Massachusetts Children's Book Award
The Mass. Children's Book Award program was inaugurated during the 1975–76 school year and the first winner was "How to Eat Fried Worms" by Thomas Rockwell, which was then three years old. The "First Annual Massachusetts Book Award Conference" was scheduled to run for seven hours from 8:30 at Salem State College Library on July 1. It was one of the "Specials", distinct from "Bicentennial" events, listed by "The Boston Globe" that morning. One year later "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" by Judy Blume won the second poll, in which 5000 students in 400 classes voted on 25 books "nominated by teachers, librarians, and youngsters". Second to fifth-place finishers were also identified at the mid-year conference. Late that year the "Globe" reported that "children in grades 4 through 9 will vote for their favorite books in the third annual contest". For six years then, to 1983, there were a pair of MCBA determined by votes of children in grades 4–6 and in grades 7–9 (generally, ages 9–12 and 12–15). The grades 7–9 winner in 1979, "The Cat Ate My Gymsuit" by Paula Danziger, had been the runner-up in 1977, voted by grades 4–6 only. "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" won the grades 4–6 award again in 1983, the only book to win two MCBA. Four books published during the 1950s and 1960s were winners, as late as 1987 (see table). After 1995, however, the Master List was limited to books published during the five-year span ending that year (that is, 1992 to 1996 for the 1997 award). The winning books since then have ranged from one to five years old. 2017 MCBA Nominees Louis Sachar has written three MCBA-winning books, published from 1987 to 1998: "There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom", "Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger", and "Holes". Several people have written two winning books and "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" (Dutton, 1972) by Judy Blume won both the 1977 and 1983 awards.
History
The Massachusetts Children's Book Award is an annual literary award recognizing one book selected by vote of Massachusetts schoolchildren from a list prepared by committee. Students in grades 4 to 6 (almost all 9 to 12 years old) are eligible to vote for one favorite book if they have read at least five on the list, which now comprises 25 books that are no more than five years old. For the 2014 award, the Master List comprised 25 books published from 2009 to 2013, almost half in 2011.