California Young Reader Medal
The HERC Library at the Humboldt County Office of Education has some exciting news: local students can help choose the winner of a major California book award—the California Young Reader Medal! This is the 50th anniversary of this California program that encourages love of reading!
HCOE’s HERC library wants to help your students determine the winner of a prestigious California book prize: the California Young Reader Medal. Teachers read book nominations during read-alouds, students determine their favorite, and then vote.
HERC Library supplies the books, plus classroom-ready activities to engage students in fun ways to review and vote! This is a rare and fun opportunity where young readers get the final say, not adults.
Track the local Humboldt County polls as students cast their votes! Then, wait for the big reveal on May 1st to see if you picked a winner! All votes are due by April 1, 2026.
Whether you love adventures, laugh-out-loud comedies, graphic novels, or stories that make you think, there’s something for everyone. So dive into great books, gather your students’ voices, and be part of a reading celebration that stretches across the state.
Kit Contents
Each kit for K-3 and Picture Books for Older Readers includes: One copy of each book, one ballot box, ballots, and “I Voted” stickers.
Intermediate kits are sent one book at a time, and include the ballots and “I Voted stickers.”
Primary Books (Grades K-3)
Dadaji’s Paintbrush, by Rashmi Sirdeshpande (author) and Ruchi Mhasane (illustrator), Levine Querido, 2022.
Don’t Think of Tigers, by Alex Latimer (author & illustrator), Random House Books for Young Readers, 2024.
Gibberish, by Young Vo (author & illustrator), Levine Querido, 2022.
Ursula Upside Down, by Corey R. Tabor (author & illustrator), Greenwillow Books, 2024.
Knight Owl, by Christoper Denise (author & illustrator), Christy Ottaviano Books, 2022.
Picture Books for Older Readers
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art, by Hannah Salyer (author & illustrator), HarperCollins, 2023.
The Fire of Stars, by Kirsten W. Larson (author) and Katherine Roy (illustrator), Chronicle Books, 2023.
The Mystery of the Monarchs, by Barb Rosenstock (author) and Erika Meza (illustrator), Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023.
Intermediate (Grades 3-6)
Hope in the Valley, by Mitali Perkins (author), Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023.
In the Beautiful Country, by Jane Kuo (author), Quill Tree Books, 2023.
You Are Here: Connecting Flights, by Ellen Oh (author), Allida Books, 2023.
Middle School/Junior High
Good Different, by Meg Eden Kuyatt (author), Scholastic Press, 2024.
Ruby Lost and Found, by Christina Li (author), Quill Tree Books, 2023.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, by Gennifer Choldenko (author), Penguin Random House, 2024.
Young Adult
The Agathas, by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (authors), Penguin Random House, 2023.
Shut Up, This Is Serious, by Carolina Ixta (author), Quill Tree Books, 2023.
Torch, by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (author), Quill Tree Books, 2023.