Nominations needed for the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award

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The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award is an initiative of the Indiana Center for the Book. This state award, administered by the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Committee, highlights picture books for young children. Picture books serve an important role in theFirefly_Award first years of the life of a child. The purpose of this award is to encourage parents, caregivers, and very young children to interact together with exceptional picture books.

Indiana librarians may nominate picture books for the award from June through October 1st each year. What does that mean? That means that we need your nominations now. Have you read a fun picture book in your storytime?  Did you run across a winner during your Summer Reading Program? Have a book that makes you laugh every time you read it?

If you work with youth in a library, either in a school or in a public library, you are eligible to nominate as many titles as you wish. Nominating is easy. Send an email to Suzanne Walker at suwalker@library.in.gov. Include in your email:  Title, Author, Illustrator, and Publication Date, as well as the following justification:  In 100 words or less, please tell us why this book is special with an emphasis on how it supports at least three of the ECRR® practices. In lay-man’s terms, does the book make you talk, sing, read, write, or play with the children, ages 0-5, with whom you are sharing the book?

Criteria for nominations are as follows:
• Be in print
• Be published, in its current edition, within the current award cycle year (that means from January 1, 2014 until now).
• Possess strong child appeal
• Support at least three of the Every Child Ready to Read® practices of Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing, or Playing
• Have artistic quality with text that supports the illustrations or a compelling narrative provided by illustrations

The nomination pool will be narrowed down to 5 titles by the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Committee by January 1, 2016.  Ballots will be released and votes will be accepted until early May.  More information on ballots and how to vote will be available in early 2016.  The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award winning title will be announced on May 23, 2016.

Nominations close in two weeks! Get them in today.

This blog post was written by Suzanne Walker, Professional Development Office Supervisor. For more information, contact the Professional Development Office at (317) 232-3697 or email statewideservices@library.in.gov.