The Lincoln Award Program is a statewide program from AISLE (Association of Illinois School Library Educators) designed to encourage HS students to read.
Each year a volunteer committee of librarians & students makes a list of 20 nominees. This list can include both adult & young adult fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and story collections. (Interested in joining that committee? More info here!)
The book that gets the most student votes statewide is declared that year's winner!
READ! Then fill out this 2027 Abe Reader Form so we can add that title to your tally.
Read THREE of the titles between now and mid-March if you want to vote. (But reading even just one will get you Lincoln sunglasses for participating!)
The REAL PRIZE, of course, is the pleasure you derive from reading, BUT each time you complete a check-in you also get prize that could be sunglasses, a soda, locker magnents, etc.
After reading at least three books, you will be invited to a Voting Pizza Party in mid-March.
All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
In the wake of being sexually assaulted by her pastor, sixteen-year-old Amina struggles to regain her footing until she finds the strength within herself to confront her abuser in court.
All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis
An autistic teen tries to figure out what happened the night his older brother was unjustly arrested in this story about brotherhood, identity, and social justice.
Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon
River Langston-Lee dumps his girlfriend, quits his job at his parents' cafe, and gets a job at a failing Korean cafe working with grumpy goth Sarang Cho, in an enemies-to-lovers coffee shop romance.
Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall
A dark and enthralling story of four sisters with unusual talents who investigate a mysterious disappearance in their secluded Appalachian town.
Brownstone by Samuel Teer & Julia Mar
In the summer of 1995, almost-fifteen-year-old Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage for the first time.
Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming
Death in the Jungle is the true story of the Jonestown massacre and how cult leader Jim Jones manipulated over 900 followers into committing "revolutionary suicide."
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
Andrew must help his best friend Thomas when Thomas' macabre drawings come to life, killing anyone close to him; battling the monsters each night, Andrew begins to fear the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator.
Flamboyants by George M. Johnson
George M. Johnson celebrates writers, performers, and activists from 1920s Black America whose sexualities have been obscured throughout history. Through 14 essays, Johnson reveals how American culture has been shaped by icons who are both Black and Queer – and whose stories deserve to be celebrated in their entirety.
A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
A girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception, pair up in a plot to bring down the gods.
The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters
An inspirational memoir from the U.S.’s most decorated winter Paralympic or Olympic athlete, The Hard Parts tells a gripping story of overcoming extraordinary physical challenges to create a life.
The House of My Mother by Shari Franke
The shocking true story behind the viral "8 Passengers" family vlog and the hidden abuse Shari Franke suffered at the hands of her mother -- and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, Shari found freedom and healing.
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
After transferring to a Catholic school, Yami Flores finds it hard to fake being straight when she falls for Bo, the only openly queer girl at their school, but Yami refuses to follow her heart until she learns to live her full truth out loud.
Louder Than Hunger by Jon Schu
Even though he likes helping people, Jake -- who avoids kids his own age, mirrors, and food -- must learn to help himself when the destructive voices inside get to be too much, in this verse novel about managing and articulating pain and embracing self-acceptance and love.
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
A self-professed teen love doctor with his own segment on a Detroit hip-hop show, Prince Jones has only three dates to prove to Dani, an ambitious writer who hates all things romance, that he's worth falling for.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
A convent-raised third-born daughter must complete three impossible tasks from a witch in order to save her abused sister and overthrow a tyrannical prince.This isn't the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince. It's the kind where she kills him.
Shadowed by Carl Deuker
Nate plays soccer because his family expects him to, but discovers basketball is his sport when Lucas moves in across the street; however, Nate has an axe to grind with two of the court's star players.
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
When her tearoom is threatened, Arthie Casimir must make a devil's bargain with an adversary in order to infiltrate a dark and glittering vampire society and pull off a heist that turns into a fight to save the world.
This is Where We Die by Cindy R.X. He
Six (out of eight) teens who made it out alive from a ski trip two years ago must now fight for their survival again -- this time from a lurking killer on a secluded island.
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now. . . by Jason Reynolds
In a series of moments spanning two years, Neon navigates the progression of his relationship with Aria, culminating in a case of the jitters as the two intend to take the next big step in their relationship.
We Could be Magic by Marissa Meyer
Tabitha lands a coveted job at Sommerland, but instead of being a princess, she’s working the nacho food stand. But with new friends, a new crush and magic, she may devise her own happily ever after.