Contact us!
Gateway Reading Council
  • Home
  • Awards
    • California Young Reader Medal (CYRM)
    • Celebrate Literacy
    • Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards
    • Nancy Rogers-Zegarra New Teacher Scholarhip
  • Calendar of Events
  • Gallery and Archive
  • Gateway Gazette
  • Membership
  • Projects
    • Gateway Young Writers' Awards and Tea
    • LIFE Literacy Night
  • Resources
    • Distance Learning
    • Students & Kids
  • Home
  • Awards
    • California Young Reader Medal (CYRM)
    • Celebrate Literacy
    • Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Awards
    • Nancy Rogers-Zegarra New Teacher Scholarhip
  • Calendar of Events
  • Gallery and Archive
  • Gateway Gazette
  • Membership
  • Projects
    • Gateway Young Writers' Awards and Tea
    • LIFE Literacy Night
  • Resources
    • Distance Learning
    • Students & Kids

California Young Reader Medal (CYRM) Nominees

Don’t let your students miss out…GET STARTED Reading and Sharing!         
​We have TIME!  Vote by April 1st 2021!

  Since the inception of CYRM in 1974 by then President, Becca Wachman, millions of California children in grades k-12, have nominated, read, and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader Medal. 

Students throughout California vote for their favorite book in five different categories. The categories are: primary (grades K-3), intermediate (grades 3-6), middle school/junior high (grades 6-8), young adult (grades 9-12), and picture books for older readers (grades 4 and up).​

Students must read or have read to them each of the 3 or 5 books in the category in order to vote. Schools may participate in one or more of the categories.  Many school use the CYRM books as an opportunity to teach students about the right to vote.

Every Vote counts…and must be submitted for the class by a teacher or librarian and received by April 1.  Winners are announced May 1st on our website.  Winning authors are invited to our state conferences, where in non-Covid years, students present the winning author (and illustrators) with the beautiful bronze medal.  Books are available in public libraries, online vendors, and through local independent vendors, like Russo’s, www.russosbooks.com in Bakersfield.  Smile Amazon donates to CRA for its literacy projects.
​
Additional Details about our committee, including how to recommend books and when to vote, additional resources and the official ballot can be found on our website, www.californiayoungreadermedal.org. 

2021-2022 Nominees
Vote HERE!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

2021 Winners!

Picture
Sergeant Reckless
Written by Patricia McCormick
Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
Published by Balzer and Bray, 2017
Picture
All We Have Left
Written by Wendy Mills
Published by Bloomsbury, 2017
Picture
Lily and Dunkin
Written by Donna Gephart
Published by Delacorte Press, 2016
Picture
Restart
Written by Gordon Korman
Published by Scholastic
Picture
Poor Louie
Written by Tony Fucile
​Published by Candlewock Press, 2017

2020 Winners!

Picture
Scythe
Written by Neal Shusterman
Published by Sim & Schuster, 2016
Picture
Refugee
Written by Alan Gratz
​Published by Scholastic, 2017
Picture
The War I Finally Won
Written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Published by Penguin Random House, 2017
Picture
Her Right Foot
Written by Dave Eggers
Illustrated by Shawn Harris
Published by Chronicle Books, 2017
Picture
Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors
Written by Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Adam Rex
Published by Harper Collins, 2018

2019 Winners!

Picture
The Bear and the Piano
​
Written by David Litchfield
Published by Frances Lincoln, 2016
Picture
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
​
Written by Laura Ann Thompson
Illustrated by Sean Qualls

Published by Schwartz & Wade
Picture
The War That Saved My Life
​
Written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Published by Puffin Books
Picture
Echo
​
Written by Pam Munoz Ryan
Published by Scholastic Press
Picture
Written In The Stars
​
Written by Aisha Saeed
Published by Speal

2018 Winners!

Picture
The Book With No Pictures
​
Written by B.J. Novak
Published by Penguin Random House, 2014
Picture
Barbed Wire Baseball
​
Written by Marissa Moss
Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2016
Picture
Pax
​
Written by Sara Pennypacker
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published by HarperCollins, 2016
Picture
A Night Divided
​
Written by Jennifer Nielsen
Published by Scholastic, 2016
Picture
Salt to the Sea
​Written by Ruta Sepetys
Published by Penguin Random House, 2016

2017 Winners!

SAM & DAVE DIG A HOLE Written by Mac Barnett  Illustrated by Jon Klassen  Published by Candlewick Press, 2014
SAM & DAVE DIG A HOLE 
Written by Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published by Candlewick Press, 2014
ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY ​Written by Chris Grabenstein Published by Random House Books for Young Readers, 2013
ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY
​
Written by Chris Grabenstein
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers, 2013
KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES Written by Shannon Messenger  Published by Aladdin Books, 2012
KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES
​
Written by Shannon Messenger
Published by Aladdin Books, 2012
RED QUEEN Written by Victoria Aveyard  Published by HarperCollins, 2015
RED QUEEN
​
Written by Victoria Aveyard
Published by HarperCollins, 2015
EACH KINDNESS Written by Jacqueline Woodson  Illustrated by E. B. Lewis  Published by Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012
EACH KINDNESS
​
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012

California Young Reader Medal

Picture
The California Young Reader Medal program was founded by CRA in 1974. A committee of members from CRA, CSLA, CATE and CLA select the books for each year based on nominations from the field. The CYRM committee is proud to announce the NOMINEES for the 2016-2017 California Young Reader Medals.  View the full list at on the California Young Reader Medal website.

Each year, current books are recognized for their meritorious contribution to literature for young people.
The California Young Reader Medal is proud to announce the NOMINEES for the 2016-2017 California Young Reader Medals:

Children, young adults, educators, librarians, parents, or anyone who works with young people and books may recommend titles. This recommendation process may take place in the classroom or may reflect work with children and young adults in a library. California Young Reader Medal recommended titles must reflect what young people like to read.

Each book must be nominated for a particular age category.
Criteria for Nomination:
  • Must have strong appeal for the age group for which the recommendation is made.
  • Often read or requested by children and young adults.
  • Published within the previous four years and still in print.
  • Written by an author who is still living.
For a list of winners and nominations, the nomination form, and more details, go to www.californiayoungreadermedal.org.

After the nominees are selected, teachers and students can read all the books in each category and vote on their favorite title. The ballots are sent to the committee and then counted by the committee. The winners are announced in May. Check out the CYRM website for ballot and voting information. The CYRM website also has many resources such as reader’s theater scripts and lesson ideas for each CYRM winner.

We'd love to hear from you!

gatewayreadingcouncil@gmail.com
The header image is used under Creative Commons from www.tOrange.us