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Get Recommendations for Kids

Click on the various drop-down menus below for different recommendation resources to find your next good read!

Selections Jr. is a quarterly newsletter featuring recommendations for youth from the staff at Deerfield Public Library. Click below to find Selections Jr. from this quarter and the past! Check out adult Selections for recommendations geared toward adults here!

Latest Selections Jr. Issue:
Spring 2026

Download the latest issue here.

Previous editions:

(note: Selections Jr. used to be monthly, but is now released quarterly.)

Let us help you find your next great read or watch! Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch within the next week with some great recommendations.

Mystery Reader Suggestions

You’ve been asked to be a Mystery Reader for your child’s class. The librarians at DPL have put together a helpful list of suggestions, broken up by grade level.

Mystery Reader Binder

There are 3 state award lists for elementary age kids in Illinois. Each list has a committee of professionals that annually nominate 20 books to be considered. Participating schools set the rules for how many books a student has to read in order to vote for their favorite. Voting concludes each school year in March, and the winning book is announced sometime in April.

The Deerfield Public Library always has a display with extra copies of the current award nominees. Come check it out the next time you’re in the Youth Department!

Monarch

The Monarch Award is the Illinois’ K-3 Readers’ Choice Award. The name Monarch was chosen because of its familiarity to K-3 children and to symbolize the growth, change and freedom that becoming a reader brings. The Monarch is designed to encourage children to read critically and become familiar with children’s books, authors and illustrators. The program is open to all K-3 age children in Illinois. Links to all of the 2026 nominees and a pdf of the full list are below!

 

Monarch PDF List

Bluestem

The Bluestem award is designed for students in grades 3-5 who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles. Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists. Links to all of the 2026 nominees and a pdf of the full list are below!

 

Bluestem PDF List

Caudill

The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by children in grades 4-8 in participating Illinois schools. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults. Links to all of the 2026 nominees and a pdf of the full list are below!

 

Caudill PDF List

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