Eligibility
To be eligible for consideration, a book must be science fiction and be one for which children are the intended audience.
Books are eligible if published between Nov 1 of the previous year and Oct 31 of the year under consideration. The review process will begin in January of the calendar year under consideration. The submission deadline is December 1. The lists will be announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in January. A book might have a copyright date prior to the year under consideration but, for various reasons, was not published until the year under consideration. Collections of stories must contain stories copyrighted during the previous calendar year and never before published.
Selection Criteria
In addition to the question of interest and appeal to children, books will be assessed using the following criteria:
Please note the following criteria for consideration:
- It is science fiction;
- It possesses literary qualities of plot development, character development and a good story;
- There is consistency of information, especially the science;
- There is quality of design, format, and originality of illustration; and
- It meets the guidelines for the specific selection list (Golden Duck, Eleanor Cameron and Hal Clement).