2025 CaudillNominees
This award was created in 1988 to honor Rebecca Caudill, an author and resident of Urbana, Illinois for over 50 years. The titles on this list are chosen by teachers and librarians for children in grades 4-8.
The Inheritance Games* by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs
A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser
Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood & Greg Dawson
The Fort by Gordon Korman
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby
Muhammad Najem, War Reporter by Muhammad Najem & Nora Neus
Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega
Seen and Unseen by Elizabeth Patridge
A First Time For Everything by Dan Santant
The Golden Hour by Niki Smith
Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist For Justice* by Tommie Smith
The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Vote for your favorite in February 2025 at any APLD location or online! To vote for the 2025 Caudill Award:
Must be in grades 4-8 (or homeschool equivalent) and live in Illinois. Must have read or listened to at least 3 Caudill nominees to be eligible to vote.