The International Reading Association celebrates the winning books selected for the 2012 Children’s Choices, Teachers’ Choices, and Young Adults’ Choices recommended reading lists.
Each year, thousands of children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the “Choices” reading lists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help young readers find books they will enjoy.
The annotated reading lists of titles and authors of Choices selections for the current year are made available in April, just before the Association’s annual convention and are available for free download.
Children’s Choices
Each year 12,500 school children from different regions of the United States read newly published children’s trade books and vote for the 100 or so books that they like best. These Children’s Choices, selected from more than 500 titles donated by publishers, can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading. This list, a project of a joint committee supported by IRA and The Children’s Book Council (CBC) since 1974, is designed for use not only by teachers, librarians, administrators, and booksellers but also by parents, grandparents, caregivers, and everyone who wishes to encourage young people to read for pleasure.
The 2012 IRA-CBC Joint Committee and review team members were Stan F. Steiner (cochair), Sherilyn J. Bennett (cochair), Pamela Farris, Michele Svihovec, Philip Tucker, and David Ward. Area team leaders were David Ward, Oregon—Area 1; Philip Tucker, Pennsylvania—Area 2; Sherilyn J. Bennett, Arkansas—Area 3; Michele Svihovec, North Dakota—Area 4; and Pamela Farris, Illinois—Area 5.
The committee is now accepting new book submissions for the 2013 Children’s Choices program through June 21, 2012.
The 2012 Children's Choices list of book titles, authors, and publishers plus summaries, book cover images, and a printable bookmark can be downloaded from our website.
For more information on the CBC and IRA, or on how to become involved in the Children’s Choices project, visit /resources/booklists/childrenschoices.aspx.
Teachers’ Choices
Since 1989, teachers, reading specialists, and librarians from different regions of the United States Books have selected about 30 books for readers ages 5 to 14 for the annual Teachers’ Choices reading list. Books are selected from new publications donated by North American publishers. At least six teachers or librarians in each region read each book; some books are read by as many as 200 people in a single region.
The 2012 Teachers’ Choices Committee and review teams included Joyce Gulley (cochair), Marjie Podzielinski (cochair), Cathy Denman, Jessica Hollon McGuire, Denise Johnson, and Cathy Voelker. Team Leaders in the field test were East—Janet Shaw and Susan Thompson-White; Great Lakes—April Wulber; Plains—Pam Ryan; Rocky Mountains—Lynne Nevrivy and Rebecca Stone (trainee); Southeast—Linda Armstrong and Joan Kindig (trainee); Southwest—Jane Dewailly; and West—Belinda Louie.
The committee is collecting new book submissions through July 20, 2012.
Visit our website to download the full 2012 Teachers' Choices list with book titles, authors, publishers, summaries, book cover images, and a printable bookmark.
For more information about Teachers' Choices or to volunteer on the committee, visit /Resources/Booklists/TeachersChoices.aspx.
Young Adults’ Choices
Young Adults’ Choices began in 1987 as an annual project of the International Reading Association. Each year approximately 4,500 students in grades 7 to 12 from different regions of the United States select 30 titles from new books donated by North American publishers.
The 2012 IRA Young Adults’ Choices Committee and review teams were Stephanie Burdic (cochair), Lisa Morris-Wilkey (cochair), Rosemarie Brock, and Aimee Rogers. Team Leaders in the field test were Area 1—Patrick Allender and Bob Helm, Oregon; Stan Steiner, Idaho (trainee); Area 2—Christine Payne, Delaware; Patricia Martin Evans, Maine (trainee); Area 3—Amy Fouse, Georgia; Area 4—Sue Debe Inhelder, Iowa; Sherryl Shannon, Nebraska (trainee); and Area 5—Kimberly Powers, Wisconsin.
The committee is accepting new book submissions for Young Adults’ Choices through July 20, 2012.
Download the full 2012 Young Adults' Choices list and the printable bookmark on our website.
For more information about Young Adults’s Choices or to volunteer on the committee, visit /Resources/Booklists/YoungAdultsChoices.aspx.