The Red Clover Book Award is designed for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Each year thousands of Vermont school children read the 10 nominated picture books and vote for their favorite in the spring. The award has been handed out annually since 1997.
Red Clover Book Award Committee Website
Find this year's nominees with links to book details, teaching resources, and related STEAM activities.
2024-2025 Award Year Information and Materials
Registration Now Open: 2024 VT Youth Book Awards Conference
Please join us for the Vermont Youth Book Awards virtual conference taking place Tuesday, October 22, 2024, from 9:00am-5:00pm. The conference is a celebration of readers and creators of children’s and young adult literature! Each session will feature an author keynote and a presentation from a book award committee. This year we invite students to watch the author presentations in libraries and classrooms across the state. The authors will speak directly to students and have asked us to encourage them to submit questions prior to the conference. Please submit student (and your own) questions for authors through this form by Thursday, October 17th. All sessions will be recorded and available after the conference.
The Red Clover Book Award session takes place from 9:00-11:00am.
- 9-10:00am: Author Maria Gianferrari will discuss how nature inspires her and the research/inspiration behind the 2023-2024 Red Clover Award winner, Bobcat Prowling, including a reading of the book. Maria’s books celebrate urban ecosystems and the natural world around us and honor our bonds with creatures both domestic and wild. Maria’s most recent titles include Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity, You and the Bowerbird, Thank a Farmer, Fungi Grow and To Dogs, With Love.
- 10-11:00am: Red Clover Book Award committee members will lead an exploration into the award nomination list, highlighting innovative and fun ways to promote and engage book award participation in schools and libraries.
Meeting information:
- The conference will be held on Microsoft Teams. Please find the link and call-in information on the registration pages.
- The author keynote and committee presentation recordings as well as the attendance certificate will be available after the conference on Niche academy. The Niche Academy links will be sent to registrants and posted on each award page.
- 2 CEUs, Elective category for each session.
- Important Note: The same Teams link will be used for all sessions but please register for each conference session separately:
2023-2024 Award Year Information and Materials
2022-2023 Award Year Information and Materials
Past Nominees and Winners
Publisher Submission Guidelines
Books to be considered by the Red Clover Book Award Committee are submitted by publishers. At least one copy of each title, which will be circulated to committee members, should be sent to:
Red Clover Book Award Committee
c/o Vermont Department of Libraries
60 Washington St., Suite 2
Barre, VT 05641
Books published in the current calendar year may be sent at any time during the year. However, sending books as soon as feasible makes it possible to give all books more careful consideration.
Publishers are invited to submit books that meet the following criteria:
- The book must have been published in the current calendar year. Reprints and compilations previously copyrighted are not eligible.
- The book must have been written by a living author.
- The book must be original or, if traditional in origin, the result of individual research. The retelling and reinterpretation must be the writer's own.
- Books written by a previous recipient of The Red Clover Book Award may be considered at the discretion of the committee.
- Books should have children as their intended audience and be appropriate for children in Kindergarten through 4th grade.