Simon on thirteen state lists — and counting

Written By Erin Bow

I’ve been overwhelmed an overjoyed by a flurry of state-level nominations for Simon Sort of Says. I’ve called out California and Texas already, but here’s everything as a nice list. My family printed a blank map, hung it on the fridge, and is happily colouring it in.

  • included on Texas Lone Star List

  • selected as a “top pick” by the Kansas National Education Association’s Reading Circle Commission.

  • nominated for California Young Readers Medal, a readers’ choice award

  • nominated for Virginia State Literary Association middle school readers’ choice award

  • nominated for Oklahoma’s Sequoyah Medal intermediate readers’ choice award

  • nominated for the Great Lakes Great Books readers’ choice award

  • nominated for the Kentucky’s Bluegrass Award, a readers choice award

  • nominated for the Vermont Golden Dome Award, a readers’ choice award

  • nominated for the Rhode Island Middle School Book Award — the RIMSBA — a readers’ choice award

  • nominated for the Maine Student Book Award, a readers’ choice award

  • nominated for Maryland’s Black-eyed Susan Book Award, a readers’ choice award

  • nominated for New Jersey’s Garden State Teen Book Award, a readers’ choice award

  • selected as one of two honor books at Alabama’s Yellowhammer Award

These readers’ choice awards — where kids read the nominated books and pick their own favorite — are particularly dear to my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I love the love from librarians, and thank the librarians who made these lists. But middle grade books should be for middle grade readers. I love it when kids get to pick their own award winners.

Erin Bow
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