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:

After the Fall, Written and Illustrated by Dan Santat

Bob, Not Bob! Written by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick, Illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Claymates, Written by Dev Petty, Illustrated by Lauren Eldridge

Coyote Moon, Written by Maria Gianferrari, Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Creepy Pair of Underwear! Written by Aaron Reynolds, Illustrated by Peter Brown

A Different Pond, Written by Bao Phi, Illustrated by Thi Bui

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, Written by Laurie Ann Thompson, Illustrated by Sean Qualls

If You Plant a Seed, Written and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

The Infamous Ratsos, Written by Kara LaReau, Illustrated by Matt Myers

Jabari Jumps, Written and Illustrated by Gaia Cornwall

John Deere, That’s Who! Written by Tracy Nelson Maurer, Illustrated by Tim Zeltner

The Marigold Mess, Written by Jacqueline Jules, Illustrated by Kim Smith

The Night Gardener, Written and Illustrated by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, Written by Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Stay: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List, Written by Kate Klise, Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs, Tusks, and Chompers, Written by Sara Levine, Illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth

The Water Princess, Written by Susan Verde, Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

We Are Growing, Written and Illustrated by Laurie Keller

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons, Written by Julie Fogliano, Illustrated by Julie Morstad

Zoey & Sassafras: Dragons & Marshmallows, Written by Asia Citro, Illustrated by Marion Lindsay