Mark Twain Awards
Encyclopedia
The Mark Twain Readers Award, also known simply as the Mark Twain Award, is an award given annually to a book for children in grades four through six by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL). Students primarily in grades four through six in Missouri
schools can vote for their favorite book from an annual list of nominees. The 1970 Newbery Medal
winning book Sounder, by William H. Armstrong
, was the inaugural winner of the award in 1972.
Schools design their own ballots. Individual votes for each school (or qualified group) are tallied on a single sheet and submitted to the MASL.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
schools can vote for their favorite book from an annual list of nominees. The 1970 Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
winning book Sounder, by William H. Armstrong
William H. Armstrong
William H. Armstrong was an American children's author and educator, best known for his 1969 Newbery Medal-winning novel, Sounder....
, was the inaugural winner of the award in 1972.
Nomination guidelines
- Books should interest children in grades four through six.
- Books should be an original work written by an author living in the United States.
- Books should be of literary value which may enrich children's personal lives.
- Books should be published two years prior to nomination on a master list of twelve nominees.
Voting process
Though the list of nominated books is designated for grades four through six, any student can vote for the winner so long as they satisfy the following criteria:- Book must have been read by voter.
- Voter must have read at least four books from the list of nominees.
- Voter can only vote once.
Schools design their own ballots. Individual votes for each school (or qualified group) are tallied on a single sheet and submitted to the MASL.
Award winners
- 2010 Deep and Dark and DangerousDeep and Dark and DangerousDeep and Dark and Dangerous is a 2007 mystery horror novel written by Mary Downing Hahn. This book is about a girl named Ali O'Dwyer that tries to find out who a mysterious person is on a picture she finds, but soon finds out she is someone she has met at her summer vacation.StoryThe suspense is on...
by Mary Downing HahnMary Downing HahnMary Downing Hahn is an award-winning American author of young adult novels. Her first published book, The Sara Summer, was released in 1979, when she was forty-one years old. Since then she has written over twenty novels... - 2009 The Sea of MonstersThe Sea of MonstersThe Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series... - 2008 The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series... - 2007 Abduction! by Peg KehretPeg KehretPeg Kehret is an American writer. Her writing primarily targets younger children between the ages of 8 and 14....
- 2006 The City of EmberThe City of EmberThe City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003. Similar to Suzanne Martel's The City Under Ground published in 1963, the story is about Ember, an underground city that is slowly running out of power and supplies due to its aging infrastructure...
by Jeanne DuPrauJeanne DuPrauJeanne DuPrau is an American writer, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California.-Home life:... - 2005 Wenny Has Wings by Janet Lee CareyJanet Lee CareyJanet Lee Carey , is an award-winning American Author and College Professor. She writes fantasy fiction for children and young adults...
(made into a Japanese movie Ano sora wo Oboetaru) - 2004 Zach's Lie by Roland SmithRoland SmithRoland Smith is an American author of young adult fiction as well as nonfiction books for children.-Early life and education:...
- 2003 Because of Winn-DixieBecause of Winn-DixieBecause of Winn-Dixie is a children's novel by Kate DiCamillo published in 2000 and winner of a Newbery Honor distinction the following year. It also won the 2000 Josette Frank Award, and 2003 Mark Twain Award...
by Kate DicamilloKate DiCamilloKatrina Elizabeth "Kate" DiCamillo is an American children's author. She is known for the Newbery Medal-winning book The Tale of Despereaux, the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, and the Mercy Watson series, plus numerous other award-winning and honored books.-Early life:Born in... - 2002 Dork In Disguise by Carol GormanCarol GormanCarol Gorman is an Iowa-born writer of children's literature. She originally aspired to be an actress, and for a few years taught seventh grade at an Iowan middle school. Inspired by her husband and fellow author, Ed Gorman, Carol began writing in the mid-1980's...
- 2001 HolesHoles (novel)Holes is a Newbery Medal-winning novel by Louis Sachar. It was adapted into a screenplay for the 2003 film by Walt Disney Pictures. In 2006, Sachar published Small Steps, a companion novel featuring one of the characters from Holes.-Plot:...
by Louis SacharLouis SacharLouis Sachar is an American author of children's books who is best known for the Sideways Stories From Wayside School book series and the 1998 novel Holes, for which Sachar won a National Book Award and the Newbery Medal... - 2000 Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
- 1999 Small Steps: The Year I Got PolioSmall Steps: The Year I Got PolioSmall Steps: The Year I Got Polio is an autobiography account of author Peg Kehret's childhood experience of polio.-Plot:In 1948, twelve-year-old Peg Kehret starts to notice some twitching in her leg during her school choir class, and then she also falls. When she gets home, she and her parents...
by Peg KehretPeg KehretPeg Kehret is an American writer. Her writing primarily targets younger children between the ages of 8 and 14.... - 1998 Titanic Crossing by Barbara WilliamsBarbara WilliamsBarbara Williams is a Canadian-born American actress. Williams starred in the 1984 Paramount film Thief of Hearts and in the 1992 film Oh, What a Night....
- 1997 Time for Andrew by Mary Downing HahnMary Downing HahnMary Downing Hahn is an award-winning American author of young adult novels. Her first published book, The Sara Summer, was released in 1979, when she was forty-one years old. Since then she has written over twenty novels...
- 1996 Ghosts of Mercy Manor by Betty Ren WrightBetty Ren WrightBetty Ren Wright is an author of children's fiction including Christina's Ghost, The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.- Background :...
- 1995 The Man Who Loved ClownsThe Man Who Loved ClownsThe Man Who Loved Clowns is a book by June Rae Wood about a girl named Delrita who wants to be "invisible" at her new school. She lives with her parents and uncle, who has Down syndrome. The story is based on Wood's real life story of life with her uncle Richard, who himself had Down's Syndrome...
by June Rae WoodJune Rae WoodJune Rae Wood is an American author. One of her books, The Man Who Loved Clowns, won the Mark Twain Award and William Allen White Award in 1995.- Early life :... - 1994 ShilohShiloh (book)Shiloh is a Newbery Medal-winning children's novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor published in 1991. The 65th book by Naylor, it is the first in a trilogy about a young boy and the title character, an abused dog...
by Phyllis Naylor - 1993 Maniac MageeManiac MageeManiac Magee is a young adult fiction novel written by American author Jerry Spinelli and published in 1990. Exploring themes of racism and homelessness, it follows the story of an orphaned boy looking for a home in the fictional Pennsylvania town of Two Mills...
by Jerry SpinelliJerry SpinelliJerry Spinelli is an author of children's novels on adolescence and early adulthood. He is best known for the novels Maniac Magee and Wringer.... - 1992 The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost StoryThe Doll in the Garden: A Ghost StoryThe Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story is a children's novel by Mary Downing Hahn. It was first published in 1989.-Plot summary:In The Doll in the Garden, Ashley and her widowed mother rent a house once owned by mean Ms. Cooper. While looking in Ms. Cooper's dead rose garden with her neighbor,...
by Mary Downing HahnMary Downing HahnMary Downing Hahn is an award-winning American author of young adult novels. Her first published book, The Sara Summer, was released in 1979, when she was forty-one years old. Since then she has written over twenty novels... - 1991 All about SamAll about SamAll about Sam is a young-adult novel by Lois Lowry. It is part of a series of books that Lowry wrote about Anastasia and her younger brother Sam.-Plot summary:Sam is a mischievous little boy, but mostly curious...
by Lois LowryLois LowryLois Lowry is an American author of children's literature. She began her career as a photographer and a freelance journalist during the early 1970s... - 1990 There's a Boy in the Girls' BathroomThere's a Boy in the Girls' BathroomThere's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom is a novel from the author Louis Sachar. It was published by Yearling Books in 1987.The book centers around Bradley Chalkers, a troubled fifth grade boy who has serious behavior problems as he often lies and bullies classmates, as well as performing poorly in...
by Louis SacharLouis SacharLouis Sachar is an American author of children's books who is best known for the Sideways Stories From Wayside School book series and the 1998 novel Holes, for which Sachar won a National Book Award and the Newbery Medal... - 1989 Sixth-Grade Sleepover by Eve BuntingEve BuntingAnne Evelyn Bunting , better known as Eve Bunting, is an Irish author who has written more than 250 books. Her work covers a broad array of subjects and includes fiction and non-fiction books. Her novels are primarily aimed at children and young adults, but her works also include picture books...
- 1988 Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous JobBaby-Sitting Is a Dangerous JobBaby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job is a children's suspense novel by American author Willo Davis Roberts. It was first published in 1985.- Plot summary :...
by Willo Davis RobertsWillo Davis RobertsWillo Davis Roberts was an American writer chiefly known for her mystery and suspense novels for children and young adults. She won Edgar Allan Poe awards in 1989, 1995, and 1997 for best juvenile and best young adult mysteries... - 1987 The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel SmithRobert Kimmel SmithRobert Kimmel Smith is an award-winning American children's author.Between 1957 and 1965, he was a copywriter at an ad agency, and was a partner and creative director at Smith and Toback from 1967 to 1970. In 1970 he became a full-time writer; his first children's book, Chocolate Fever, was...
- 1986 The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren WrightBetty Ren WrightBetty Ren Wright is an author of children's fiction including Christina's Ghost, The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.- Background :...
- 1985 A Bundle of Sticks by Pat Rhoads Mauser
- 1984 The Secret Life of the Underwear Champ by Betty MilesBetty MilesBetty Miles was an American B-movie film actress of the late 1930s and well into the 1940s. Her father, George Henry T...
- 1983 The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis RobertsWillo Davis RobertsWillo Davis Roberts was an American writer chiefly known for her mystery and suspense novels for children and young adults. She won Edgar Allan Poe awards in 1989, 1995, and 1997 for best juvenile and best young adult mysteries...
- 1982 The Boy Who Saw Bigfoot by Marian Place
- 1981 Soup for President by Robert Newton PeckRobert Newton PeckRobert Newton Peck is an American author who writes young adult novels. His works include Soup and A Day No Pigs Would Die. He claims his birth date as February 17, 1928, but refused to specify where. Similarly, he states he graduated from a high school in Texas, yet again refuses to identify the...
- 1980 Pinballs by Betsy ByarsBetsy ByarsBetsy Cromer Byars is an American author of children's books. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal...
- 1979 Champion of Merrimack County by Roger Drury
- 1978 Ramona the BraveRamona the BraveRamona the Brave is a juvenile novel written by Beverly Cleary and illustrated by Alan Tiegreen. The book was first published in 1975, seven years after Ramona the Pest, the previous installment of the Ramona series.-Plot summary:...
by Beverly ClearyBeverly ClearyBeverly Cleary is an American author. Educated at colleges in California and Washington, she worked as a librarian before writing children's books. Cleary has written more than 30 books for young adults and children. Some of her best-known characters are Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Beatrice Quimby, her... - 1977 The Ghost of Saturday Night by Sid FleischmanSid FleischmanAlbert Sidney Fleischman , pen name Sid Fleischman, was a Newbery Medal-winning author of children's books, screenplays, novels for adults, and books on magic. His works for children are known for their humor, imagery, zesty plotting, and exploration of the byways of American history...
- 1976 The Home Run Trick by Scott CorbettScott CorbettW. Scott Corbett was an American novelist and educator. He wrote a total of 89 books; he began with five adult novels, then began writing books for children, eventually writing sixty-nine such books. His best known book is The Lemonade Trick, a novel for children...
- 1975 How to Eat Fried WormsHow to Eat Fried WormsHow to Eat Fried Worms is the title of a children's book written by Thomas Rockwell, first published in 1973. It was later turned into a CBS Storybreak episode in the mid-1980s, and a movie of the same name in 2006...
by Thomas RockwellThomas RockwellThomas Rhodes Rockwell is the author of a number of books for young readers. He was the recipient of the Mark Twain Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Sequoyah Book Award for How to Eat Fried Worms, which was made into a TV movie in 1985 and was filmed as a theatrical release in 2006... - 1974 It's a Mile from Here to Glory by Robert C. LeeRobert C. LeeRobert Corwin Lee was Vice President of the Moore-McCormack Lines shipping company, and an officer of the US Navy achieving the rank of Rear Admiral in the US Naval Reserve.-Family:...
- 1973 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMHMrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMHMrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a 1971 children's book by Robert C. O'Brien. Illustrated by Zena Bernstein, it won the 1972 Newbery Medal. A film adaptation, The Secret of NIMH, was released in 1982....
by Robert C. O'BrienRobert C. O'BrienRobert Leslie Conly was an American author and journalist for National Geographic Magazine.-Early life:... - 1972 Sounder by William H. ArmstrongWilliam H. ArmstrongWilliam H. Armstrong was an American children's author and educator, best known for his 1969 Newbery Medal-winning novel, Sounder....
See also
- 1971–1972 Mark Twain Awards for nominees
- 1972–1973 Mark Twain Awards for nominees