I am a school librarian in a PreK-5 elementary school in North Carolina.  Although our students come primarily from low income homes, they truly enjoy and thrive when language rich literature is presented to them through read-alouds, book talks, and their own self-selected reading.  Each year, I find whatever means possible to acquire the North Carolina Children’s Book Award nominees as well as award winning children’s books as distinguished by the American Library Association.

With these funds I will purchase eighteen NC Children’s Book Award nominees and twenty-five American Library Association award winners from Bound to Stay Bound Books.  These book choices are the most recent award winners in their categories.  This grant will expose our students to well-reviewed, language rich children's picture books and novels.  High quality books are shown to cultivate children's imaginations, enhance communication skills, challenge readers to make connections, and present unique perspectives to young learners.

2016-2017 NC Children’s book awards nominees from Bound to Stay Bound. 18 books for $419.37 plus 7% NC Sales Tax and 5% grant processing fee.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B23H9Q3oMwHjeUZDZkJDZE14UEk/view?usp=sharing  Look here for a list of books http://nccba.blogspot.com/p/2016-17_23.html

2016 ALA children’s book award winners from Bound to Stay Bound. 25 books for $496.03 plus 7% NC Sales Tax and 5% grant processing fee. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B23H9Q3oMwHjZExIc1VLMlZPUTA    

Children’s book in this list include:

• Pura Belpre Award, “presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/pura-belpr%C3%A9-award
• Randolph Caldecott Medal, “awarded annually, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.”  http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/randolph-caldecott-medal-1 
• Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, “given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books.” http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/theodor-seuss-geisel-award
• John Newbery Medal, “awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.”  http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/john-newbery-medal-2

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