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Each year students throughout the state of Maryland vote to select a book for the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. This award, given to an author and/or illustrator of a children’s book, is a means of promoting literacy and lifelong reading habits to the children of Maryland. School and public librarians and members of the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL) read and nominate books for the student reading lists. The books are grouped into four categories: Picture Books, Grades 4-6, Grades 6-9, and High School. According to MASL, the following criteria are used to choose the nominated books:  Books may be fiction or nonfiction.  Books must have a copyright date of the current year or one of the preceding three years and be readily available.  Each title selected will have received positive reviews from appropriate professional journals.  Books must have been read, discussed, and voted upon by the appropriate Black-Eyed Susan reading committee before being placed on the appropriate list. Schools from across the state of Maryland submit student votes by April 25 each year and votes are tallied to determine the winner in each category. At St.Mary’s, students in grades 4 through 8 voluntarily participate in reading books from the 4-6 and 6-9 categories. In order to be eligible to vote, grade 4-8 students must read four or more of the nominated books in one category and show proof of having read the book through student response forms or participation in book reviews.