Welcome friend! Most of the books I read are targeted at adults but over the years, I have found some really good Young Adult and Middle Grade stories. When I saw my local library listing the newly announced Young Reader’s Choice Awards (YRCA) nominees, I got curious. In this post, I will share more about the awards, the categories and nominees as well as highlight the three books I want to read from each category. Why? Because I feel so disconnected from what is good fiction for children and now that a list has been handed to me curated by these very readers, how do I resist?
Young Reader’s Choice Awards (YRCA)
The Young Reader’s Choice Awards (YRCA) is a year-long reading program for children in Grades 4 to 12 living in Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA), it is the only award where children choose the nominated books and the winners. The nominations for the next year are already out and voting goes until April 15, 2025. Winners will be announced on or before April 30, 2025.
Though I cannot vote, I am excited to follow along! Anyone in grades four through twelve in the Pacific Northwest who has read (or has heard read) a title(s) from the list. If your child is the right age, vote here for their favourite title. Teachers can submit votes on behalf of their class here.
Nominees for 2025
YRCA has three categories of books: Junior, Intermediate and Senior. Here are the YRCA 2025 Nominees and my top 3 picks that you can expect reviews for on the blog. I wish I could read them all but maybe another year. I made a list on Goodreads where you can find all the nominees together.
Junior
Odder by Katherine Applegate | Goodreads
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga | Goodread
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Regan Barnhill | Goodreads
New from Here by Kelly Yang | Goodreads
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton | Goodreads
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (Canadian Author and Graphic Novel) | Goodreads
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat | Goodreads
The Clackity by Lora Senf | Goodreads
Intermediate
Messy Roots by Laura Gao (Graphic Novel) | Goodreads
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh | Goodreads
Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West | Goodreads
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas | Goodreads
Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes (Canadian) | Goodreads
The Elephant Girl by James Patterson | Goodreads
A Song Called Home by Sara Zarr | Goodreads
The Stars did Wander Darkling by Colin Meloy | Goodreads
Senior
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson (Canadian) | Goodreads
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys | Goodreads
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin | Goodreads
Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus | Goodreads
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi | Goodreads
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow | Goodreads
The Silence that Binds Us by Joanna Ho | Goodreads
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian | Goodreads
Are there any books that are calling to you?
Have you read any of them?
Tell me in the comments.
I am starting with the Intermediate category and have read A Song called Home by Sara Zarr so far. Already discovering authors and books I want to return to. 🙂
Learn more about the awards and their host organization on this page.
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