The Washington State
Student Award for
Informational Text
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Beth Bruno
Rochelle Brown
Carol Miller
Art Spencer
Thom Garrard
David Winkeljohn
Mary Davies
Charity Cree
Carol Hattemer
Carter Kemp
The Committee Members
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WA Children’s Choice Picture Book Award
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Sasquatch
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YRCA
Why Another Award?
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Insert picture of Yakima here
The Joys of Solo Highway Driving
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Non-Fiction often fits uncomfortably next to
Fiction selections on the Sasquatch List

A Non-Fiction list would ‘round out’ the fiction
selections on Sasquatch and YRCA
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Help with Collection Development
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Teacher-Librarians could use the new list to
generate excitement around reading
Informational Text in ways similar to how
they use Sasquatch, WCCPBA and YRCA
Rationale
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But whatever will we call the new award?
Drum roll… the tension mounts!
William C. Towner
“Bill”
The Washington State
Student Award for
Informational Text
The Towner Award
Bill and his daughters: Melissa,
Jennifer & Hilary
Lenore Look
Now, on to the books!
Towner Award Committee's Informational
Text Definition
 Eligibility Requirements
 Bifurcation and Why It Didn't Happen
 Voting for "Best" or Voting by Category
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Selection Process
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Annie and Helen, by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Raul Colón.
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The beetle book by Steve Jenkins
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Bird talk: what birds are saying and why by Lita Judge
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The worst of friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the true story of an American feud by
Suzanne Tripp Jurmain, illustrated by Larry Day
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Go out and play! : favorite outdoor games from Kaboom
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The boy who harnessed the wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer , pictures by Elizabeth
Zunon
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Earth-friendly buildings, bridges and more : the eco-journal of Corry LaPont by Etta Kaner,
illustrated by Stephen MacEachern
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The great molasses flood: Boston, 1919 by Deborah Kops
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World’s greatest lion by Ralph Helfer, illustrated by Ted Lewin
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Presidential pets: the wierd, wacky, little, big, scary, strange animals that have lived in the White
House by Julia Moberg, illustrated by Jeff Albrecht Studios
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Life in the ocean: the story of oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola
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Helen's big world: the life of Helen Keller written by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
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The camping trip that changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Parks by
Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
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Wumbers: it's words cre8ed with numbers! wri10 by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustr8ed by Tom
A Rock is Lively
by Dianna Hutts Aston
Ocean Sunlight
by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm
Snakes by Nic Bishop
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1. Reading the captions throughout the
book for the 5 Ws
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After reading the caption on page 7,
students will find information to answer
the question “Why do people often
confuse blind snakes with worms?”
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2. After reading page 32, guide students
as they give a step-by-step description of
how snakes swallow and digest prey and
answer in writing, “Why can’t a human
swallow whole prey larger than its head?”
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3. Students review ways that snakes
protect themselves from predators after
reading the entire book. Students then
write using textual evidence for or against
the statement “Snakes seek humans to
make them afraid and to hurt them.”
A Black Hole is Not a Hole by
Carolyn DeCristofano
Giant Squid by Mary M. Cerullo
Island by Jason Chin
Castle: How it Works
by David Macaulay
Eight Days Gone
by Linda Mcreynolds
What We Wear
by Maya Ajmera
The Case of the Vanishing Golden
Frogs by Sandra Markle
http://www.wlma.org/towner
Our Web Address
Towner Award Web Page
Curriculum Support
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wlma.org/towner
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http://towneraward.wikispaces.com
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Thanks to Jennifer Maydole at Mackin for
the terrific posters!
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Like to join us?
Contact Us