Usually, grown ups do review children books. And grown ups – parents, teachers etc. – decide if a book is appropriate for children of different age groups. Also, most of the children’s books are bought by adults. We all know that there are many lists of “best reads” for children in their different age groups. But who decides which books will be on these lists? Most of the time: adults.

In the Netherlands exists a project that not only promotes reading among children but that gives children who are between 12 and 15 years old the opportunity to vote their favourite books.

The Jonge Jury is a Dutch project where children of the first three classes of secondary school are asked to read books for their age group published a year before and to decide which ones they liked the most. From mid august until end february they have the time to express their opinion about those books and to give their votes. Every child that gives a vote about a book is part of the jury. The five most liked books are then nominated for the Prijs van de Jonge Jury (Price of the Young Jury) and the price is handed to the winning writer on the Day of the Jonge Jury. For the Jonge Jury Price for 2014 were judged the books published (for the first time) in 2012.

Jonge Jury is a project of Stichting Lezen and has been developed and realized by Passionate Bulkboek. The aim of this project is to promote reading together with schools, libraries and bookshops and to make reading more pleasant for young readers also by giving them the opportunity to leave a comment about the books they read. On Friday the 31st of May 2013 the titles of the first 20 most liked books for 2014 were published and from now on children who are between 12 and 15 years old can leave their vote  here for one of the books on the list or any other book published (for children of 12 years and older) in 2012.

50 cent – Slagveld
Elle van den Bogaart – No Deal
Kevin Brooks – I Boy
Jennifer Brown – Hate list
Marion van de Coolwijk – Ademnood
Marian De Smet – Rotmoevie
Bettie Elias – Losse handen
John Green – Een weeffout in onze sterren
Ineke Kraijo – Kate
Martine Letterie – Hanna’s reis
Rom Molemaker – Crisis
Mirjam Mous – Password
Francine Oomen – Rosa in New York
Alexandra Penrhyn Lowe – Sevenster
Veronica Roth – Inwijding
Annejoke Smids – Verlaten
Natasza Tardio – Moordvrienden
Buddy Tegenbosch – Pokerface
Marcel Vaarmeijer – Wendy’s moeder
Mel Wallis de Vries – Klem

If you know any  similar project in your country, please leave a reply here below.

Related articles

• The Netherlands: Jury Votes Revealed (eurovisiontimes.wordpress.com)
• The Dutch jury voting results unveiled (escwebs.net)