Official 2023 YRCA Winners

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Official 2023 YRCA Winners

Junior Division (Total votes: 5342)

1st When Stars are Scattered (Graphic Novel) by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (1206 votes)
2nd City Spies by James Ponti (1011 votes)
3rd From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (784 votes)

Intermediate Division (Total votes: 1359)

1st The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor (285 votes)
2nd Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (244 votes)
3rd We are not Free by Traci Chee (202 votes)

Senior Division (Total votes: 1054)

1st The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (303 votes)
2nd The Wild by Owen Laukkanen (137 votes)
3rd The Silence of Bones by June Hur (127 votes)

YRCA 2024 Nominees

Junior
Unplugged by Gordon Korman
Pony by R.J. Palacio
The Lion of Mars by Jennifer Holm
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody

Intermediate
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton (multiple authors)
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

Senior
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-lyimide
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

2022 YRCA Winners

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Official 2022 YRCA Winners

Junior Division (Total votes: 7320)

1st New Kid (2097 votes)
2nd: A Wolf Called Wander (1762 votes)
3rd Dragon Pearl (812 votes)

Intermediate Division (Total votes: 1575)

1st The Bridge Home (267 votes)
2nd White Rose (216 votes)
3rd Spin the Dawn (213 votes)

Senior Division (Total votes: 828)

1st We Set the Dark on Fire (124 votes)
2nd Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up with Me (121 votes)
3rd With the Fire on High (120 votes)

YRCA 2023 Nominees

Junior

  1. Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
  2. City Spies by James Ponti
  3. When you Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
  4. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
  5. Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
  6. The Barren Grounds by David Robertson
  7. Wink by Rob Harrell
  8. When Stars are Scattered (Graphic Novel) by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Intermediate

  1. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
  2. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
  3. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
  4. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
  5. The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor
  6. We are not Free by Traci Chee
  7. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
  8. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Senior

  1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  2. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
  3. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
  4. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
  5. Parachutes by Kelly Yang
  6. The Wild by Owen Laukkanen
  7. Faith Taking Flight by Julie Murphy
  8. The Silence of Bones by June Hur

YRCA 2022 Nominees

Junior

  1. New Kid by Jerry Craft
  2. Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
  3. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
  4. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
  5. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
  6. A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry
  7. A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong
  8. Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis

Intermediate

  1. The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
  2. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
  3. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
  4. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
  5. We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
  6. White Rose by Kip Wilson
  7. I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
  8. I Love you so Mochi by Sarah Kuhn

Senior

  1. The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
  2. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
  3. Frankly in Love by David Yoon
  4. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
  5. We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
  6. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
  7. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
  8. Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett

YRCA FAQ

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How has the award changed?

A single award was given until 1991 when it was replaced by Youth and Senior divisions.

In 2002 three divisions were designated: Junior, Intermediate, and Senior divisions. The Young Reader’s Choice Award Selection Policy was revised by the Board of the Pacific Northwest Library Association in 2012.

The award program continues to change and grow to attract new supporters and participants. PNLA supports YRCA becoming a 21st-century reading program that will sustain current participation and expand to a new readership and participating libraries.

How do nominations work?

Nominations will be collected from students, librarians, teachers, and parents in the Pacific Northwest – Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Nominations will not be accepted from publishers.

Most importantly nominated titles must already be popular
with young readers.

Nominated titles must be published three (3) years before the award year (for example, for the 2022 nominees must have a copyright date of 2019), printed in the United States or Canada. Nominations may include fiction, nonfiction, and graphic format titles. Submissions of books that are a sequel or part of a series may be considered.

Nominated titles will be judged on popularity with readers. Other considerations will include reading enjoyment; reading level; interest level; genre representation; gender representation; racial diversity; diversity of social, political, economic, or religious viewpoints; regional consideration; effectiveness of expression; and imagination. Age appropriateness will also be considered for placement in a division.

The Pacific Northwest Library Association is committed to intellectual freedom and diversity of ideas. No title will be excluded because of race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political or social view of either the author or the

*Updated* YRCA 2022 Nomination Timeline

  • October 15, 2020 – Nominations for YRCA 2022 are open.
  • November 15, 2020– Nominations for YRCA 2022 close.
  • November/December – All nominations will be reviewed and voted on by YRCA representatives and assigned to a division (Junior/Intermediate/Senior).
  •  January/February 2021 – YRCA 2022 Nominees
    announced.

How do I nominate titles?

  1. If you would like to nominate a single title, please use this
    form: https://forms.gle/oWfxN6NwupgYiyex8
  2. If you would like to submit a spreadsheet or list of titles,
    please include as much of the following information as
    possible and email your list to yrcachair@gmail.com

When nominating a title, please include the following:

  •  Title
  •  Author
  • Copyright Date
  • Division, where you feel the title, is most appropriate and any other information you would like to add, like the popularity of the title.
    • Junior Division: Grades 4-6
    • Intermediate Division: Grades 7-9
    • Senior Division: Grades 10-12

Young Reader’s Choice Award

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Young Reader’s Choice Award History

Since 1940 young readers in the Pacific Northwest have been participating in the Young Reader’s Choice Award (YRCA). The award was established in 1940 by Harry Hartman, a Seattle bookseller, who believed every student should have an opportunity to select a book that gives him or her pleasure. The Young Reader’s Choice Award is sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Library Association and continues to be the longest-running children’s choice book award. It is also the only international award with young readers in both the United States and Canada participating in the program.

YRCA State and Provincial Representatives:

For questions or inquiries about YRCA please email yrcachair@gmail.com