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 AISLE website.

Click on the titles below to view the primary source pairings:

Be Kind, Written by Pat Zietlow Miller, Illustrated by Jen Hill

Can I Be Your Dog? Written and Illustrated by Troy Cummings

Cute as an Axolotl, Written by Jess Keating, Illustrated by David DeGrand

Douglas, You’re a Genius, Written and Illustrated by Ged Adamson ‘

Drawn Together, Written by Minh Lê, Illustrated by Dan Santat

Dreamers, Written and Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

The Good Egg, Written by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald

How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps, Written by Nicola Winstanley, Illustrated by John Martz

If Sharks Disappeared, Written and Illustrated by Lily Williams

King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats, Written by Dori Hillestad Butler, Illustrated by Nancy Meyers

Let the Children March, Written by Monica Clark-Robinson, Illustrated by Frank Morrison

My Papi Has a Motorcycle, Written by Isabel Quintero, Illustrated by Zeke Peña

A Normal Pig, Written and Illustrated by K-Fai Steele

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, Written by Anika Denise, Illustrated by Paola Escobar

The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal, Written and Illustrated by Nick Seluk

Thank You, Omu! Written and Illustrated by Oge Mora

The Undefeated, Written by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Under My Hijab, Written by Hena Khan, Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

What If… Written by Samantha Berger, Illustrated by Mike Curato

What Is Chasing Duck? Written and Illustrated by Jan Thomas