Monarch and Bluestem Award Winners

Gingerbread Man Loose in the School is the 2014 Monarch Award winner! Author Laura Murray will receive the award from the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA) in October. The Prospect students also loved this book, which came in second place among the K-2 students. The first place winner at Elm was One Cool Friend. 

 Prospect second graders who read all 20 Monarch nominees got to attend a Monarch Award party! They were the first in the school to find out the winner. They also won raffle prizes and got popsicles.

When the Prospect 3-5 students cast their votes for the Bluestem Award this year, Wonder was the resounding winner. The third through fifth grade students around the state agreed. Nearly 8,000 students voted for it. Wonder is a moving tale of a 5th-grade boy with extreme facial abnormalities and his adjustment to going to school for the first time. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different person. This is an excellent family read aloud. It's engaging for people of all ages and really encourages empathy.

Prospect 3rd-5th graders who read all 20 Bluestem Nominees came to a Bluestem party. They were the first to find out the winners, created READ posters with their picture, and won small prizes as well.