Summer Reading: Georgia Book Awards

I am thinking of starting a book club this Summer. My friend and I have been talking about this ever since we met. We are so busy that we have never gotten around to it.


I have a stronger motivation this Summer, so maybe I'll do it. I have a goal. I plan to read 25 chapter books and 23 picture books before school starts, this August. It's a tall order but I will have help, you see. I have four daughters and hopefully some of their interested friends, who might join me in my quest. Then, if I don't quite get to all of them, at least I'll have a reliable review source. So, admittedly, it will be a group effort. I suppose we will meet at our neighborhood swimming pool, maybe weekly, through out the Summer. If anyone gets bored with the discussion or tired of reading, they can just go play in the water. It is a good plan.


The books I intend to read are from a list compiled at the University of Georgia, in connection with a program called The Georgia Children's Book Awards. This program was established in 1968 by Professor Sheldon Root, to foster a love of reading in Georgia's children and introduce them to good books. Books are nominated throughout Georgia by media specialists and teachers. From these nominations, a committee selects a final list. During the school year teachers and media specialist are encouraged to introduce these books to students. The students who read or listen to the majority of nominees are allowed to vote on their favorite. Some past winners have been The Lightning Thief, by Riordan and Flush, by Hiassen, in the middle school category, and Sweet Tooth, by Palatini and Superdog, by Buehner. While these are good books, even great books, they were not my first choice, but then, I am not eligible to vote, since I am not in elementary or middle school.


The nominees for the 2010-2011 school year have been announced. You can find this list and more about the Georgia Book Award Program at the UGA website www.coe.uga.edu/gcba.

Some years ago, a librarian or media specialist, (I'm not sure which), named Helen Ruffin started a reading Bowl in the Atlanta Area. It's called the Helen Ruffen Reading Bowl, now, and has grown over the years from the Atlanta area, to the greater Atlanta area to now there are four districts covering most of the state. The bowl is similar to an academic bowl with 2 teams of 4 or 5 students buzzing in to answer questions. The difference is these question for the Reading Bowl are taken from the current list of Georgia Book Award Books.


So schools all across counties in Georgia form reading bowl teams, read the GA book Award books, and begin writing questions for each other and quizzing each other. The teams that are really good, begin preparing as soon as the new list comes out. Originally, the competition was open only to middle school grades. But the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl has grown in popularity and now their is a division for 4th and 5th graders at the elementary schools. I coach the team for my daughter's elementary school. We read, we write question, we practice, we borrow the buzzers from the academic bowl coach (Last year we nearly lost the buzzer machine! YIKES!) We get ready to compete. So far we have not won at the county level, but when we do, we will go to the region , then state. Whether we win or not, we will have had a good time and experienced excellent literature. It's not always the winning that is important. It is the process of engaging children and helping them know themselves better, helping them try something and see they can do more than they expected at first, helping them grow that counts.


A Summer Reading Club - Good Books, Good Fun, Good Stories, Good Idea!