At the beginning of October, students choose their own Class Book Award categories.  Every other month, students suggest new categories, and the class votes on the 5 categories in which they will nominate books. 

After determining the 5 book award categories, students begin nominating books that they are reading in each award category.  Students try to read many of the books that are nominated by their classmates during the month so that they will be more prepared to vote.

Students nominate their favorite book in the different categories.

All books that are nominated will be on the ballot for the final vote.

Download Generic Nomination Form: (PDF) (Word)

At the end of the month, all nominated books are added to the Class Book Award ballot, and students vote for their favorite book in each category.  The book (or series) that gets the most votes in each category receives a Class Book Award and is framed for the month on the book award Bulletin Board.

Download Sample Ballot (PDF)

Download Sample Ballot (MS Word)

Student presenters introduce the category and reread the list of nominees to the audience (members of the class).

One of the presenters opens the Captain's Choice Award envelope and reveals the winning book in the category to the class.

The audience waits to hear the winning books revealed.  It is exciting for students to find out if the books that they voted for win the prestigious award.

And the winner is.............

Funniest Realistic Fiction Story

Best Lesson Learned

Favorite Animal Character

Best Mixed Up Fairy Tale

Most Wanted Book

All winning book covers (color copies) are placed inside frames and added to the Newibery bulletin board display with a blue ribbon that indicates the category in which each book was awarded.

Download Blue Ribbon Template (PDF)

Download Blue Ribbon Template (Print Shop File)*

(You must have WinZip to unzip the Print Shop file)

*Note: You must have Print Shop installed on your computer to open the Print Shop files once you have unzipped them.

Once a book has received a Newibery Award, it is forever branded with a Newibery seal to indicate to current (and future) students that the book is has been selected by the 2005-2006 students of Room 13 as a great read!

Download Award Seals (MS Word Document)*

*Award seals should be printed on 2x4 labels.  You can even purchase removable labels if the books do not belong to you or if you want to take the seals off at the end of the year.  You can click inside the text to create your own titles once you open the document.