The Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader have announced a new partnership with First Book, in support of the 11th annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards. Now through May 6—the final day of Children’s Book Week—young readers can vote online and at participating schools, libraries, and bookstores for their favorite books of the previous year.

As part of the joint effort, First Book will help the CBC and Every Child a Reader provide teachers with resources, including ballots, badges, logos, and voting booth banners. First Book will also promote voting through outreach to its membership network of more than 350,000 educators, who can purchase finalist titles through the First Book Marketplace. In addition, First Book members will be offered the opportunity to receive a free set of books for their classroom, by age group.

Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book, said in a statement, “Giving children and teens a voice in deciding the best of what was written for them is a key step to igniting the joy of reading. Kids want to be heard. Listening to what they think about the books they read can go a long way in developing an engaged reader, and in educating us—the adults doing the writing and publishing—on what matters to them.”

Shaina Birkhead, programming director at the CBC and Every Child a Reader, said in a statement, “We are so happy to be partnering with the passionate people at First Book on the only national book awards voted on exclusively by kids and teens. We hope that thousands of kids and teens will ‘voice their choice’ by May 6!”

The CBC and Every Child a Reader have also implemented changes for this year’s voting process:

  • Extended voting period: Voting for the 2018 awards opened on March 1 and will continue through May 6—running three weeks longer than in years past.

  • Fewer nominees: Young readers have selected five finalists in each award category (down from seven in previous years), making it easier for the more than 750 Children’s Book Week locations to feature the nominated titles.

  • New Materials: Teachers, librarians, and booksellers are encouraged to set up voting booths in their communities. Every Child a Reader has pledged to reimburse participating locations for the cost of the cardboard booth, if they send a photo.

The winners of the 2018 Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards will be announced on May 30, during a ceremony at BookExpo in New York City, hosted by husband-and-wife collaborators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko.