William Allen White Award
(Grades 3-5)

The William Allen White Children's Book Awards, established and directed by Emporia State University, was founded by the late Ruth Garver Gagliardo, a specialist in Children's Literature, to honor the memory of one of the state's most distinguished citizens by encouraging the boys and girls of Kansas to read and enjoy good books. The White Awards Program is supported in part by the Trusler Foundation. The White Awards are given annually to two books, one for 3rd to 5th Grade and one for 6th to 8th Grade. Recipients are chosen by the children of Kansas, who vote for their favorite books from a Master List created by the White Awards selection committee comprised of Kansas teachers and librarians. The Award Medals are presented annually on the first or second Saturday of October to the winning authors at the William Lindsay White Civic Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas where they will make their acceptance speeches. The ceremony is preceded by autographing sessions and other child related activities at the Emporia State University Memorial Union.