One of the winners of this year’s William Allen White Book Award — Lisa Harkrader — was in Emporia this morning, coaching area students chosen to attend the Young Writers Conference at Emporia High School.
Harkrader’s book, “Airball: My Life in Briefs,” was chosen by Kansas youngsters in the fifth- through eighth-grade balloting.
“A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray,” by Ann Martin won in the voting by third- through fifth-graders.
Harkrader, who graduated from The University of Kansas and lives in Tonganoxie, said in a Gazette story published Friday that she was excited to be nominated for the award. Voting ended on April 15 and she was waiting to hear about the winners.
Even as a youngster, she took the awards seriously. She participated in the WAW Book Award voting as an elementary school student in Kansas, and was flattered to have her book nominated. The win was hoped-for, but unexpected, in Harkrader’s mind.
“I can’t even believe it,” she said of the win. “Seriously, I know people think, ‘She’s like gushy or mushy and stuff,’ but I grew up in Kansas. ... Every time I’d get the list, I’d want to read every one.
“This is like my fifth-grade dream come true.”
“Airball,” with the author listed as L.D. Harkrader, tells the story of a non-athletic seventh-grader who joins a basketball team and is convinced he’s the son of a famous professional basketball player.
Harkrader also has written numerous short stories and 13 other books for young adolescents, including “The Grizzly Bear,” “Cuba: a MyReportLinks.com Book,” “The Orangutan,” and “Kidding Around Kansas City.” She also has ghost-written several of the “Animorph” series of books.
Martin’s book features a stray puppy named Squirrel as the lead character, according to a news release from the Emporia State University media relations department. ESU administers the awards, which are supported by the Trusler Foundation.
“Dog’s Life” tells Squirrel’s story as she faces the world alone, encountering busy highways, changing seasons and human beings of varying character along the way.
Martin lives in Hudson Valley, N.Y., and is the author of the “Babysitters Club” series of children’s books.
Both authors are first-time William Allen White Children’s Book Award winners, and will be honored for their wins at a presentation ceremony Oct. 4 in the William L. White Auditorium.
The ceremony will mark the end of two days of activities for the authors, who will sign autographs and tell stories to children who will participate from across the state.
The White Awards program is the nation’s first statewide readers’ choice award.
Since its inception in 1952, more than 3.7 million votes have been cast by Kansas school children to choose the annual winners.
The program was founded by Ruth Carver Gagliardo, a specialist in children’s literature, to honor White’s memory by encouraging Kansas boys and girls to read and enjoy good books.
Gagliardo guided the White Award program from 1952 until her death in 1980, the ESU news release stated.