What is the Gryphon Award?

The Gryphon Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding English language work of fiction or nonfiction for which the primary audience is children in grades Kindergarten through Grade 4. 

Who decides the winner?

The Gryphon Award is sponsored by the Center for Children's Books at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.  The selection committee consists of 4-6 members drawn from the Graduate School of  Library and Information Science, the editorial staff of the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, local public and school librarians, and the library and education community at large.  

When did the award begin?

The Gryphon Award was started in 2004 as a way to focus attention on transitional reading.  The award is funded by the Center for Children's Books Outreach Endowment Fund.  The winner receives an award of $1000.

What special criteria are used to select this award?

The title chosen will best exemplify the qualities that successfully bridge the gap in difficulty between books for reading aloud to children and books for practiced readers. 

Selection criteria:

• Excellence of presentation

• Distinctive literary quality and appropriateness of style

• Exceptional integration of text, illustration and design

• For nonfiction, accuracy, clarity, organization and presentation of information

Eligibility and Terms:

• Must be English language work of fiction or nonfiction

• Must be published in the calendar year preceding the presentation of the award

• Must be written for children grades K-4

• Must be notable and contribute to world of children's literature

• Original work written for children

• Must be self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (sound or film)

• Textbooks not considered

• Given for a single publication, not for the body of the author/illustrator's work

Why is it called the Gryphon Award?

Gryphon, variation of griffin, is a mythical animal with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.  It is the banner image on the Center for Children's Books website.

What does the award look like?

There is no medal on the web site homepage. Description of Gryphon listed above.