Break out the books and brackets -- it’s time to vote. Throughout March and April, high school students across Indiana can participate in the Eliot Rosewater Book Award and vote for the 2023 Book of the Year.
\tMedia Center Specialist Lael DuBois explained that the purpose behind the Rosie Awards is to encourage independent reading among students. “The Rosie Awards are basically to promote lifelong reading,” she noted. All of the titles are chosen by high school students and voted for in a March Madness bracket, which Dubois remarked was her favorite aspect of the awards.
\t“That’s the best part, because then students have a voice in what they would like to read,” said Dubois. “It also encompasses several genres, so hopefully it would pertain to all students.”
\tVoting concludes the first week of May, with the winning book being selected a week later. Dubois explained that even if students haven’t read every book on the list, they are still able to vote on their favorite. “As long as you read a book that’s listed in the Rosies, you’re able to vote on it,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many you have read.”
\tWith more and more students relying on technology for entertainment, Dubois hopes that the Rosie Awards will promote an increase in reading. “One thing I hope students will get out of this event is to hopefully pick up one of the titles and read them, and to continue reading,” she explained. “It’s a lifelong skill that everyone has and will continue to use.”
\tStudents can vote for their favorite books here: https://www.ilfonline.org
\tStory by Lily Saylor