The Monarch Award: Illinois’ K-3 Readers’ Choice Award
The Monarch Award is designed to encourage children to read critically and become familiar with children’s books, authors, and illustrators. The program is open to all K-3 age children in Illinois. More information about this award can be found on the ISLMA website.
Click on the titles below to view the primary source pairings:
Ben Franklin’s Big Splash, Written by Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
Don’t Throw It To Mo!, Written by David Adler, Illustrated by Sam Ricks
Glow: Animals With Their Own Night-Lights, Written and Illustrated by W.H. Beck
Humphrey’s Playful Puppy Problem, Written by Betty Birney, Illustrated by Priscilla Burris
I’m Trying to Love Spiders, Written and Illustrated by Bethany Barton
Last Stop on Market Street, Written by Matt de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Lion Lessons, Written and Illustrated by Jon Agee
Mango, Abuela, and Me, Written by Meg Medina, Illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Maya’s Blanket, Written by Monica Brown, Illustrated by David Diaz
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood, Written by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Moldylocks and the Three Beards, Written and Illustrated by Noah Jones
Mother Bruce, Written and Illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins
One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree, Written by Daniel Bernstrom, Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals, Written by Jess Keating, Illustrated by David DeGrand
Red: A Crayon’s Story, Written and Illustrated by Michael Hall
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, Written by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Take Away the A, Written by Michael Escoffier, Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
Thunder Boy Jr., Written by Sherman Alexie, Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Trombone Shorty, Written by Troy Andrews and Bill Taylor, Illustrated by Bryan Collier
William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game, Written by Nancy Churnin, Illustrated by Jez Tuya