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BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana today announced the nominated book titles for the 2026-2027 Louisiana Readers’ Choice program. Since the program began in 1999, almost half a million K-12 students have read more than 1.5 million books to select winners in the program’s Young Readers and Teen Readers grade level categories. Last year more than 24,000 Louisiana students participated, reading over 82,000 books.
"The Louisiana Readers’ Choice program tackles one of education's greatest challenges – making reading irresistible to young people,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “By combining high-quality book selections with the excitement of student choice and competition, we're creating positive reading experiences that build both skills and enthusiasm. Every vote cast is a step toward stronger literacy and a deeper love of reading.”
The 2026-2027 Louisiana Readers’ Choice nominated titles include 52 combined starred reviews, 20 Junior Library Guild selections, three Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Quick Picks, four Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children’s Books, 45 “Best of the Year” selections, and numerous other national and regional honorees.
Booklists are carefully chosen by committees of school and public librarians across the state, which include a mix of high-quality fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, and poetry, providing a variety of genres that cater to different reading preferences. Louisiana Readers’ Choice nominees are announced a year in advance to allow libraries sufficient time to add the selections to their collections.
Students in grades K-12 who reside in Louisiana are eligible to vote after reading or listening to two or three nominated titles from the booklist corresponding to their grade level. An award winner and an honor book are chosen in each grade level category based on student votes, with many students casting their ballots on voting machines supplied by the Secretary of State’s Voter Outreach Division.
“The true success of Louisiana Readers’ Choice lies in its multi-layered approach to literacy promotion,” said State Librarian Meg Placke. “Students engage with carefully selected, high-quality books, exercise their critical thinking through the selection process, and experience the joy of having their voices heard in celebrating great books. It's literacy education, community building, and reading promotion all in one powerful program.”
Visit the Louisiana Readers' Choice Awards Program webpage for information about the program, previous winners, nominees in the current voting cycle (2025-2026), and additional free resources for libraries such as promotional bookmarks, posters, and study guides.
The State Library of Louisiana inspires and supports literacy and lifelong learning for all Louisianans through access to information, strengthening communities, supporting exceptional library services, and preserving Louisiana’s heritage.
The Louisiana Center for the Book was established in the State Library of Louisiana in 1994. Its mission is to stimulate public interest in reading, books, literacy, and libraries and to celebrate Louisiana’s rich literary heritage. It is the official state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.
Contact information:
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Kevin Calbert |
Barry Landry |