Vermont Youth Book Awards Shine Spotlight on Young Readers
Waterbury, VT – The Vermont Department of Libraries has unveiled the winners of the 2025 Vermont Youth Book Awards, showcasing the literary voices celebrated by over 17,000 young readers across the state. This year’s recipient of the Red Clover Book Award for students in grades K-4 is Anna McGregor’s "Who’s Afraid of the Light?” The award for grades 4-8, the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, goes to Kate O’Shaughnessy for "Lasagna Means I Love You." High school students honored Darcy Coates’ "Where He Can’t Find You" with the Green Mountain Book Award.
The Vermont Youth Book Awards aim to foster literacy and a love for reading among children and teens. Each year, dedicated book award committees curate nominee lists, with students casting their votes for the best books published in the previous year. Janette Shaffer, assistant state librarian, noted that the selected titles for 2025 were chosen from books released in 2023, and students had the opportunity to engage with these works throughout the academic year.
Jonathan Clark, Library Consultant for Children and Teen Services, expressed his enthusiasm for the event: “It’s wonderful to see young readers engage with quality literature, and to celebrate these award-winning authors.”
Each award committee provided insights into their winning titles, emphasizing themes of humor, resilience, and suspense. "Who’s Afraid of the Light?" invites readers into the mysterious depths of the ocean, while "Lasagna Means I Love You" tells the poignant story of a girl navigating foster care through cooking. "Where He Can’t Find You" immerses readers in a haunting narrative about survival against malevolent forces.
The Waterbury Public Library has copies of all three winning titles available for borrowing, encouraging continued engagement with these celebrated works.
————————————————————————
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
————————————————————————
