The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and the Arkansas State Library are pleased to announce the annual selection process for a book to receive the Charlie May Simon (CMS) Book award. For many years, children in Grades 4, 5 and 6 have had the opportunity to help select a book to receive the Charlie May Simon Children’s Book Award. This year’s award will be selected by children across Arkansas participating in reading the books, and hearing the books read aloud by teachers and library media specialists. This is an opportunity to engage the children in reading carefully selected books from this year’s list. Please note that children in Grades 4, 5 and 6 should have read or heard read at least three of the books from the 2007-2008 list in order to vote.
Attached is a ballot (Form 1) to be reproduced by the schools and used by the students to vote. The votes should then be tallied in each school and totals of each title should be indicated on Form 2. Then, Form 2 should be mailed to the address at the bottom of the form by no later than Friday, April 4, 2008. Form 3 has been enclosed for submittal of titles to be considered by the Charlie May Simon Reading Committee for the 2009-2010 reading list. The copyright date must be 2007.
The new 2008-2009 CMS Children’s Book Award Reading List of books published in 2006 is attached for your convenience.
The results of this year’s Charlie May Simon Children’s Book Award voting will be posted in May 2008.