2025 Caudill Nominees This award was created in 1988 to honor Rebecca Caudill, an author and resident of Urbana, Illinois for over 50 years. The titles on this list are chosen by teachers and librarians for children in grades 4-8.
The Inheritance Games* by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros Starfish by Lisa Fipps Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood & Greg Dawson The Fort by Gordon Korman Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby Muhammad Najem, War Reporter by Muhammad Najem & Nora Neus Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega Seen and Unseen by Elizabeth Patridge A First Time For Everything by Dan Santant The Golden Hour by Niki Smith Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist For Justice* by Tommie Smith The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga Vote for your favorite in February 2025 at any APLD location or online! To vote for the 2025 Caudill Award: Must be in grades 4-8 (or homeschool equivalent) and live in Illinois. Must have read or listened to at least 3 Caudill nominees to be eligible to vote.