What is the Award?
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award was developed to encourage children and young adults to read for personal satisfaction. It is an Illinois award for outstanding literature for young people and is sponsored by the Illinois Reading Council, the Illinois School Library Media Association, and the Illinois Association of Teachers of English.

• Books are nominated by children in grades 4-8.
• A master list of 20 titles is sent to participating elementary and middle schools.
• Students read the books on the list and vote for their favorites each February.
• Votes are sent to the award committee, which compiles the final tally.
• The winning title is announced in March.
• Postcards announcing the winner are mailed to each participating school or library.
• A plaque is given to the author of the winning book.
• Public libraries may sponsor the program if the schools in the area choose not to do so.

Who Was Rebecca Caudill?
Rebecca Caudill has loved storytelling since she was five years old. She published her first book when she was 44.  Her books are honest, and cross all geographic and social barriers. 

Born in Harlan County, Kentucky, deep in the Appalachian Mountains, on February 2, 1899, Rebecca was one of ten children born to George and Susan Caudill, both teachers. 

She was very active as a student at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. After graduation, she taught English and history in a Tennessee high school. In 1922, she received a fellowship to Vanderbilt University, where she received a master's  degree in International Relations. 

A tip from a friend led Rebecca to Brazil, where she taught English to children in Rio de Janiero. Two years later, she returned to Tennessee to help put her younger siblings through college. She edited a publication for young girls in Nashville, eventually landing a job at a Chicago publishing firm.

Rebecca married James Sterling Ayars in 1931, and had two children. In 1937, they  moved to Urbana, Illinois. Rebecca's first book, Barrie and Daughter , was published in 1943. Ideas for her books came from her childhood; the characters were based on people she knew in the hill country of Kentucky and Tennessee. Her children's books especially brought alive the pioneer era of the 1700s and 1800s.

Rebecca Caudill died October 2, 1985. Her books included Tree of Freedom , a Newbery Honor winner (Viking, 1949); Did You Carry the Flag Today, Charley? (Holt, 1966); A Pocketful of Cricket (Holt, 1964); and A Certain Small Shepherd (Dell, 1987).