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Facts about the Award and a list of Winners
The California Young Reader Medal program began in 1974 (the
first award in 1975).
Four statewide organizations sponsor it:
California Association of Teachers of English (CATE)
California Library Association (CLA)
California Reading Association (CRA)
California School Library Association (CSLA)
Young people suggest the books to be nominated and vote for
the winners. Teachers and librarians introduce the books to students
and conduct related activities, but no adults vote. Students may
vote for books in any of the four age-group categories, but they
must read all of the books in a category in order to vote on them.
Nominees are voted on in March and the winner is announced in
May.
To be a nominee, a book must be:
- An original work of fiction
- Published within the last five years
- By an author who is still living
The Winners
(most recent winners listed first)
2009
- Primary, Stanley's Wild Ride by Linda Bailey
- Intermediate, Sheep by Valerie Hobbs
- Middle School, Heat by Mike Lupica
- Young Adult, Sold by Patricia McCormick
- Picture Books for Older Readers, Mystery at the Club Sandwich by
Doug Cushman
2008
- Primary, Dex: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner
- Intermediate, Each Little Bird That Sings, Deborah Wiles
- Middle School, The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
- Young Adult, Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
- Picture Books for Older Readers, Mr. Maxwell's Mouse by Frank
Asch
2007
- Primary, My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
- Intermediate, Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveler by
William Wise
- Middle School, Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
- Young Adult, Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
- Picture Books for Older Readers, Cats in Krasinski Square by
Karen Hesse
2006
- Primary, Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland
- Intermediate, The Good Dog by Avi
- Middle School, 12 Again by Sue Corbett
- Young Adult, After by Francine Prose
- Picture Books for Older Readers, Boxes for Katje by Candace
Fleming and Stacey Dressen-McQueen
2005
- Primary, Muncha, Muncha, Muncha by Candace Fleming
- Intermediate, Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
- Middle School, Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
- Young Adult, Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
- Picture Books for Older Readers, Mr. Lincoln' Way by Patricia
Polacco
2004
- Primary, A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
- Intermediate, The School Story by Andrew Clements
- Middle School, Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
- Young Adult, Ties that Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka
- Picture Books for Older Readers, And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
by Janet Stevens
2003
- Primary, I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
- Intermediate, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
- Middle School, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
- Young Adult, Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
- Picture Books for Older Readers, The Babe and I by David A. Adler
2002
- Primary, Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester
- Intermediate, The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman
- Middle School, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
- Young Adult, Bad by Jean Ferris
- Picture Books for Older Readers, Weslandia by Paul Fleischman
2001
- Primary, Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement
- Intermediate, Honus and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan
Gutman
- Middle School, Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Young Adult, Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville
2000
- Primary, Lost by Paul Brett Johnson
- Intermediate, Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Middle School/Jr. High, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson
Levine
- Young Adult, Breaking Boxes by A.M. Jenkins
1999
- Primary, Livingstone Mouse by Pam Edwards
- Intermediate, The 13th Floor : A Ghost Story by Sid
Fleischman
- Middle School/Jr. High, Under the Blood-Red Sun by
Graham Salisbury
- Young Adult, California Blue by David Klaas
1998
- Primary, Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey
- Intermediate, Junkyard Dog by Erika Tamar
- Middle School/Junior High, The Watsons Go to Birmingham,
1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Young Adult, Ironman by Chris Crutcher
1997
- Primary, Don't Fidget a Feather by Erica Silverman
- Intermediate, Jennifer Murdley's Toad by Bruce Coville
- Middle School/Junior High, Sparrow Hawk Red by Ben
Mikaelson
- Young Adult, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris
Crutcher
1996
- Primary, Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
- Intermediate, Time For Andrew: A Ghost Story by Mary
Downing Hahn
- Middle School/Jr. High, Freak the Mighty by Rodman
Philbrick
- Young Adult, Shadow of the Dragon by Sherry Garland
1995
- Primary, Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
- Intermediate, Stonewords: A Ghost Story by Pam Conrad
- Middle School/Jr. High, Rescue Josh McGuire by Ben
Mikaelson
- Young Adult, Downriver by Will Hobbs
1994
- Primary, High-Wire Henry by Mary Calhoun
- Intermediate, Scared Stiff by Willo Davis Roberts
- Middle School/Jr. High, There's a Girl in My Hammerlock
by Jerry Spinelli
- Young Adult, We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
1993
- Primary, Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
- Intermediate, Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume
- Middle School/Jr. High, Something Upstairs by Avi
- Young Adult, The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klaus
1992
- Primary, Never Spit on Your Shoes by Denys Cazet
- Intermediate, All About Sam by Lois Lowry
- Middle School/Jr. High, Sniper by Theodore Taylor
- Young Adult, A Sudden Silence by Eve Bunting
1991
- Primary, Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
- Intermediate, Harry's Mad by Dick King-Smith
- Middle School/Jr. High, December Stillness by Mary
Downing Hahn
- Young Adult, Night Kites by M.E. Kerr
1990
- Primary, Eyes of the Dragon by Margaret Leaf
- Intermediate, The War With Grandpa by Robert K. Smith
- Middle School/Jr. High, The Other Side of Dark by
Joan Lowery Nixon
- Young Adult, Izzy Willy Nilly by Cynthia Voight
1989
- Primary, What Happened to Patrick's Dinosaurs by Carol
Carrick
- Intermediate, The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth
Winthrop
- Middle School/Jr. High, The Stalker by Joan Lowery
Nixon
- Young Adult, The Face at the Edge of the World by
Eve Bunting
1988
- Primary, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
- Intermediate, Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days
by Stephen Manes
- Middle School/Jr. High, The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn
- Young Adult, Interstellar Pig by William Sleator
1987
- Primary, The Napping House by Audrey Wood
- Intermediate, The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
- Middle School/Jr. High, You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye
by Patricia Hermes
- Young Adult, Pursuit by Michael French
1986
- Primary, Space Case by Edward Marshall
- Intermediate, Nothing's Fair in the Fifth Grade by
Barthe De Clements
- Middle School/Jr. High, Girl With the Silver Eyes
by Willo Davis Roberts
- Young Adult, The Darkangel by Meredith Pierce
1985
- Primary, Herbie's Troubles by Carol Chapman
- Intermediate, The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne
Reid Banks
- Middle School/Jr. High, Taking Terri Mueller by Norma
Fox Mazer
- Young Adult, The Truth Trap by Frances Miller
1984
- Primary, Bagdad Ate It by Phyllis Green
- Intermediate, The Trouble With Tuck by Theodore Taylor
- Middle School/Jr. High, There's a Bat in Bunk Five
by Paula Danziger
- Young Adult, Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan
1983
- Primary, Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer
Mayer
- Intermediate, Superfudge by Judy Blume
- Middle School/Jr. High, Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
- Young Adult, Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan
1982
- Primary, Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard
- Intermediate,
- Middle School/Jr. High, Hail, Hail, Camp Timberwood
by Ellen Conford
- Young Adult, (Young Adult books were not included in the
voting this year)
1981
- Primary, (Primary books were not included in the voting this
year)
- Intermediate, Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
- Middle School/Jr. High, (Middle School/Jr. High books were
not included in the voting this year)
- Young Adult, A Summer to Die by Lois Lowery
1980
- Primary, Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet
- Intermediate,
- Middle School/Jr. High, The Pinballs by Betsy
Byars
- Young Adult, (Young Adult books were not included in the
voting this year)
1979
- Primary, (Primary books were not included in the voting this
year)
- Intermediate, Danny, the Champion of the World by
Roald Dahl
- Middle School/Jr. High, (there was no Middle School/Jr. High
award at this time)
- Young Adult, The Late Great Me by Sandra Scoppettone
1978
- Primary, Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth by Lucy Bat
- Intermediate,
- Middle School/Jr. High, (there was no Middle School/Jr. High
award at this time)
- Young Adult, (Young Adult books were not included in the
voting this year)
1977
- Primary, (Primary books were not included in the voting this
year)
- Intermediate, Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
- Middle School/Jr. High, (there was no Middle School/Jr. High
award at this time)
- Young Adult, Watership Down by Richard Adams
1976
- Primary, How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill
Peet
- Intermediate,
- Middle School/Jr. High, (there was no Middle School/Jr. High
award at this time)
- Young Adult, (There was no Young Adult award at this time)
1975
- Primary, (there was no Primary award at this time)
- Intermediate, How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
- Middle School/Jr. High, (there was no Middle School/Jr. High
award at this time)
- Young Adult, (There was no Young Adult award at this time)