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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Bank Street/SLJ Unveil Children's Choice Award for Best STEM Picture Book
There's a new children's choice book award in town—and this one's focused on the best STEM title of the year.
Administered by the Bank Street College of Education with support from School Library Journal, the Cook Prize is the only book award that honors excellence in informational picture books on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics for elementary school children aged .
A children's book committee comprised of two science/math faculty from Bank Street's Graduate School of Education and two teachers from its School for Children, as well as two graduate school alumna, have narrowed 16 titles down to four—and they're urging librarians and educators to get their students to vote for their favorite book.
Librarians and teachers nationwide are making efforts to promote science-based teaching as a part of President Obama's 2009 Educate to Innovate campaign, aimed at improving the participation and performance of America's students in STEM subjects.
Following the same format as Bank Street's 40-year-old Irma Black Award, third and fourth grade teachers and media specialists are invited to read aloud, discuss, and encourage students to cast votes for their top STEM title out of the following four: About Hummingbirds (Peachtree) by Cathryn Sill, illustrated by John Sill; Balloons Over Broadway (Houghton) by Melissa Sweet; The Honeybee Man (Random) by Lela Nargi and Kyrsten Brooker; and Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story (Farrar) by Thomas F. Yeserski.
The Cook Prize is named in honor of Bank Street educators Donald Cook of the Graduate School of Education and Michael Cook (no relation) of the School for Children, both of whom recently passed away and left an indelible mark on their students and colleagues.
In order to vote, teachers and librarians must first register beginning on March 5. The deadline for voting ends EST on May 4. For more information, contact Lisa Von Drasek at 212 875 4452. Stay tuned—the winner will be announced May 17.
