Schneider Family Book Award
About the Schneider Family Book Award
The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
Click here for the Schneider Family Book Award Manual (PDF)
Bibliography of Children's Books about the Disability Experience (pdf)
Click here for the Schneider Family Book Award Manual (PDF)
Bibliography of Children's Books about the Disability Experience (pdf)
Administered by:
Award and Frequency
Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0-10), middle school (age 11-13) and teens (age 13-18). (Age groupings are approximations). The book must emphasize the artistic expression of the disability experience for children and or adolescent audiences. The book must portray some aspect of living with a disability or that of a friend or family member, whether the disability is physical, mental or emotional.
This award is given out on an annual basis.
Eligibility
1. The person with the disability may be the protagonist or a secondary character.
2. Definition of disability. Dr. Schneider has intentionally allowed for a broad interpretation by her wording, the book “must portray some aspect of living with a disability, whether the disability is physical, mental, or emotional.” This allows each committee to decide on the qualifications of particular titles. Books with death as the main theme are generally disqualified.
3. The books must be published in English. The award may be given posthumously.
4. Term of eligibility extends to publications from the preceding two years, e.g. 2007 awards given to titles published in 2006 and 2005. This may be changed to one year when the award is well established.
5. Books previously discussed and voted on are not eligible again.
2. Definition of disability. Dr. Schneider has intentionally allowed for a broad interpretation by her wording, the book “must portray some aspect of living with a disability, whether the disability is physical, mental, or emotional.” This allows each committee to decide on the qualifications of particular titles. Books with death as the main theme are generally disqualified.
3. The books must be published in English. The award may be given posthumously.
4. Term of eligibility extends to publications from the preceding two years, e.g. 2007 awards given to titles published in 2006 and 2005. This may be changed to one year when the award is well established.
5. Books previously discussed and voted on are not eligible again.
Application Instructions
Application Instructions:
- Send one copy of each title to the ALA Governance Office and one copy of the application for each submitted title.
- Send one copy of each title and one copy of the application for each submitted title to each of the Schneider Family Book Awards Jury members.
- Titles submitted for the Schneider Family Book Awards will not be returned.
- Books must be received by December 1, 2012 to be considered for the 2013 award.
ALA Awards Program
Governance Office
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Contact Information
| 2012-2013 Jury | 2013-2014 Jury |
|---|---|
| Marilyn M. Irwin (Chair) 3700 S Snoddy Rd Bloomington, IN 47401-9523 | Alyson Beecher – (Chair) 211 Mount Washington Dr Apt 2 Los Angeles, CA 90065-3170 |
| Alyson Beecher 211 Mount Washington Dr Apt 2 Los Angeles, CA 90065-3170 | Jill Garcia 4608 Yates Rd Beltsville, MD 20705-2631 |
| Andrea Erickson 6270 Gay Topaz Columbia, MD 21045-4509 | Peg Glisson 84 Henderson Drive Penfield, NY 14526-1509 |
| Jill Garcia 4608 Yates Rd Beltsville, MD 20705-2631 | Marilyn M. Irwin 3700 S Snoddy Rd Bloomington, IN 47401-9523 |
| Peg Glisson 84 Henderson Drive Penfield, NY 14526-1509 | Ms. Judy T. Nelson Customer Experience Manager - Youth Pierce County Library System 3005 112th St E Tacoma, WA 98446-2200 |
| Kathy Kirchoefer 4 Larry McDonald Memorial Drive Hendersonville, MD 28739 | Susan Person Children's Librarian Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library 3 Community Park Rd Broomfield, CO 80020-3781 |
| Susan Person Children's Librarian Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library 3 Community Park Rd Broomfield, CO 80020-3781 | Caroline Ward Youth Services Coordinator The Ferguson Library 1 Public Library Plaza Stamford, CT 06904 |
Cheryl Malden
(Staff Liaison,
July 1, 2008, to
June 30, 2020)
- cmalden@ala.org
Work Phone: (312) 280-3247
Fax: 312 944-3897
American Library Association
50 E Huron St
Chicago, IL 60611-2788
Work Phone: (312) 280-3247
Fax: 312 944-3897
American Library Association
50 E Huron St
Chicago, IL 60611-2788
Displaying active committee roster as of 05/17/2013. Last retrieved on 05/17/2013. Members can log in to view full contact information for committee members.
Selection Criteria
1. Content
• May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction.
• Must portray the emotional, mental, or physical disability as part of a full life, not as something to be pitied or overcome.
• Representation of characters with disabilities should be realistic avoiding exaggeration or stereotypes.
• Person with disability should be integral to the presentation, not merely a passive bystander.
• The theme must be appropriate for and respectful of the intended audience age.
• Information on a disability must be accurate.
2. Style
• Should be engaging with distinctive use of language for plot and character development and setting delineation.
• Book should be judged on its own merit as a self-contained entity, not as part of a series, and irrespective of supportive materials such as a CD or other supplemental material.
3. Illustration in picture books
• Text and images should complement each other, with differentiated contrast between text, pictures, and background.
• Format and typeface must be of age appropriate size, clearly readable, and free of typographical errors.
• Layout should be easy to follow enhancing the flow of the story or information.
Notification
The winner(s) are notified the Sunday morning of Midwinter conference by phone. Official announcement of the winner is made at the ALA Midwinter press conference where all ALA children's literature awards are officially announced.
