About YHBA
The purpose of the Young Hoosier Book Award Program is to stimulate recreational reading among elementary and middle school/junior high school children and to encourage cooperation between administrators, school media specialists, teachers, public libraries, and the community in providing reading experiences for Indiana school children.
Student participation in pleasure reading was the thrust behind the creation of Young Hoosier Book Award (YHBA) Program in 1974-75. By allowing students to vote for their favorite books, media professionals hoped that more students could be motivated to read more newly published books. 4,681 students helped to chose E.B. White's Trumpet of the Swan as the award's first winner. Last year more than 73,000 students throughout the state voted for their favorite book.
