​About the Beehive Book Award

Founded in 1980, the Beehive Book Awards are the only children's choice award for literature in the state of Utah!
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Each year the Children's Literature Association of Utah (CLAU), a volunteer organization of individuals who have a personal or professional interest in children's literature, sponsors the Beehive Book Awards to help motivate young people to read. Children vote from a short list of nominees in the following categories: Children's Fiction (chapter books), Picture Books, Informational Books, Poetry, Graphic Novels, and Young Adult Fiction. The title with the highest percentage of votes from the children in each category wins the award!

CLAU relies on the volunteered time of members to organize the Beehive Book Awards. 

Committees

Timeline
​Each award category has a nominating committee who is in charge of overseeing the process of creating and evaluating long lists of titles that are evaluated and whittled down to the ten to twelve books that go out to be read and voted on by the children of Utah.  CLAU members are welcome to participate both as nominating committee members and readers. Committee members are expected to:
  • Attend two meetings, one in September and one in January.
  • Nominate between one and eight books for the committee's long list.
  • Read as many books as possible on the long lists, and get others to read them as well.
  • Create the short list of nominees.
  • Create book kits and the Beehive Battle of the Books program.

CLAU members who are interested in being on the committee or serving as a reader of long list titles should contact the specific committee chair. 
  • April through July: Nominations for books to be considered for the long list are accepted.
  • September: The nominating committees meet to nominate own books in their category, and to consider others. During this meeting, the committee agrees upon the books that will be published on the long list.
  • September through January: The committee members read and get others to read each of the books on their respective long lists.  Committee members and readers submit their evaluations of the books on official CLAU review forms.
  • January: All review forms from committee members and other readers are gathered.  The nominating committees meet to compile the information from these reviews, and then use this information to refine and create the short list.
  • January and February: Finalized short lists are approved by the CLAU Board.
  • March and April: Short lists are announced to CLAU members and the community.
  • August through March: Children and students read and vote on the books on these short lists.
  • March and April: Votes are submitted and counted, and winners are announced.