Massachusetts Children's Book Award Program

The Massachusetts Children's Book Award Program, sponsored by Salem State College, is intended to motivate children in grades 4, 5, and 6 to read quality literature.  The program, which began in 1975, was begun by Dr. Helen Constant, Professor Emeritus, who had observed that children in the intermediate grades often lost the zeal for reading that they had exhibited as younger students.  In an attempt to reverse this trend, she designed the MCBA Program to motivate these students.  After Dr. Constant's retirement in 1993, Dr. Diane Bushner from the College has continued the program.

MCBA consists of a master list of twenty-five titles (http://www.salemstate.edu/education/mcba/docs/master_list_0809.pdf)

 which students are encouraged to read throughout the year.   All titles on the list are current, having been published within the past five years and attempt to reflect the diversity of our society.  Since the list of books is intended for students in grades four through six, there are some titles which span the grade levels and others that are meant to challenge the olders students. After having read, or having heard read aloud, five of the books on the list, students are eligible to vote for their favorite story.  When all ballots from schools across the state have been received and tabulated, a Massachusetts Children's Book of the Year is announced.

Here at Proctor School, the MCBA Program will be a library initiative and coordinated through the school library.  Ballots will be sent to us here during the month of February. Our voting will be done as a school unit and sent to the College as such.  Multiple copies of all of the titles will be available in the school library. 

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