VA READS awards two awards each year to each category, Picture Books and Middle Grade Readers.

Students, teachers and librarians are eligible to vote if they have read at least half of the books on the list.

Votes will be collected via a Google Form on this website in the spring.

In prior years, the award had two categories-

VA READS Enlighten Award :

This award is for the book from the list that represents diversity the best from the books on the list.

Award Criteria:

• Quality literature for children
• Unique or interesting way of representing diversity
• Book helps to expose readers to character(s) or author(s) of diverse backgrounds.
• Book provides mirrors, windows or sliding doors to children.
  • (Confused by the term sliding doors? "Sliding door moments are opportunities in life where the decisions we make alter our very destiny. Moments in which we turn left or right, towards change or towards more of the same. " )
• Diversity of character(s)
• Diversity of author/illustrator
• This book stands out from the list of 10 VA READS as the best example of diversity.

Note: Characters can be diverse without their diversity being the major theme of the book. Natural representation of diversity is preferred in picture books today. For example, a character uses a wheelchair for mobility but the character being in the wheelchair is not the focus of the book.

VA READS Illuminate Award :

This is awarded as the voters' favorite from the list of ten books.

Award Criteria:

• Quality literature for children
• This is the readers' overall favorite from the 10 books on the list.
• This book shines as an outstanding example of children's literature.

Winners will be notified by VA READS in May.