Monarch Award (Grades K-3)
Welcome to the 2023-24 Monarch Award page! This year's award nominees are listed below. Search the SOAR catalog to see if a title is available in the Clinton library or as an eBook from the virtual library (these titles can be read on any device and are marked as eResource in the SOAR results).
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang
Avocado Asks: What Am I? by Momoko Abe
Capybara is Friends with Everyone by Maddie Frost
Chez Bob by Bob Shea
Ducks Run Amok! by J.E. Morris
How to Find a Fox by Kate Gardner
Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival
Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin
Ogilvy by Deborah Underwood
Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo
Pizza: A Slice of History by Greg Pizzoli
Set Your Alarm, Sloth: More Advice for Troubled Animals from Dr. Glider by Jess Keating
Ship in a Bottle by Andrew Prahin
Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler
Stormy: A Story About Finding a Forever Home by Guojing Guojing
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o
Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
There's a Skeleton Inside You! by Idan Ben-Barak
This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin
Ms. Mernick is reading at least four titles with all Kindergarten, 1st-, and 2nd-grade classes so all students in those grades will be eligible to vote. Third graders who want to participate in the Monarch voting should tell Ms. Mernick which titles they are reading so they can answer a question and be added to the tracking sheet.
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang
Avocado Asks: What Am I? by Momoko Abe
Capybara is Friends with Everyone by Maddie Frost
Chez Bob by Bob Shea
Ducks Run Amok! by J.E. Morris
How to Find a Fox by Kate Gardner
Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival
Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin
Ogilvy by Deborah Underwood
Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo
Pizza: A Slice of History by Greg Pizzoli
Set Your Alarm, Sloth: More Advice for Troubled Animals from Dr. Glider by Jess Keating
Ship in a Bottle by Andrew Prahin
Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler
Stormy: A Story About Finding a Forever Home by Guojing Guojing
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o
Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
There's a Skeleton Inside You! by Idan Ben-Barak
This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin
Ms. Mernick is reading at least four titles with all Kindergarten, 1st-, and 2nd-grade classes so all students in those grades will be eligible to vote. Third graders who want to participate in the Monarch voting should tell Ms. Mernick which titles they are reading so they can answer a question and be added to the tracking sheet.
Past Monarch Award Results (Grades K-3)
2023 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Are You A Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo
2. Friday Night Wrestlefest by J.F. Fox
3. Lift by Minh Lê
Illinois state voting:
1. Are You A Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo
2. Friday Night Wrestlefest by J.F. Fox
3. What About Worms?! by Ryan T. Higgins
2022 Results
Clinton voting:
1. The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
2. Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller
3. This Way Charlie by Caron Levis
Illinois state voting:
1. Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller
2. The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
3. SumoKitty by David Biedrzycki
2021 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
2. Douglas, You're a Genius by Ged Adamson
3. The Good Egg by Jory John
Illinois state voting:
1. Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
2. The Good Egg by Jory John
3. Douglas, You're a Genius by Ged Adamson
2020 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben-Barak
2. A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
3. Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
Illinois state voting:
1. Baby Monkey Private Eye by Brian Selznick
2. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
3. Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben-Barak
2019 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown
2. Bob, Not Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick
3. We Are Growing by Laurie Keller
Illinois state voting:
1. Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown
2. Claymates by Dev Patel and Lauren Eldridge
3. Bob, Not Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick
2018 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
2. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett
3. Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by Isabel F. Campoy & Theresa Howell
4. I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
Illinois state voting:
1. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett
2. Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
3. Moldy Locks and the Three Beards by Noah Jones
4. I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
2017 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman
2. Gaston by Kelly PiPuccio
3. This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne (tie)
3. Waiting is Not Easy by Mo Willems (tie)
Illinois state voting:
1. Gaston by Kelly PiPuccio
2. This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne
3. Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
2016 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Breaking News: Bear Alert by David Biedrzycki
2. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
3. The Girl Who Heard Colors by Marie Harris
Illinois state voting:
1. Breaking News: Bear Alert by David Biedrzycki
2. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
3. Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader
2015 Results
Clinton voting:
1. If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
2. That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
3. Frog & Fly: Six Slurpy Stories by Jeff Mack
Illinois state voting:
1. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
2. If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
3. Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds
Thanks to everyone at Clinton who takes part in the Readers' Choice Awards!
Clinton voting:
1. Are You A Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo
2. Friday Night Wrestlefest by J.F. Fox
3. Lift by Minh Lê
Illinois state voting:
1. Are You A Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo
2. Friday Night Wrestlefest by J.F. Fox
3. What About Worms?! by Ryan T. Higgins
2022 Results
Clinton voting:
1. The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
2. Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller
3. This Way Charlie by Caron Levis
Illinois state voting:
1. Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller
2. The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
3. SumoKitty by David Biedrzycki
2021 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
2. Douglas, You're a Genius by Ged Adamson
3. The Good Egg by Jory John
Illinois state voting:
1. Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
2. The Good Egg by Jory John
3. Douglas, You're a Genius by Ged Adamson
2020 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben-Barak
2. A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
3. Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
Illinois state voting:
1. Baby Monkey Private Eye by Brian Selznick
2. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
3. Do Not Lick This Book by Idan Ben-Barak
2019 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown
2. Bob, Not Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick
3. We Are Growing by Laurie Keller
Illinois state voting:
1. Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown
2. Claymates by Dev Patel and Lauren Eldridge
3. Bob, Not Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick
2018 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
2. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett
3. Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by Isabel F. Campoy & Theresa Howell
4. I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
Illinois state voting:
1. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett
2. Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
3. Moldy Locks and the Three Beards by Noah Jones
4. I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
2017 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman
2. Gaston by Kelly PiPuccio
3. This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne (tie)
3. Waiting is Not Easy by Mo Willems (tie)
Illinois state voting:
1. Gaston by Kelly PiPuccio
2. This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne
3. Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
2016 Results
Clinton voting:
1. Breaking News: Bear Alert by David Biedrzycki
2. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
3. The Girl Who Heard Colors by Marie Harris
Illinois state voting:
1. Breaking News: Bear Alert by David Biedrzycki
2. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
3. Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader
2015 Results
Clinton voting:
1. If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
2. That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
3. Frog & Fly: Six Slurpy Stories by Jeff Mack
Illinois state voting:
1. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
2. If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
3. Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds
Thanks to everyone at Clinton who takes part in the Readers' Choice Awards!