dinner and can be attended by students and those who buy tickets to attend. Winners receive a medallion as a prize.

Selection Process

2011-2012 CHARLIE MAY SIMON CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

STUDENT BALLOT WHO MAY VOTE? Children in grades four, five, and six

who have read or heard read at least three of the titles on the list below. Students will only vote for one title.

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTER: Place an “X in front of the title of the book that you believe is the best of those that you have read or heard read from this list.

_______ Burg, Ann E. ALL THE BROKEN PIECES _______ Clements, Andrew EXTRA CREDIT _______ Duncan, Lois NEWS FOR DOGS _______ Giff, Patricia Reilly WILD GIRL _______ Hostetter, Joyce Moyer COMFORT _______ Korman, Gordon ZOOBREAK _______ Leal, Ann Haywood ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER _______ MacLachlan, Patricia THE TRUE GIFT: A

CHRISTMAS STORY _______ Paulsen, Gary MUDSHARK _______ Peck, Richard A SEASON OF GIFTS _______Tolan, Stephanie S. WISHWORKS, INC _______ Woodson, Jacqueline PEACE, LOCOMOTION

This is a sample of the voting ballot for the Charlie May Simon Award. These are typically printed by teachers or media specialists and then collected and counted for a final electronic submission.

Put in your two cents!

2011-2012 ARKANSAS DIAMOND PRIMARY BOOK AWARD STUDENT BALLOT WHO MAY VOTE? Children in grades kindergarten, one, two,

and three who have read or heard read at least three of the titles on the list below. Students will only vote for one title.

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTER: Place an “X” in front of the title of the book that you believe is the best of those that you have read or heard read from this list.

_______ Aylesworth, Jim, THE MITTEN _______ dePaola, Tomie STREGA NONA’S HARVEST _______ Emberley, Rebecca and Ed Emberley CHICKEN LITTLE _______ Gralley, Jean YONDERFEL’S CASTLE: A MEDIEVAL FABLE _______ Kajikawa, Kimiko TSUNAMI! _______ Long, Loren OTIS _______ Lowry, Lois CROW CALL _______ Palatini, Margie LOUSY ROTTEN STINKIN’ GRAPES _______ Rappaport, Doreen ELEANOR, QUIET NO MORE _______ Spinelli, Eileen SILLY TILLY _______ Urbanovic, Jackie DUCK AND COVER _______ Van Dusen, Chris THE CIRCUS SHIP _______ Van Leeuwen, Jean CHICKEN SOUP _______ Williams, Karen, and Khadra Mohammed MY NAME IS

SANGOEL

This is a sample of the Diamond primary ballot. As you can see, they mimic each other identically.

Take Two!

As teachers and future media specialists, do you feel this would be something you would take the time to get your students involved in?

Do any of you have any experience with it currently?

What do you think?

Charlie May Simon Award Winners:Beverly Cleary, Sid Fleishman, Lois Sachar,

Lois Lowry, Kate DiCamillo, & Jerry Spinelli.

Diamond Primary Award Winners:Steven Kellogg, Gloria Rand, Helen Lester, &

Doreen Cronin.

Some Previous Winners…

When I was a 6th grader, in Little Rock, at Crystal Hill Elementary I was given the opportunity to attend the Charlie May Simon banquet! My library media specialist allowed students who participated in the reading program and voted to attend with her. I attended the 1997-1998 banquet in which Sid Fleishman won for The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story. We got to eat a fancy dinner, listen to a speaker, see the author awarded the medallion and hear his acceptance speech. It was something I will always remember as a special occasion. We even got to take a picture with the medallion!

My 6th Grade Adventure!

This system encourages students to look for new reading material.

It pushes students to reach a 3 book goal.The system allows students freedom of

reading choice.This system creates a classroom, peer, and

faculty-students connection.This program encourages accountability.These programs also create a place for

students to have a voice in choosing good materials.

Why is this system is valuable to us?

As teachers and future media specialists, we have the ability to create an ongoing accountability system. We can introduce this as if it is a club we can all belong to! We can make these lists accessible to other teachers and in our libraries. We can do book talks and teaser reads on the books on these lists and make students interested in them. We can be available at check out time to talk a student through choosing an appropriate or fitting book. After we get the books in the hands of students we can create charts or graphs that help them see how they are doing in their goals. When they turn books in we must ask them what they thought in a short interview. We should make the voting something that has been built up as a prominent event! We should encourage those who can, to vote. After voting we should find ways to get students to the banquet and if not, possibly throw an “unveiling” party in our own schools!

What can this look like in our schools?

What do you think you, or we could do that I missed?

Let’s Get Creative!

Charlie May Simon. (2008)In Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved from http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=41

Fetherolf, Shirley . (2012). Simon and Diamond Book Awards. Retrieved from http://hoorayforbooks.pbworks.com

Howser, Kathy. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.library.arkansas.gov/childrensbookawards

(2012, March ). Curriculum-Literary Awards Programs. Retrieved from http://www.arkansased.org/educators

(1971). Charlie May Simon Award [Medal]. Retrieved from http://www.arareading.org

Stratton and Pintop(1930). Charlie May Simon[Photograph].Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net

1998). Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award [Medal]. Retrieved from http://www.arareading.org

References