The Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (RCYRBA) is a program sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Assocation . The award has been granted annually since 1988. Books honored by this award are selected by a popular vote taken of students between the fourth and eighth grades in the State of Illinois. Books are nominated two years in advance of a selection year by students, teachers, school and public librarians. The nominations are narrowed down to twenty choices by the RCYRBA steering committee, and put forward as that year's "Master List." Participating schools and public libraries then collect votes from school children starting during the fall of the prior year, up through the end of February in the awarding year.
