William Allen White Children's Book Award
The William Allen White Children's Book Award is a set of two annual awards for books selected by vote of Kansas schoolchildren from lists prepared by committee. As a single award it was established in 1952 by Ruth Garver Gagliardo, a children's literature specialist at Emporia State University, which continues to direct the program. It is named for William Allen White, long-time publisher and editor of The Emporia Gazette. The White Award is the oldest statewide children's choice book award in the United States.
From 2001, two winners have been chosen each year, one by students in grades 3 to 5 and one by students in grades 6 to 8, from separate lists of books. The award website includes an archive of annual Master Lists that is complete back to the list of 18 books for school year 1952–53. Curriculum Guides "designed to be used in teaching or preparing instructional units" are prepared for books on the year's Master List and some past Guides are available.
Currently, the annual celebration at Emporia early in October includes a Friday evening "Read-Ins and Sleepovers" with space for 100 people. After Saturday morning activities, student representatives present medals to the winning writers at the Awards Ceremony. Travel to Emporia is an incentive in some classroom reading programs. At least once, a writer declined because of a conflict on the celebration date and was replaced as the White Award winner.
Recipients 1953–2000
There were 49 winners of the single William Allen White Book Children's Book Award in its 48 years through 2000, with two winners in 1974.| Year | Author | Title |
| 1953 | Elizabeth Yates | Amos Fortune, Free Man |
| 1954 | Doris Gates | Little Vic |
| 1955 | Jean Bailey | Cherokee Bill: Oklahoma Pacer |
| 1956 | Marguerite Henry | Brighty of the Grand Canyon |
| 1957 | Phoebe Erickson | Daniel 'Coon |
| 1958 | Elliott Arnold | White Falcon |
| 1959 | Fred Gipson | Old Yeller |
| 1960 | William O. Steele | Flaming Arrows |
| 1961 | Keith Robertson | Henry Reed, Inc. |
| 1962 | Catherine Owens Peare | The Helen Keller Story |
| 1963 | Scott O'Dell | Island of the Blue Dolphins |
| 1964 | Sheila Burnford | The Incredible Journey |
| 1965 | Zachary Ball | Bristle Face |
| 1966 | Sterling North | Rascal |
| 1967 | Annabel and Edgar Johnson | The Grizzly |
| 1968 | Beverly Cleary | The Mouse and the Motorcycle |
| 1969 | Keith Robertson | Henry Reed's Baby-Sitting Service |
| 1970 | E. L. Konigsburg | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler |
| 1971 | Walt Morey | Kävik the Wolf Dog |
| 1972 | Barbara Corcoran | Sasha: My Friend |
| 1973 | E. B. White | The Trumpet of the Swan |
| 1974 | Robert C. O'Brien | Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH |
| 1974 | Zilpha Keatley Snyder | The Headless Cupid |
| 1975 | William Steig | Dominic |
| 1976 | Beverly Cleary | Socks |
| 1977 | George Selden | Harry Cat's Pet Puppy |
| 1978 | Jean Van Leeuwen | The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper |
| 1979 | Wilson Rawls | Summer of the Monkeys |
| 1980 | Betsy Byars | The Pinballs |
| 1981 | Katherine Paterson | The Great Gilly Hopkins |
| 1982 | C. S. Adler | The Magic of the Glits |
| 1983 | Barbara Brooks Wallace | Peppermints in the Parlor |
| 1984 | Shel Silverstein | A Light in the Attic |
| 1985 | Quang Nhuong Huynh | The Land I Lost |
| 1986 | Mary Downing Hahn | Daphne's Book |
| 1987 | Robert Kimmel Smith | The War with Grandpa |
| 1988 | Betsy Byars | Cracker Jackson |
| 1989 | Marion Dane Bauer | On My Honor |
| 1990 | Gary Paulsen | Hatchet |
| 1991 | Bill Wallace | Beauty |
| 1992 | Mary Downing Hahn | |
| 1993 | Jerry Spinelli | Maniac Magee |
| 1994 | Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | Shiloh |
| 1995 | June Rae Wood | The Man Who Loved Clowns |
| 1996 | Lois Lowry | The Giver |
| 1997 | Mary Downing Hahn | Time For Andrew: A Ghost Story |
| 1998 | Barbara Park | Mick Harte Was Here |
| 1999 | Andrew Clements | Frindle |
| 2000 | P. J. Petersen | White Water |