Details and elements for consideration:
- Fiction books for K-6
- Published in North America this year (2024)
- Demonstrates and/or encourages the reader to be an Upstander
- $300 prize to the author
- Award Date: Spring, 2025 in Los Angeles
- Deadline for submission is December 15th, 2024
At Antioch, with our 150 year history of social justice education, our teacher education program encourages both our teacher candidates and our masters students to work in urban schools where issues of less than ideal education and life challenges loom large. We encourage our teachers to be Upstanders and want to encourage the production of more literature that does the same. We house a children’s literature library that focuses on social issues and intend to expand that collection as a national model for these kinds of books. (If you have back list titles to suggest for this collection I would be pleased to add them).
We define an Upstander as a person who recognizes injustice and acts in a way to right the wrong. The goal of this award is to provide children with examples of Upstander behavior and to encourage them to be one themselves. Being an Upstander is a foundational skill necessary in the support of a democracy. Our selection committee consists of Los Angeles residents so we only need to request one copy of the nominated book. If you have books that you would like to nominate for the 2023 year, please forward them to:
Dr. J. Cynthia McDermott
2107 Stradella Road
Los Angeles, CA 90077
Many thanks for all that you do for our children as you support our writers and illustrators. I hope you find this award as intriguing as our AULA community does. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at mcdprof@hotmail.com