Selection Policy for the Master List

The West Virginia Children's Book Award Committee believes books should be more than merely entertaining, although that is an essential element. Books should add to children's knowledge and enrich their understanding of the world. Reading quality fiction is one way to increase their awareness and appreciation of varied cultures and social patterns, and to experience adventures and activities that are perhaps not possible in their own lives or in real life.

Books are selected based on literary excellence and appropriateness of content. Literary excellence is determined by critical acclaim in recognized reviews of children's books and by the experienced judgment of the committee. Appropriateness of content, also determined by critical judgment, refers to a book's suitability for the emotional maturity and experience of readers in the designated age levels.

Our volunteer committee is a group of approximately thirty teachers, media specialists, parents and other educators. Every fall we are assigned three books from the preliminary list of 120 to 150 titles to read in order to eliminate any books that obviously do not meet our judging criteria. This round usually eliminates twenty or so of the list. We are then paired and required to read and review ten titles. We also read as many more of the list as we can.

In January, we meet on a Saturday and discuss our choices. We try to balance the list for age interest, reading level, cultural setting, story type etcetera, always keeping in mind that it must first be a well written book. Once the final list of 20 to 25 titles is chosen, we write annotations, notify book suppliers and ask all the schools in the state to once again join us in encouraging West Virginia's children to read quality fiction.