The Nutmeg Book Award (NBA) encourages children in grades 4-8 to read quality literature and to choose their favorite from a list of ten nominated titles. The NBA is jointly sponsored by the Connecticut Library Association (CLA) and the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL). The Nutmeg Committee is comprised of members of these two entities. What criteria are used to select the nominees?
All books nominated for the award must be: works of fiction, with appeal for readers in grades 4-6 or 7-8; copyrighted in the United States and first published no more than five years from date of selection; currently in print, and available in paperback; well-written, with strong characterization, vivid setting, striking language, a well-constructed plot, and a plausible conclusion.
When will the next list of Nutmeg Book Award nominees be announced?
Each year, the new list of Nutmeg Book Award nominees is announced on May 1st to students and their parents.
I'm a librarian or a school media specialist. Can I find out about the nominees before May 1st so I can have them ready in my library?
The nominees are announced annually to school media specialists and public librarians on February 14.
Those who receive advance notification (before May 1st) of the new list of titles agree to abide by the Nutmeg Book Award's confidentiality clause, which asks that school media specialists and librarians keep the titles confidential until the May 1st annual announcement. This ensures that students receive the maximum enjoyment from the Nutmeg Book Award program. The confidentiality agreement asks that no mention of the new titles be made on websites, emails, library catalogs, booksales, flyers, or any other method by which the general public could have access to the titles before May 1st. We ask everyone's help in maintaining the confidentiality of new titles until May 1st.
By their participation in the Nutmeg Book Award,librarians, school media specialists, teachers, book sale organizers,and all other school-associated personnel agree to abide by theconfidentiality clause. While slip ups do occur, by and large, ou rNutmeg Book Award community does a phenomenal job of keeping the new titles secret for the sake of Connecticut children until the annual announcement date of May 1st.
I'm a publisher, vendor, company with sales to libraries. Can I have the list of titles early?
As our thank you to them, only sponsors receive the title list early. Please see our Publisher FAQ page for more information. What committees and offices comprise the NBA?
Offices
Chair, Steering Committee Co-Chair, Steering Committee Past Chairs, Steering Committee Chairs, Book Selection Treasurer Secretary Publications Publicity Promotional Materials - Responsible for the mailing of promotional materials Historian - Keeps a scrapbook of NBA information Webmaster - Updates the NBA website Member at Large- assists where needed.
Committees
Book Selection Committees 4-6 and 7-8 - Select the nominees for the Nutmeg Award Steering Committee - Coordinates the NBA committees Publicity Committee - Reports all NBA news to CASL, CLA, and others
What commitment is involved in serving on a NBA Committee?
All NBA committees meet 2-4 times per year in various places throughout Connecticut. Serving on most NBA committees does not require a great time commitment, but is very important to the functioning of the Nutmeg Book Award.
The Book Selection Committee requires the largest time commitment. From January through October, members will read approximately 100 titles and decide on a final list of 10 nominees in October. The initial lists of books to be read are compiled by the Book Selection Chair and must meet the required NBA criteria.
Who should I contact if I want to serve on one of the NCBA committees?
How can kids in my school or library participate in the voting? How do I submit my library's votes?
Participation in the Nutmeg Book Award voting is free, and there is no need to pre-register.
Students in grades 4-6 and 7-8 vote by official NBA ballot in April for their favorite title at either their school or public library. Each institution may set up the voting as they see fit. Some schools vote at town hall, some libraries have a ballot box, and many places have parties, special events, or other Nutmeg celebrations during April. Each student may vote only once. Public and school librarians submit their institution's ballots on the Nutmeg website during the month of April. Ballot and Tally forms are also available for download as PDFs by clicking on the Participation Link during March and April.
Winners are announced on May 15.
How do I order NBA promotional materials such as spine labels or bookmarks?
