Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Program

The Lovelace Book Award Program is sponsored by the Minnesota Youth Reading Association and is named after Minnesota’s first famous children’s author, Maud Hart Lovelace. Maud Hart Lovelace grew up in Mankato, Minnesota. Her Betsy-Tacy books tell of her childhood in the town she calls "Deep Valley." Each year since 1980, the year of her death, there has been a Minnesota reading contest for third through eighth graders. A committee comprised of teachers and librarians selects the titles for the contest each spring, and students read the books on the list during the following school year. Any student who has read at least three books on the list by the end of March votes for their favorite. On April 25, the anniversary of Maud's birthday, the winner is announced.

The list is divided into two divisions: titles for grades three through five, and titles for grades six through eight. Some titles are appropriate for both age levels. Authors value the children’s votes because they indicate approval from their intended audience. Students have made wonderful choices over the twenty years that the program has been in existence. More information can be obtained from the Lovelace website by clicking here: http://www.maudhartlovelace.org/