Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award

The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (RCYRBA) is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools and libraries. It is named in honor of children's author Rebecca Caudill, who lived and worked in Urbana, Illinois, and has been presented annually since 1988. It is administered by a volunteer board of directors and presented in cooperation with the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, the Illinois Reading Council, and the Illinois School Library Media Association.

Books honored by this award are selected by a popular vote taken of students between the fourth and eighth grades in the State of Illinois. Books are nominated two years in advance of a selection year by students, teachers, and school and public librarians. The nominations are narrowed down to twenty choices by the 70-80 member RCYRBA Evaluator's Committee, and put forward as that year's "Master List." Participating schools and public libraries then collect votes from children starting during the fall of the prior year, up through the end of February in the awarding year, and the award winner is announced each March.