Mark Twain Awards

:"This article addresses the children's book prize. For the comedy award, see Mark Twain Prize for American Humor."

The Mark Twain Award is an award given annually to a book for children in grades four through six by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL). Students primarily in grades four through six in Missouri schools can vote for their favorite book from an annual list of nominees. The 1970 Newberry Award winning book "Sounder", by William H. Armstrong, was the inaugural winner of the award in 1972.

Nomination guidelines

* Books should interest children in grades four through six.
* Books should be an original work written by an author living in the United States.
* Books should be of literary value which may enrich children's personal lives.
* Books should be published two years prior to nomination on a Master List of 12 Nominees.

Voting process

Though the list of nominated books is designated for grades four through six, any student can vote for the winner so long as they satisfy the following criteria:

* Book must have been read by voter.
* Voter must have read at least 4 books from the list of nominees.
* Voter can only vote once.

Schools design their own ballots. Individual votes for each school (or qualified group) are tallied on a single sheet and submitted to the MASL.

Past winners

* 2008 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
* 2007 Abduction! by Peg Kehret
* 2006 The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
* 2005 Wenny Has Wings by Janet Lee Carey
* 2004 Zach's Lie by Roland Smith
* 2003 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
* 2002 Dork In Disguise by Carol Gorman
* 2001 Holes by Louis Sachar
* 2000 Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
* 1999 by Peg Kehret
* 1998 Titanic Crossing by Barbara Williams
* 1997 Time for Andrew by Mary Hahn
* 1996 Ghosts of Mercy Manor by Betty Ren Wright
* 1995 The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood
* 1994 Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
* 1993 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
* 1992 by Mary Downing Hahn
* 1991 All about Sam by Lois Lowry
* 1990 There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar
* 1989 Sixth-Grade Sleepover by Eve Bunting
* 1988 Baby-Sitting is a Dangerous Job by Willo Davis Roberts
* 1987 The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith
* 1986 The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
* 1985 A Bundle of Sticks by Pat Rhoads Mauser
* 1984 The Secret Life of the Underwear Champ by Betty Miles
* 1983 The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
* 1982 The Boy Who Saw Bigfoot by Marian Place
* 1981 Soup for President by Robert Peck
* 1980 Pinballs by Betsy Byars
* 1979 Champion of Merrimack County by Roger Drury
* 1978 Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
* 1977 The Ghost of Saturday Night by Sid Fleischman
* 1976 The Home Run Trick by Scott Corbett
* 1975 How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
* 1974 It's a Mile from Here to Glory by Robert C. Lee
* 1973 Mrs. Frisby and the Raths of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
* 1972 Sounder by William H. Armstrong

External links

* [http://www.maslonline.org/awards/books/MarkTwain/ Missouri Association of School Librarians Mark Twain Award home page]
* [http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/fugitivepope/lists/83784 Mark Twain Award winners via OCLC Open World Cat]