What is the Rocky Mountain Book Award?
The Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA) is a readers’ choice program, which invites students to choose the best book from a shortlist. This Alberta-based program is designed to motivate and stimulate the reading interests of students in grades 4-7. Students and educators are invited to read exemplary Canadian literature, and then the students vote for their favorite book. This award program is for schools, libraries, interested groups of students or individual students. This may include children who are being home-schooled or families who wish to become involved in reading good Canadian children’s literature. Each reading group or individual must have an adult leader (teacher, librarian or parent).
How are the books on the short list chosen?
A committee of teachers, librarians, parents, and students select exemplary Canadian literature for students to read in grades 4-7. These books must have been published primarily in the last three years, usually in Canada. The author or illustrator must be a Canadian citizen or resident. The nominated titles sensitively portray a broad range of family, social, and cultural backgrounds.
How can I register for this Book Award program?
A teacher or adult leader must register students or a reading group electronically by the end of January. You can register here to join this readers’ choice program. You will receive electronic confirmation of your registration. Registration begins at the end of each August.
Can I register as an individual participant?
Yes, as long as you are registered by an adult (teacher, librarian or parent).
What is the minimum number of students to comprise a reading group?
There is no minimum number.
Does it cost anything to participate in this program?
There is no fee to join this Book Award program. The only cost will be purchasing the nominated books. Most public libraries and many schools will also have copies of these books.
Where can the nominated books be bought?
The twenty 2020 RMBA titles may be purchased from United Library Services or the University of Lethbridge Book Store, the official distributors of the Rocky Mountain Book Award nominees. The nominee titles can be purchased at a 20-30% discount at United Library Services or the University of Lethbridge Book Store. See ordering information here. They can also be purchased from your local bookstore.
Do I need to register before my students are allowed to vote?
Yes, registration for the RMBA must be received electronically by the due date listed on the registration page.
Where can I find more information about the books?
You can find the shortlist of 20 books on our homepage.
What will we receive when we register?
Registered schools and public libraries will receive a yearly poster, bookmarks and RMBA book cover stickers.
How many books do I need to read to be able to vote for my favorite book?
Students must have read, or have read aloud to them, a minimum of five books from the combined list of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. However, students are encouraged to read as many of the titles as possible.
How and when do I vote for my favorite book?
Once you have registered, students have until mid-April to read a minimum of five books. The teacher, adult leader or parent then needs to submit the student votes on the RMBA website. Voting will take place between March 9th and April 20th 2023.
When is the winner of the Book Award announced?
The Rocky Mountain Book Award winner will be announced on April 30th.
How are the free school/public library readings by the winning author decided?
The Rocky Mountain Book Award awards 3 free readings by the winning author. The winners are randomly selected from the schools and libraries that have students participating in the vote.
What does the winner of the Rocky Mountain Book Award get?
The author of the book with the most student votes will receive a medal specially designed for the Rocky Mountain Book Award.
What if I think one of the titles is not suitable for my students?
From time to time issues arise regarding the appropriateness of a title in a particular area. Our selection process is rigorous but when serving a diverse population of school-age children there are varying sensitivities. We advise each school to acquaint themselves with the titles thoroughly enough to determine whether local sensitivities may be offended. You are free to remove any title from the list and simply work with a list of 19 rather than 20 titles. We would appreciate it if you would inform us when a title has been deleted.
