Since 1953, AAUW of North Carolina has partnered with the NC Literary and Historical Association to present an award in recognition of the most significant work of original juvenile literature published over the course of the last year by a North Carolina author.
Lill Van Order, former AAUW NC President, member of the AAUW Cape Fear branch and a retired school librarian, served as our Literature Representative for many years as one of the judges of the award. Jane Terwillegar, member of the AAUW Greensboro branch and a retired librarian, took over that role starting in 2023.
The judges include a representative from Literature & History, one from AAUW NC, and a librarian familiar with young people’s literature. The deadline for the award nominations is July 15 of each year, with the award presented at the fall meeting of the Literary and Historical Association. For full details on the nomination process, requirements, and criteria considered by the judges, see www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/lit-and-hist/awards
Each year copies of the winning author’s book are purchased by AAUW NC. A book plate stating that the book is a gift of AAUW NC is placed in the inside cover. A copy of the book is sent to each branch President. The branch then decides on a method in which to present the copy of the book to their local library’s main collection.
