Illinois children's book awards

There are four Illinois children's book awards whose winners are selected by children who read the nominees and vote for their favorite. Voting is conducted each February, and winners are announced sometime in March. The new lists of nominees are typically issued sometime in February or March, usually before the previous year's winners are announced.

Several CCS libraries highlight these titles in the PAC using record sets containing the nominees. The Public Access Services technical group requests that previous nominees be removed, and new nominees added, by mid-April. The new lists should all be released by then, and this helps them plan their displays to match the change in the PAC.

Starting in March, CCS staff coordinates adding/removing bibliographic records to/from the appropriate record sets. The record sets include books, audiobooks, and Playaways; they do not include videos, adaptations, or translations.

• Monarch Award (grades K-3)

Record sets: Monarch Award Nominees 2026 (ID# 560086) and Monarch nominees for 2027 (ID# 677565)

• Bluestem Award (grades 3-5)

Record sets: Bluestem Award Nominees 2026 (ID# 560170) and Bluestem nominees for 2027 (ID# 677576)

• Rebecca Caudill Award (grades 4-8)

Record sets: Caudill Award Nominees 2026 (ID# 550037) and Caudill nominees for 2027 (ID# 677762)

• Lincoln Award (grades 9-12)

Record sets: Lincoln nominees 2026 (ID# 560286) and Lincoln Nominees for 2027 (ID# 677751)