The Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award is the oldest children’s choice award in Canada and the US. It is the only regional award chosen by children of the two countries. The award was established in 1940 by a Seattle bookseller, the late Harry Hartman, who believed every student should have an opportunity to select a book that gives him or her pleasure. Nominations are taken only from children, teachers, parents and librarians in the Pacific Northwest - Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Nominated titles are those published within the previous three years, printed in the US or Canada, and are already favourites with readers. Only 4th to 12th graders in the Pacific Northwest are eligible to vote.
In 1991, the award was divided into two categories: Youth and Senior. In 2002 the categories changed again to better accommodate readers: Junior (grades 4-6), Intermediate (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12). Annual voting takes place March 15th through April 1st.
2009 YRCA Lists
Junior Division
Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
To Dance by Siena Cherson Siegel
Intermediate Division
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable by John Boyne
Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
Senior Division
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
2008 Winners
Junior Division - A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin
Intermediate Division - Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Senior Division - Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
| 2007 | Junior | Cornelia Funke Dragon Rider. Translated by Anthea Bell. New York: Chicken House/Scholastic, 2004. |
| 2007 | Intermediate | Eoin Colfer The Supernaturalist. New York: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, 2004. |
| 2007 | Senior | Terry Pratchett A Hat Full of Sky. New York: HarperCollins, 2004 |
| 2006 | Junior | Kate DiCamillo The Tale of Despereaux. Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2003. |
| 2006 | Intermediate | Christopher Paolini Eragon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. |
| 2006 | Senior | K. L. Going Fat Kid Rules the World. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003. |
| 2005 | Junior | Cornelia Funke The Thief Lord. Translated by Oliver Latsch. New York: Scholastic, 2002. |
| 2005 | Intermediate | Gordon Korman Son of the Mob. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2002. |
| 2005 | Senior | Nancy Farmer The House of the Scorpion. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002. |
| 2004 | Junior | Joseph Bruchac Skeleton Man. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. |
| 2004 | Intermediate | Eoin Colfer Artemis Fowl. New York: Hyperion Books For Children, 2001. |
| 2004 | Senior | Ann Brashares The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York: Delacorte Press, 2001. |
| 2003 | Junior | Kate Dicamillo Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2000. |
| 2003 | Intermediate | Gordon Korman No More Dead Dogs. New York: Hyperion Books, 2000. |
| 2003 | Senior | Joan Bauer Hope Was Here. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2000. |
| 2002 | Junior | Christopher Paul Curtis Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Delacorte Press, 1999. |
| 2002 | Intermediate | Carolyn Meyer Mary, Bloody Mary. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1999. |
| 2002 | Senior | William Sleator Rewind. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1999. |
| 2001 | Youth | Louis Sachar Holes. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1998. |
| 2001 | Senior | William Sleator The Boxes. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1998. |
| 2000 | Youth | Dick King-Smith A Mouse Called Wolf. New York: Crown Publishers, 1997. |
| 2000 | Senior | Mel Glenn The Taking of Room 114. New York: Lodestar Books, 1997. |
| 1999 | Youth | Andrew Clements Frindle. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. |
| 1999 | Senior | Eve Bunting SOS Titanic. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1996. |
| 1998 | Youth |
Louis Sachar Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1995. |
| 1998 | Senior | Karen Cushman The Midwife’s Apprentice. New York: Clarion Books, 1995. |
| 1997 | Youth | Eve Bunting Nasty Stinky Sneakers. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. |
| 1997 | Senior | Caroline B. Cooney Driver’s Ed. New York: Delacorte Press, 1994. |
| 1996 | Youth | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor The Boys Start the War. New York: Delacorte Press, 1993. |
| 1996 | Senior | Lois Lowry The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. |
| 1995 | Youth | Peg Kahret Terror at the Zoo. New York: Cobblehill Books/Dutton, 1992. |
| 1995 | Senior | Lois Duncan Who Killed My Daughter New York: Delacorte Press, 1992. |
| 1994 | Youth | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Shiloh. New York: Atheneum, 1991. |
| 1994 | Senior | Ann Rinaldi Wolf by the Ears. New York: Scholastic, 1991. |
| 1993 | Youth | Jerry Spinelli Maniac Magee. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1990. |
| 1993 | Senior | Caroline B. Cooney The Face on the Milk Carton. New York: Bantam Books, 1990. |
| 1992 | Youth | Bill Wallace Danger in Quicksand Swamp. New York: Holiday House, 1989. |
| 1992 | Senior | Peter Dickinson Eva. New York: Delacorte Press, 1989. |
| 1991 | Youth | Ann M. Martin Ten Kids, No Pets. New York: Holiday House, 1988. |
| 1991 | Senior | Jenny Davis Sex Education. New York: Orchard Books, 1988. |
| 1990 | Louis Sachar There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom. New York: Knopf, 1987. | |
| 1989 | Mary Downing Hahn Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story. New York: Clarion Books, 1986. | |
| 1988 | Barthe DeClements Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You. New York: Viking Kestrel, 1985. | |
| 1987 | back to top | Robert Smith The War With Grandpa. New York: Delacorte Press, New York, 1984. |
| 1986 | Betty Ren Wright The Dollhouse Murders. New York: Holiday House, 1983. | |
| 1985 | Jamie Gilson Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1982. | |
| 1984 | Lynn Reid Banks The Indian in the Cupboard. New York: Avon Books, 1981. | |
| 1983 | Judy Blume Superfudge. New York: Dutton, 1980. | |
| 1982 | Deborah and James Howe Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery. New York: Atheneum, 1979. | |
| 1981 | Ellen Conford Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1978. | |
| 1980 | Beverly Cleary Ramona and Her Father. New York: Morrow, 1977. | |
| 1979 | Mildred Taylor Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. New York: Dial Press, 1976. | |
| 1978 | John D. Fitzgerald The Great Brain Does it Again. New York: Dial Press, 1975. | |
| 1977 | Judy Blume Blubber. Scarsdale, New York: Bradbury Press, 1974. | |
| 1976 | John D. Fitzgerald The Great Brain Reforms. New York: Dial Press, 1973. | |
| 1975 | Judy Blume Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. New York: Dutton, 1972. | |
| 1974 | back to top | Robert C. O’Brien Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. New York: Atheneum, 1971. |
| 1972 | Donald J. Sobol Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace. New York: Nelson, 1969. | |
| 1971 | Beverly Cleary Ramona the Pest. New York: Morrow, 1968. | |
| 1970 | William Corbin Smoke. New York: Coward-McCann, 1967. | |
| 1969 | Keith Robertson Henry Reed’s Baby-Sitting Service. New York: Viking, 1966. | |
| 1968 | Beverly Cleary The Mouse and the Motorcycle. New York: Morrow, 1965. | |
| 1967 | Ian Fleming Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. New York: Random House, 1964. | |
| 1966 | Sterling North Rascal. New York: Dutton, 1963. | |
| 1965 | Richard Tregaskis John F. Kennedy and PT-109. New York: Random House, 1962. | |
| 1964 | Sheila Burnford The Incredible Journey. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1961. | |
| 1963 | Jay Williams Danny Dunn on the Ocean Floor. New York: McGraw, 1960. | |
| 1962 | Stewart Holbrook The Swamp Fox of the Revolution. New York: Random House, 1959. | |
| 1961 | Jay Williams Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine. New York: McGraw, 1958. | |
| 1960 | Beverly Cleary Henry and the Paper Route. New York: Morrow, 1957. | |
| 1959 | Fred Gipson Old Yeller. New York: Harper & Row, 1956. | |
| 1958 | William Corbin Golden Mare. New York: Coward-McCann, 1955. | |
| 1957 | Beverly Cleary Henry and Ribsy. New York: Morrow, 1954. | |
| 1956 | Ellen MacGregor Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars. New York: Whittlesey House, 1951. | |
| 1952 | Marguerite Henry Sea Star. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1949. | |
| 1951 | Marguerite Henry King of the Wind. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1948. | |
| 1950 | Dr. Seuss McElligot’s Pool. New York: Random House, 1947. | |
| 1949 | Shannon Garst Cowboy Boots. New York: Abington-Cokesbury, 1946. | |
| 1948 | Walter Farley The Black Stallion Returns. New York: Random House, 1945. | |
| 1947 | Robert McCloskey Homer Price. New York: Viking Press, 1943. | |
| 1946 | Jack O’Brien The Return of the Silver Chief. New York: Grosset and Dunlop Publishers, 1943. | |
| 1945 | Marie McSwigan Snow Treasure. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1942. | |
| 1944 | Walter Farley The Black Stallion. New York: Random House, 1941. | |
| 1943 | Eric Knight Lassie Come-Home. Philadelphia: Winston, 1940. | |
| 1942 | Laura Ingalls Wilder By the Shores of Silver Lake. New York: Harper, 1939. | |
| 1941 | Richard and Florence Atwater Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1938. | |
| 1940 | Dell J. McCormick Paul Bunyan Swings His Axe. Caldwell, ID: Caxton, 1936. |
