Indiana middle grades students are fortunate to have available to them the Young Hoosier Book Award Program (YHBA), sponsored by the Association for Indiana Media Educators and the Indiana Library Federation.  Most states have such programs, but Indiana’s is really outstanding.

      Each year Indiana school library media specialists volunteer their time to select books for the middle grades list of 20 books.  Titles are published well ahead of time so that schools and public libraries can purchase books and make them available to students.  Information about the program can be found at <http://www.ilfonline.org/Units/Associations/aime

/Programs/YHBA/yhba.htm>.

      Learning to read is like learning to play basketball: first you learn the skills and then you practice, practice, and practice.  The YHBA provides an organized way to ensure that students practice their reading.  Four school library media specialists were asked to list the things they do

to promote the program to their students.

Cindy Davis, Alexandria Middle School (cdavis@alex.k12.in.us), has:

·        Many copies of each book from both the 4-6 and 6-8 lists.

·        Teachers who read the books and promote the books to students.

·        A Breakfast Reading Club that meets monthly.  Teachers lead discussion groups for featured books.  Over half the student body attends a club meeting  at least once during the school year.

·        A pizza and game party for those who read and pass five YHBA books on Reading Counts.

·        Students who keep track of the books they read by writing down titles in their class’s reading folder located in the school library media center.       

Catherine Hammond, Southridge Middle School (hammondc@swdubois.k12.in.us), has:

     ·        Teachers promote the program in classrooms and the school library media center.  The principal makes sure that Young Hoosier

           books are available.  

·        A list of YHBA books that is given to parents at the beginning of the year at open house.  Parents are urged to encourage their children to read the books.

·        Teachers who display and use the YHBA charts available from the Indiana Library Federation.  The Elite Reading Club is composed of students who read five books on the current list.  Club members receive special recognition.

·        Books displayed, covers out, on special YHBA shelving in the school library media center. 

·        A partnership with the local public library.  In the spring a list of YHBA books is given to incoming and current students, and these books are available to them at the public library for reading during the summer.

Sue Jones, Tecumseh Middle School (sjones@lsc.k12.in.us), has:

·        Sufficient copies of each title.  The enrollment is about 1100 students, so 40 to 50 copies of each title are available to meet the high demand to read the books.

·        Teachers who read the books and discuss them with students.  YHBA guides are provided to teachers.

·        Current YHBA books shelved in a prominent location in two rotating stand-alone bookracks at the front of the school library media center.  Class sets are available for teachers to use in their rooms.

·        An annotated YHBA booklet created by the library media specialist.  The list of books is published in the school newsletter.  Students who read 20 titles are invited to a Papa John’s Pizza luncheon.

·        Decided that YHBA books are accepted for students’ Accelerated Reader goals regardless of their Accelerated Reader range.

Katy Smith, Fulton Junior High School (katy.smith@wayne.k12.in.us), has:

·        Many YHBA books available, 20-25 copies per title.  As the year progresses, more copies are purchased of titles in most demand by students.

·        Reading teachers who bring every class to the school library media center to hear booktalks of the YHBA books.

·        Notes of encouragement sent to students throughout the year acknowledging how many titles they have completed.

      ·        A principal who funds a pizza party for those who read at least five of the books.  Students who read at least 18 of the 20

           books are taken by bus for a free ice cream treat and to select a free book at a bookstore.

      ·     A Summer Survival Kit for students who read all 20 books.  The kit consists of a tied-up bandana that holds a paperback from the

          next year’s YHBA or Eliot Rosewater list (for those going to high school), a list of next year’s titles, a bookmark, and so forth.

     These library media specialists all have multiple copies of the books, have strong teacher and administrative support, promote the books to students, provide special activities to encourage student participation, and recognize those students who do well in the program.  They are representative of the important work done by library media specialists throughout the state.   

     Reading teachers and school library media specialists work together to help each of Indiana’s young adolescents to fulfill his or her potential as a reader.  One important way they work together is in promoting independent reading through participation in the Young Hoosier Book Award Program.