WYOMING LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Indian Paintbrush Book Award (Grades 4-6)

The Indian Paintbrush Book Award provides an opportunity for Wyoming youth in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades to choose their favorite book from a list of 10 nominees and honor its author.

The Indian Paintbrush Award is unique in that Wyoming students nominate the books as well as vote for the award winner. The philosophy of the Indian Paintbrush Award is to empower students to recognize and read quality contemporary children’s literature.

The Indian Paintbrush Book Award is sponsored by the Wyoming Library Association and the Wyoming State Literacy Association. 

Committee

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    2025-2026 Awards

    • Voting form (due March 15, 2026)
    Coming Soon: 
    • Packet (PDF, Word)
    • Labels (PDF, Word)
    • Nominees poster (PDF)

    2026-2027 Awards

    • Nomination form (due March 1, 2026)

    Winners & Nominees (2020-2026)

    2025-2026


    Nominees

    The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

    Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson

    Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
    The Legend of the Last Library
     by Frank L. Cole

    Many Points of Me by Caroline Gerter

    The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart

    A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

    Two Degrees by Alan Gratz

    Wild River by Rodman Philbrick

    The Wishkeeper's Apprentice by Rachel Chivers Khoo


    2024-2025

     
    First

    Amari and the Night Brothers
    by B. B. Alston


    Second (tie)
    The Hope of Elephants
    by Amanda Rawson Hill

    Second (tie)
    Nugly
    by M. C. Ross
     
    Second (tie)
    Unplugged
     
    by Gordon Korman

    Nominees

    The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
    The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
    Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen

    The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day

    Roll with It by Jamie Sumner
    The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln


    2023-2024


     
    First

    Odder
    by Katherine Applegate


    Second
    Stay
    by Bobbie Pyron
     
    Third
    Ali Cross
    by James Patterson 


    Nominees

    The Aquanaut by Dan Santat

    Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett

    A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

    Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship” by Deborah Heiligman

    The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas

    Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

    Wreck at Ada's Reef by Michael D. Biel


    2022-2023



    First
    My Life as a Potato
    by Arianne Costner


    Second
    Scary Stories for Young Foxes
    by Christian McKay Heidicker



    Third
    Ban This Book

    by Alan Gratz

    Nominees
    The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
    Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
    History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner
    Linked by Gordon Korman
    S
    tarfish by Lisa Fipps
    Switched by Bruce Hale
    When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

    2021-2022



    Winner
    New Kid
    by Jerry Craft

    First runner-up
    Wildfire
    by Rodman Philbrick



    Second runner-up
    A Wolf Called Wander
    by Rosanne Parry

    Nominees
    Becoming Muhammad Ali
    by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander
    The Benefits of Being an Octopus
    by Ann Braden
    Hello, Universe
    by Erin Entrada Kelly
    The House with Chicken Legs
    by Sophie Anderson
    Out of Hiding by Ruth Gruener
    The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
    by Dan Gemeinhart
    Us, in Progress
    by Lulu Delacre


    2020-2021



    Winner
    The Trail
    by Meika Hashimoto

    First runner-up
    White Bird
    by R. J. Palacio


    Second runner-up
    Refugee
    by Alan Gratz
    Nominees
    Bob
    by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
    Dear Sister
    by Alison McGhee
    Fish in a Tree
    by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
    Forest of Wonders by Linda Sue Park
    Framed! by James Ponti
    Front Desk
    by Kelly Yang
    Rising Water by Marc Aronson

    2019-2020



    Winner
    Hero
    by Jennifer Li Shotz

    First runner-up
    Resistance
    by Jennifer A. Nielsen



    Second runner-up
    Some Kind of Courage
    by Dan Gemeinhart

    Nominees

    Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
    Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
    Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend
    One for Sorrow
    by Mary Downing Hahn
    Sunny by Jason Reynolds
    Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
    The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
    by Leslie Connor

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    Co-Chairs

    Whitney Luciano (2023) WSLA 2nd term

    Rebecca Jones (2025) WLA 1st term

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    Committee Composition & Responsibilities

    Committee Members

    The committee of eight is composed of four members of the Wyoming Library Association (two school or academic, two public) and four members of the Wyoming State Literacy Association.

    Each member will serve a three-year term, with the option to serve a second or third term. If a member leaves the committee, they are allowed to serve another term if an opening becomes available and they’re willing to do so.

    Committee members are responsible for reading as many books from the nominations list as possible and contributing insight and writing a brief review when building the next year’s list during the annual meeting. The meeting will take place either as a conference call, Zoom, or another online meeting format. Members may be required to participate in committee discussions throughout the year.

    Members may choose to serve as co-chair at any time during their term should a position become available.

    Co-Chairs

    Co-chairs will serve a two-year term, with the option to serve a second or third term; working in partnership with each other making sure all committee duties are met.

    Responsibilities include:

         Help to recruit and inform new committee members of responsibilities.If possible, members should represent the diversity and geographic locations of Wyoming libraries.

         Ensure books on the nomination list are available to purchase from various vendors.

         Ensure committee members are current paying members of their respective organizations.

         Work with the Wyoming Book Award Advisor to tally student votes and announce winners.

         Work with the Wyoming Book Award Advisor to promote with posters and bookmarks.

         Work with the Wyoming Book Award Advisor to update website information.

         Contact the winning author via mail or e-mail to inform them of their State Book Award.

         Create, manage, and update nominations spreadsheet.

         Remove titles that don’t meet criteria.

         Organize titles alphabetically and fill in additional information, including  age range or intended audience level.

         Communicate with committee members about reading nominees and additional meetings.

         Before the Committee meeting, check with the Soaring Eagle Committee to ensure books don’t overlap on final nomination lists.

         Update Committee Guidelines and By-Laws as needed, but at least every five years. Last updated in 2024 by Rebecca Jones and Whitney Luciano.

         WSLA and WLA will both contribute $50 for a total of $100. WSLA will send a check with “Indian Paintbrush Book Award” in the memo line and send to the following:

    Wyoming Library Association
    1190 Meramec Station Road, Suite 207
    Ballwin MO 63021

    WLA will send $100 to be sent in the winning author’s name to:

    Pilcrow Foundation
    343 E. Washington Ave.
    Cottage Grove OR 97424

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    Award Guidelines

    The Indian Paintbrush Book Award is jointly sponsored by the Wyoming Library Association (Children’s/YA Section and the School Library/Media Personnel Section) and the Wyoming State Literacy Association. 

    The Wyoming Library Association established this award in 1985 to promote literacy and encourage conversations around quality literature among Wyoming youth.

    Voting

    Wyoming fourth, fifth, and sixth graders are encouraged to read or listen to as many of the nominated books as possible. There are ten total books on each year’s list and students must read a minimum of three books in order to vote. Librarians, teachers, and parents are encouraged to promote these titles and read some of the books aloud to their students.

    Books on the list will be accessible to students with a range of reading abilities, and will represent a diversity of characters and experiences. Each spring the students vote, at school or at the public library, for their favorite book from the list. School and public librarians and teachers will collect and submit the votes online through WYLA.org. The committee will announce the winning titles through the Wyoming Library Association and Wyoming State Literacy Association websites. Teachers and librarians will share voting results with students and patrons.

    Nominating Criteria

         Books may be fiction or nonfiction, and in any format (e.g. novel in verse, graphic novel).

         Each book must have been published within the last five years to be considered for nomination.

         Books must be in print at the time of nomination.

         Books must be nominated by Wyoming students in grades 4-6.

         Only one title per author will be included on the nominations list.

         No author can be on the list for two consecutive years.

         No title can be on the nomination list more than once.

    Considerations for Nominated Books

         Book meets all nominating criteria for the award.

         Committee members use professional knowledge of children’s literature to determine         the value a book will add to the list.

         Book must have at least two professionally published reviews, or be considered on its own merit if a book is of local interest or by a Wyoming author.

         Books in a series may be considered if it’s the first in a series, or if the title can stand alone.

         Books should be designated by publishers or in reviews as appropriate for middle-grade readers (not Young Adult).

         If possible, at least 50% of nominees should be available in paperback.

         The Committee may take into consideration the number of individual and school nominations a book receives statewide.

         Committee will consider representing a variety of genres and a diversity of experiences in terms of gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc. when building the final list of nominated titles.

    Committee Guidelines

    The Indian Paintbrush Book Award Committee begins compiling a list of nominations in January and reads as many of the nominated titles as possible. The committee meets in April to finalize a list of 10 titles. This list becomes the ballot for the next school year, and is shared widely with teachers and librarians.

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    wla@amigos.org

    (800) 969-6562 

    Wyoming Library Association

    13610 Barrett Office Dr., Suite 108

    Ballwin MO 63021

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