After more than 50 years, the former CBC Favorites program, in which children vote on their picks for the best books of the year, has been rebranded as Kids Favorites: Kid Read. Kid Chosen. The Children’s Book Council is relaunching the longstanding initiative with an earlier-than-usual release, along with a new logo and an emphasis on middle grade readers.
In the past, the Children’s and Teen Favorites were revealed at the same time as the Teacher and Librarian Favorites, causing a backlog in list compilation. “By shining a light on the young voters, first and foremost, we can get the Kids Favorites list out more quickly, as they are a great resource for our teacher, librarian, and bookseller followers,” Carl Lennertz, CBC executive director, said. Teacher and Library Favorites, which are due out in April, will include an expanded middle grade section.
MVPs
Since its inception in 1974, the awards program has undergone several incarnations and name changes. What began as Children’s Choices, a joint venture between the CBC and the International Library Association, delivered hundreds of diverse books to schools for students to read and judge. After the program was suspended in 2020 because of the pandemic, the ILA turned over the reins to the CBC the following year.
Each year, schools and libraries across the country, selected by application, are presented with 300–500 new books per age group from CBC member publishers. Participating locations set up displays and organize school-wide reading and voting, held from August through February, as part of the CBC Favorites program. This year, nearly 60 schools and libraries participated in the program. According to Lennertz, the annual lists have become the organization’s most popular online resources, amounting to 18,000-plus PDFs and spreadsheets downloaded every spring and summer.
“This is a huge and fun undertaking to coordinate with so many new groups of schools and libraries every year, each with a diverse range of communities,” Sommer Wissner, CBC’s program coordinator, said. “With hundreds of new books coming in, young readers get so excited to read and have their opinions heard, culminating in thousands of votes. It’s such an overwhelming show of support and love for books and we are excited to celebrate it!”
KIDS FAVORITES will once again feature the top 40 vote getters apiece in four grade categories: K-2nd grade, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th. The 6th-8th top picks is now identified as Middle Grade favorites, while 9th-12th has been renamed Teen Favorites.
“I loved seeing kids grow more vocal and confident in their opinions on books,” Sherry Berrett, K–second grade coordinator at the Salem (Utah) City Library, said. “This program didn't just encourage kids to read books, but to more deeply connect with them.”
Alicia Pruitt, sixth–eighth grade coordinator at Great Bridge Middle School in Chesapeake, Va., said. “This program doesn’t just track data; it honors the unique, honest voices of young readers and gives them a seat at the table in the literary world.”
This year’s Kids Favorites are available on the CBC website.
