2024 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Karla M. Schmit, Chair; Penn State education librarian emeritus and director emeritus of the PA Center for the Book (Oakes, ND)
- Erlene Bishop Killeen, retired school library coordinator, Stoughton Area School District (Stoughton, WI)
- Meagan Lenihan, librarian, Lincoln School (Providence, RI)
- Samrat Sharma, doctoral candidate, Penn State University (University Park, PA)
- Margaret G. Simon, teacher of gifted students, Iberia Parish Schools (New Iberia, LA)
2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Dr. Colette Slagle, Chair (Springfield, IL)
- Danielle Higley, children's book author (Boise, ID)
- Dr. Shelly Ratliff, associate professor of education, director of field experiences and president of West Virginia Reading Association (Glenville, WV)
- Marilyn Robbins, children's program coordinator and children's book buyer for BookBar and The Bookies Bookstore (Thornton, CO)
- Arpita Sarker, doctoral candidate, Penn State University (University Park, PA)
2022 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Lynn Rutan, Chair; reviewer/blogger, retired school librarian (Holland, MI)
- Korey Erickson, library coordinator (Sioux Falls, SD)
- Dr. Jason J. Griffith, assistant professor of education at Penn State University (University Park, PA)
- Kathleen Kuo, program manager, Nevada Humanities (Las Vegas, NV)
- John Micklos Jr., author (Newark, DE)
2021 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Cindy Dobrez, Chair; Bookends Blog Co-author (Grand Haven, MI)
- Tony Medina, Professor of Creative Writing at Howard University (Hyattsville, MD)
- Marilyn Nelson, Poet, translator, children's book author (East Haven, CT)
- Karen O’Connell, Coordinator of the Arkansas Center for the Book (Little Rock, AR)
- Suzanne Walker, Indiana Young Readers Center Librarian (Indianapolis, IN)
2020 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Marjorie Maddox Hafer, Chair; Professor of English and Creative Writing, Lock Haven University (Lock Haven, PA)
- Michelle F. Bayuk (Springfield, NJ)
- René M Rodríguez-Astacio, doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction (Children's Literature), Penn State University (University Park, PA)
- Junko Sakoi, Teacher Educator, Tucson Unified School District (Tucson, AZ)
- Bina Williams, MLS, Bridgeport Public Library, North Branch Librarian II, Youth Services (Wallingford, CT)
2019 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Maggie Bokelman, Chair; Librarian (Mechanicsburg, PA)
- Lester Laminack, Author/Consultant (Dillsboro, NC)
- Mary Russell, Director, Center for the Book at the NH State Library (Concord, NH)
- Suzi Steffen, Freelance Arts Journalist and Writing Instructor, Wenatchee Valley College and Linn-Benton Community College (Eugene, OR)
- Sue Parsons, Associate Professor and Jacques Munroe Professor of Reading and Literacy, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
2018 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Libby Snyder, Chair; teacher-librarian (State College, PA)
- Barbara Chatton, professor (Laramie, WY)
- Irene Latham, poet (Birmingham, AL)
- Ed Spicer (Allegan, MI)
- Jorge Argueta, poet and winner of the 2017 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award (San Salvador, El Salvador/San Francisco, CA)
2017 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Ernie Cox, Chair; Teacher-Librarian, Prairie Creek Intermediate School (Iowa City, IA)
- Dr. Emily Aguiló-Pérez, Lecturer, English, The Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA)
- Katie Sue Buchholtz, Children’s Librarian, Bellevue Branch of the Nashville Public Library System (Nashville, TN)
- Dr. Carolyn L. Cook, Associate Professor, Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD (Shippensburg, PA)
- Margarita Engle, Author and winner of the 2016 Hopkins Poetry Award for Children (Clovis, CA)
2016 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Christopher Lassen, Chair; Youth Material Selector, BookOps, New York Public Library/Brooklyn Public Library (New York, NY);
- Cynthia Alaniz, School Librarian, Cottonwood Creek Elementary (Coppell, TX)
- Kwame Alexander, Author, Poet, and Educator (Potomac Falls, VA)
- Paul W. Hankins, ELA Teacher, Silver Creek High School (Floyds Knobs, IN)
- Pamela Michael, Director, Center for Environmental Literacy at Saint Mary's College of California, Co-founder of River of Words (Clayton, CA).
2015 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Tim Wadham, Chair (Puyallup, WA)
- Kathy Barco, Library Consultant, Retired Children’s Librarian/Early Literacy Coordinator (Albuquerque, NM)
- Andrea Cheng, Author/Poet/Teacher, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (Cincinnati, OH)
- Cindy Judd, Education Librarian, Team Leader Learning Resources Center Eastern Kentucky University Libraries (Berea, KY)
- Heather Roney, Owner of Sweets 'N Stories (Oakes, ND)
2014 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Ellysa Stern Cahoy, Chair; Education Librarian and Assistant Director of the PA Center for the Book (State College, PA)
- Amanda Adkins, Youth Services Librarian (Niles, OH)
- Thom Barthelmess, Curator, Butler Children’s Literature Center/ lecturer, Dominican University (River Forest, IL)
- Kate Coombs, Poet (Bountiful, UT)
- Rocco A. Staino, Contributing Editor, School Library Journal/Director, Empire State Center for the Book (New York, NY)
2013 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Dr. Sue C. Kimmel, Chair; assistant professor, school libraries, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)
- Joyce D. Dietrich, elementary librarian, Greencastle-Antrim School District (Chambersburg, PA)
- Dr. Marianne Follis, librarian, Irving Public Library System, Valley Ranch location (Grapevine, TX)
- Mike Skarp, 5th grade teacher, Eden Prairie, MN Schools (St. Louis Park, MN)
- Lee Wardlaw, children's book author (Santa Barbara, CA)
2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Marg Foster, Chair; AASL affiliate representative (Pittsburgh, PA)
- C.M. Millen, poet/writer/teacher (Ottawa Hills, OH)
- Ellen Hunter Ruffin, curator, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection (Hattiesburg, MS)
- Dr. Patricia Stohr-Hunt, chair, Education Department, University of Richmond (Richmond, VA)
- Dianne White, children's author and elementary school teacher, Newhall School District (Newhall, CA)
2011 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Catherine Posey, Chai; Instructor of Children’s Literature, Penn State University (Bellefonte, PA)
- Beth Enochs, Librarian, Fort Worth Independent School District (Fort Worth, TX)
- Alice Schertle, Poet and Children’s Author (Plainfield, MA)
- Dr. Eloise M. Long, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Kutztown University Department of Library Science (Topton, PA)
- Rob Arneson, Elementary Teacher (Fargo, ND)
2010 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Dustin R. Brackbill, Chair; Librarian, State College Area School District (State College, PA)
- Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Poet and Children's Author (Carmel, IN)
- Janice Dysart, K-12 Library Department Chairperson, Central Columbia Middle School Librarian (Bloomsburg, PA)
- Carol Sibley, Curriculum Librarian/Professor, Minnesota State University Moorhead (Dilworth, MN)
- Dr. Sylvia Vardell, Professor, Texas Woman's University in Denton (Dallas, TX)
2009 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Karla M. Schmit, Chiar; Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian and Assistant Director Pennsylvania Center for the Book (University Park, PA)
- Jaime Adoff, Young Adult Novelist and Poet (Yellow Springs, OH)
- Cheryl Fredenburg, Past President, North Dakota Reading Association (Edgeley, ND)
- Eileen Kern, School Librarian, Kratzer Elementary, Parkland School District, Allentown, PA (Whitehall, PA)
- Michael Leonard, Instructor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Dominican University (River Forest, IL)
2008 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Carole D. Fiore, Chair; President, Training and Library Consulting (Tallahassee, FL)
- Randall Enos, Youth Services Consultant, Ramapo Catskill Library System (Middletown, NY)
- Helen Frost, Poet and one of last year’s honor award winners: The Braid, Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux (Fort Wayne, IN)
- Rebecca H. Frost, Retired Elementary School Library Media Specialist (Bloomsburg, PA)
- Patricia M. Wong, County Librarian/Chief Archivist, Yolo County Library (Woodland, CA)
2007 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Elisa Hopkins, Chair; instructor of children’s literature, Penn State University (University Park, PA)
- Susan Bloom, professor emerita, Simmons College (Framingham, MA)
- Jonathan Hunt, library media specialist (Hughson, CA)
- Joyce Sidman, author/poet and last year’s award winner (Wayzata, MN)
- Marge Tassia, professor emerita, Millersville University (Lancaster, PA)
2006 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Monica O'Cilka Wagner, Chair; Elementary School Teacher, State College Area School District (State College, PA)
- Barbara Kiefer, Charolette S. Huck Professor, The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
- Marilyn Singer, Author/Poet (Brooklyn, NY)
- Luann Toth, Managing Editor, Book Review, School Library Journal (New York, NY)
- R. Sylvia Firth, Retired Librarian (Morgantown, PA)
2005 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Mary Napoli, Assistant Professor, Penn State Harrisburg, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (Harrisburg, PA)
- Nina Lindsay, Librarian (Oakland, CA)
- Glenna Sloan, Professor, School of Education, Queens College, CUNY (Queens, NY)
- Hope Anita Smith, Poet (Beverly Hills, CA)
- Monica O'Cilka Wagner, Elementary School Teacher, State College Area School District (State College, PA)
2004 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Richard Flynn, Professor of Literature, Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, GA)
- Liz Rosenberg, Professor of English, SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton, NY)
- Janice M. Del Negro, Director, The Center for Children's Books, GSLIS/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
- Mary Napoli, Assistant Professor, Penn State Harrisburg, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (Harrisburg, PA)
- Anita C. Ditz, Children's Services Librarian, Schlow Library (State College, PA)
2003 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Richard Ammon, Associate Professor of Education, Penn State University - Harrisburg (Harrisburg, PA)
- Amy McClure, Professor of Education at Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)
- Debbie Reese, Post Doctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
- Kristine O'Connell George, Author / Poet (Agoura, CA)
- Anita C. Ditz, Children's Services Librarian, Schlow Library (State College, PA)
2002 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Bev Gallagher, Chair; 3rd grade teacher, Princeton Day School (Princeton, NJ)
- Richard Ammon Jr, children's book author and Associate Professor of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University - Harrisburg (Harrisburg, PA)
- Karen Breen, Children's Editor, Kirkus Reviews (New York City, NY)
- Floyd Dickman, specialist in children's literature & Adjunct Professor of Library and Information Science, Kent State University (Kent, OH)
- Marjorie Maddox-Hafer, poet and Professor of English, Lock Haven University (Lock Haven, PA)
2001 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Bev Gallagher, Chair; 3rd grade teacher, Princeton Day School (Princeton, NJ)
- Steven Herb, Director, The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Penn State University (University Park, PA)
- Linnea Hendrickson, Instructor, University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)
- Jazan Higgins, children's book consultant (New York, NY)
- Hazel Rochman, Editor of Young Adult Books, Booklist Magazine (Chicago, IL)
2000 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Daniel Hade, Chair; Associate University Professor of Children’s Literature (University Park, PA)
- Georgia Heard, Poet/Author (Enterprise, AL)
- K.T. Horning, Children’s Book Center Director (Madison, WI)
- Pat Enciso, Assistant University Professor of Teaching & Learning (Columbus, OH)
- Steven Herb, Education Librarian (University Park, PA)
1999 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Lisa Murphy, Chair; High School English Teacher (Harrisburg, PA)
- Daniel Hade, Associate University Professor of Children’s Literature (University Park, PA)
- Kathryn Mitchell Pierce, Elementary School Teacher & Adjunct Professor of Teaching Reading & Writing (St. Louis, MO)
- Violet Harris, Curriculum & Instruction Department Head (Urbana-Champaign, IL)
- Barbara Elleman, Children’s Book Editor (Chicago, IL)
1998 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Joyce Pinkerton, Chair; Children’s Librarian (Camp Hill, PA)
- Susan Martin (Lancaster, PA)
- Robin Moore, Storyteller (Springhouse, PA)
- Elizabeth Nace, (Duncannon, PA)
- Jil Oliver (Hanover, PA)
1997 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Carol Eklund, Chair; Elementary School Teacher (Millerstown, PA)
- Jack Cassidy, University Professor of Reading Education (Lancaster, PA)
- Karen Fleeger, School Librarian (Harrisburg, PA)
- Joyce Pinkerton (Camp Hill, PA)
- Sue Wolfe, School Librarian (Harrisburg, PA)
1996 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Vicki Laudenslager, Chair; Children’s Librarian (Lykens, PA)
- Carol Eklund, Elementary School Teacher (Millerstown, PA)
- Wendy Lukehart, Children’s Literature Administrator (Harrisburg, PA)
- Pat Spielbauer, Reading Supervisor (Boiling Springs, PA)
- Sara Willoughby-Herb, University Professor of Early Childhood Education (Shippensburg, PA)
1995 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Carolyn Patt, Chair; Elementary School Teacher (Harrisburg, PA)
- Steven Herb, Education Librarian, Penn State University (University Park, PA)
- Vicki Laudenslager, Children’s Librarian (Lykens, PA)
- Diane Lehman Shenk, Children’s Literature Council Editor (Hummelstown, PA)
- Diane Skiffington, State Department of Education Administrator (Harrisburg, PA)
1994 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Lin Welsh, Chair; School Librarian (Red Lion, PA)
- Richard Ammon, Associate University Professor of Education (Middletown, PA)
- Gloria Mader, Elementary School Librarian (Hummelstown, PA)
- Lisa Murphy, Children’s Literature Administrator (Middletown, PA)
- Sue Ellen Snyder, Elementary School Teacher (Willow Street, PA)
1993 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Judges:
- Nancy Edwards, Chair; Reading Consultant (Hummelstown, PA)
- Barbara Glenn, Elementary School Teacher (Harrisburg, PA)
- Jack Meehan, State Department of Education Administrator (Harrisburg, PA)
- Lin Welsh, School Librarian (Red Lion, PA)
- Rosemary Winkeljohann, Professor of Library Science (Lancaster, PA)