William Allen White Award What is the WAW Book Award? Who was William Allen White? How does it work? Who selects the books? Who votes? Then what happens? History of the Award Book List

What is the WAW Book Award? It is a Children’s Book Award for the state of Kansas. This award is directed by Emporia State University. Source:

Who was William Allen White? He was the editor of the Emporia Gazette newspaper in Emporia, Kansas. In 1896, he became well known because of an editorial he wrote in that newspaper about a political issue of the time. He was NOT the author of these books. Source:

How does it work? Each year books are selected for 2 groups: 3 rd – 5 th grades & 6 th –8 th grades. There is one winner for each group. Students across the state are encouraged to read as many books as possible from the list.

Who selects the books? There is a selection committee who represents Kansas educational and professional organizations concerned with children. They create a master list of titles. Books can be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry and were published during the previous year. Anyone can nominate a book and submit it to the committee.

Who can vote? Students who have read at least two books from the Master List for their grade level are eligible to vote for their favorite. Ballots are sent to all Kansas schools in February or March. Schools turn their voting results in to Emporia State University in April.

Then what happens? The authors of the winning books are invited to a reception in the fall where they’ll receive a bronze “White Award Medal” at an awards ceremony. Students and teachers are encouraged to attend the award ceremony to meet the authors and listen to their acceptance speeches. This year’s celebration will be October 1, 2016, in Emporia, Kansas.

History of the Award The book award was began in 1952 by the late Ruth Garver Gagliardo, to honor the memory of William Allen White. It was established to encourage the boys and girls of Kansas to read and enjoy good books.

6th – 7th Grades 2016 – 2017 Book List

The Crossover Kwame Alexander Reprinted by permission of publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Copyright 2014

The Night Gardener Jonathan Auxier Reprinted by permission of publisher, Abrams. Copyright 2014

Under the Egg Laura Marx Fitzgerald Reprinted by permission of publisher, Dial/Penguin. Copyright 2014

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia Candace Fleming Reprinted by permission of publisher, Random House. Copyright 2014

Courage for Beginners Karen Harrington Reprinted by permission of publisher, Little Brown Books for Young Readers. Copyright 2014

The Fourteenth Goldfish Jennifer Holm Reprinted by permission of publisher, Random House Children’s Books. Copyright 2014

The Time of the Fireflies Kimberley Griffiths Little Reprinted by permission of publisher, Scholastic. Copyright 2014

Greenglass House Kate Milford Reprinted by permission of publisher, Clarion Books. Copyright 2014

The Boundless Kenneth Oppel Reprinted by permission of publisher, Simon & Schuster. Copyright 2014

The Meaning of Maggie Megan Jean Sovern Reprinted by permission of publisher, Chronicle Books. Copyright 2014

Loot : How to Steal a Fortune Jude Watson Reprinted by permission of publisher, Scholastic. Copyright 2014

A Million Ways Home Dianna Dorisi Reprinted by permission of publisher, Scholastic. Copyright 2014

LAST YEAR’S WINNER LAST YEAR’S WINNER Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Chris Grabenstein Reprinted by permission of publisher, Random House Children’s Books. Copyright 2013 Kyle Keeley is the class clown and a huge fan of all games—board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the construction of the new town library. Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot as one of twelve kids invited for an overnight sleepover in the library, hosted by Mr. Lemoncello and riddled with lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

LAST YEAR’S WINNER LAST YEAR’S WINNER Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Chris Grabenstein Reprinted by permission of publisher, Random House Children’s Books. Copyright 2013