Award History

The Golden Sower Award was started by Drs. Karla Hawkins Wendelin and Dee Storey, both professors in the Elementary Education Department at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. They created the structure for the program in 1980 with funding acquired through a Nebraska Council of Humanities grant. The bronze statue on the top of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln was the inspiration for the naming of the award. Just as The Sower sows seeds, symbolizing the agriculture, life and prosperity of the state, the award seeks to sow seeds of literacy in children by encouraging them to read.

The first Golden Sower Award went to Deborah and James Howe for Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale Mystery in 1981. There were 4,185 votes tallied that first year. A primary grade category was added in 1983; Judy and Ron Barrett won that award for their book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. A third category, designated for young adult readers, was added in 1992. The first award in that category was presented to Joan Lowery Nixon for Whispers from the Dead. There were 59,688 readers who cast votes that year.

As the program grew through the years, a committee was formed to manage the operations and details of what had become a very popular reading program for schools, libraries, and individuals throughout the state of Nebraska. The award became affiliated with the Nebraska Library Association as a committee under the School, Children and Young People’s Section of the NLA in 1985. In 2022, NLA officially retained their long-standing rights to the award and elevated the Golden Sower Committee to a standing committee separate from SCYP. This provided oversight and accountability to the award.

In 2016, the committee revised the categories of books in order to better describe the generally intended reading levels of the program. The three categories were: Picture Books (formerly Primary) generally appropriate for K-2 children; Chapter Books (formerly Intermediate) intended to be appropriate for grades 3-5; Novel (formerly young adult) appropriate for grades 6-8. 

In 2023, the committee again revised and renamed the categories, keeping similar grade level designations, but adding an additional category targeted at high school readers. 

Each year, thousands of Nebraska’s youth participate in the Golden Sower Award by reading titles, talking about the books with others, holding book battles, voting for their favorites, and throwing celebrations for the winners. The most votes ever received for the award was in 2013-2014 when more than 75,000 votes were tallied.

All of those involved with the award, past and present, are excited to be a part of this great tradition and to continue promoting a love of reading!

Click for to access a list of past Winners and Nominees (1981-2023) and the History of Voting