NCompass Live - Sept. 16, 2020 http://nlc.nebraska.gov/NCompassLive/ Thousands of Nebraska's children and teens participate in the Golden Sower Award program each year by voting to choose the winners and honor books. The 2020 Golden Sower Award winners and the lists of Nominees for the 2021-2022 school year have been announced. Join Golden Sower Award Committee Chair, Kathy Schultz, and NLC Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Sally Snyder, to learn about the history and the process of the Golden Sower Award, including how librarians and teachers can be involved with sending in book suggestions and voting to determine the final lists of ten titles for each level.

1. Golden Sower Award
Nebraska’s Children’s Choice
Literary Award

2. History of the Award
• Initiated by Karla Hawkins Wendelin and Dee Storey at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Currently sponsored by the School, Children’s & Young
People’s Section (SCYP) of the Nebraska Library Association
• The Sower, the bronze statue atop the capitol
building in Lincoln, was chosen as the symbol
of the award

3. Goal of the Award
• stimulate children's thinking
• introduce different types of literature
• encourage independent reading
• increase library skills
• foster an appreciation for excellence in writing and illustrating

4. Three children's choice awards
presented annually:
• Picture Books: titles appropriate for
grades Kindergarten through 2
• Chapter Books: titles appropriate for
grades 3 through 5
• Golden Sower Novels: titles appropriate
for grades 6 through 8 (and older)

5. • 1981 - First award presented to
Deborah and James Howe for
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
• Only one category, Intermediate
(Now called Chapter Book)
• 4,185 voters

6. •1983 – First Primary award
(Now called Picture Book)
•Author Judy Barrett and illustrator Ron
Barrett for Cloudy With a Chance of
Meatballs
•With the addition of the Primary
category, votes grew to 18,238

7. •1993 – First Young Adult award
(Now called Golden Sower Novels)
•Joan Lowery Nixon for
Whispers From the Dead
•With three categories, vote totals
reached 59,688

8. How do I participate?
•All schools and libraries in Nebraska
may submit votes
•No fees or registration are required
•Provide copies of the nominees for
students to read

9. •Students must read/hear read at least
4 of the current nominees from one
list to vote
•Students may vote in more than one
category if they do the required
reading

10. •Collect and submit students’ votes
online by April 15th
•Winners are announced May 1st
•Winning authors and illustrators are
invited to attend the NLA/NSLA fall
conference to receive their awards

11. Golden Sower Award Winners
for 2020
Picture Book Winner
Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin,
illustrated by Brian Selznick
Chapter Book Winner
The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris, illustrated by Lissy
Marlin & Kyle Hilton
Golden Sower Novel Winner
Restart by Gordon Korman

12. Thankyou note…
July 4, 2020
Hello to the children of Nebraska! Baby Monkey is napping right now so
we wanted to accept the Golden Sower Award on his behalf. The three
of us are deeply honored that you have selected Baby Monkey, Private
Eye for the 2020 Golden Sower Award. HOORAY for the young readers
of Nebraska! HOORAY for the Golden Sower Award! HOORAY for Baby
Monkey!
From your friends,
Brian Selznick, illustrator
David Serlin, author
Baby Monkey, Private Eye

13. BabyMonkey,PrivateEye
DavidSerlin

14. BabyMonkey,PrivateEye
BrianSelznick

15. BabyMonkey,PrivateEye

16. How do titles become
Golden Sower Award nominees?
• Teachers, librarians, students and parents
from across Nebraska may submit titles that
they feel should be considered for the
nominee lists.
• Lists of suggested titles are provided to a
selection committee of volunteer readers
across the state.
• Volunteers read as many of the titles as
possible and vote for the 10 in each category
they feel are the best.

17. Nomination Information
• Nominees must meet the criteria outlined.
• The person nominating the title must have read the
book.
• Each person may only nominate 5 titles per list per year.
• Elementary students may nominate titles for the Picture
Book list and for the Chapter Book list.
• Middle school or junior high students may nominate
titles for the Golden Sower Novel list.
• Nominations submitted by students should be submitted
through their teacher, media specialist, librarian, or
parent to assure the book meets the Golden Sower
Award criteria requirements.

18. Criteria for Nomination
• Nominated titles should exhibit literary and/or
artistic merit.
• Eligible titles must have been published within
the last two years.
• Nominated titles should reflect an equitable
consideration for a culturally diverse society.
• The content must be age appropriate for readers
of the category the title is nominated for.

19. Criteria for Nomination (cont’d)
• Non-fiction titles that are nominated should
exhibit narrative and/or artistic quality (suitable
for reading aloud).
• Only the first title in a series may be nominated.
• The story line must be self-contained without a
cliffhanger ending.
• Titles must be in print at the time of nomination.
• Newbery or Caldecott Award winners are not
eligible for nomination; however, Honor Books
may be nominated.

20. Criteria for Nomination (cont’d)
• The authors and/or illustrators should be living
in the United States at the time of nomination.
• Only one title of any one author or illustrator will
be included on a current list.
• Authors and illustrators represented on final
Golden Sower Award lists may be repeated, but not
individual titles.
• The winning Golden Sower Award author and/or
illustrator will be excluded from competition the
following year.

21. When nominating titles,
please keep this in mind also:
• Read and select titles as if you are seeing
them through a child's eyes. Select books
based on what they will enjoy, not on
what will fit curriculum.
• The deadline to nominate titles for the
reading lists each year is April 15.

22. How can I suggest a title and/or
become a volunteer reader?
Picture Book and/or Chapter Books lists:
Shawna Lindner
slindner@kearneygov.org
Golden Sower Novel list:
Jill Annis jannis@epsne.org

23. Contact Information:
Kathy Schultz
Chair, Golden Sower Award Committee
schultz-2@inebraska.com

24. Golden Sower Award
Website
www.goldensower.org
• Information for adults working with the
Golden Sower Award Program
• Golden Sower Award Store
• Virtual Museum (not currently available)