International Literacy Association Releases 2017 Choices Reading Lists

NEWARK, Del., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ The International Literacy Association (ILA) announced the winning titles of the 2017 Choices Reading Lists: a trusted selection of the best new children's and young adults' books, recommended by students and educators themselves.

Three lists are released annually: Children's Choices, cosponsored by the Children's Book Council and curated by children; Young Adults' Choices, selected by teens; and Teachers' Choices, named by educators including librarians and reading specialists across the United States.

The Choices projects are run by volunteer team leaders who distribute thousands of newly released books to classrooms; recruit participants to read, review, and vote on their favorites; and annotate the final selections. Winning titles are recognized at the ILA 2017 Conference & Exhibits in July and embraced by today's teachers, booksellers, librarians, parents, caregivers, and everyone who wishes to encourage young people to read for pleasure.

Each year, Choices empowers 25,000 children and young adults to discover new titles and genres and recommend the books that had the biggest impact on them as readers. In turn, teachers choose books that help to inform curricula; build strong classroom libraries; introduce their students to new, high-quality works; and impart a lifelong love of reading.

"Through the Choices project, we show respect for students' preferences and recognize autonomy and voice as key drivers of student engagement," says Marcie Craig Post, executive director at the International Literacy Association. "Our goal is to help educators line their shelves with books that students will truly enjoy, books that will inspire independent reading habits."

Each year, approximately 100 titles make the Children's Choices list, along with 30 on the Young Adults' list and 30 on the Teachers' list. The number of book submissions continues to grow annually across the three Choices projects.

The 2017 Choices reading lists, including titles and annotations, and information on how to get involved in the project, can be found at literacyworldwide.org/choices.

ABOUT THE CHOICES PROJECT

Each year, thousands of children, young adults, and educators around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the International Literacy Association's Choices reading lists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help readers of all ages find books they will enjoy. The annotated lists for the current year are posted online in May, aligning with Children's Book Week, and are available for free download at literacyworldwide.org/choices.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LITERACY ASSOCIATION

The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all through its network of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers, and experts across 75 countries. With over 60 years of experience, ILA has set the standard for how literacy is defined, taught, and evaluated. ILA collaborates with partners across the world to develop, gather, and disseminate high-quality resources, best practices, and cutting-edge research to empower educators, inspire students, and inform policymakers. ILA publishes The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Reading Research Quarterly, which are peer reviewed and edited by leaders in the field. For more information, visit literacyworldwide.org.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL

The Children's Book Council (CBC), a nonprofit trade association of children's book publishers in North America, dedicated to supporting the industry and promoting children's books and reading. To learn more about the CBC, visit cbcbooks.org/about/.

Media Contact: For all media inquiries, including interview requests, please contact press@reading.org.

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