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Glenville State University Education Professor is Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Judge
Fri Apr 14, 2023
Glenville State University Associate Professor of Education and Director of Field Experiences Dr. Shelly Ratliff with copies of “Garvey in the Dark” and “A Poem Grows Inside You.” (GSU Photo/Dustin Crutchfield)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2023

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GLENVILLE, WV – Glenville State University Associate Professor of Education and Director of Field Experiences Dr. Shelly Ratliff recently helped select the 2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. The award is presented annually to an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of poetry for children published in the previous calendar year.

Ratliff and the other judges selected “Garvey in the Dark,” written by Nikki Grimes and published by Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, as this year’s winner.

The judges also gave an honor award to “A Poem Grows Inside You,” written by Katey Howes, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee, and published by The Innovation Press.

“I was so honored to be asked to serve as a juror for the 2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award,” Ratliff said. “I was the first person from West Virginia to serve on the panel and I received over 50 children’s poetry books to review that I am donating to our on-campus curriculum lab for education students. I’m very grateful to Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book for this opportunity and extend my congratulations to this year’s winner Nikki Grimes and honor award recipient Katey Howes.”

In addition to her duties at Glenville State University, Ratliff is also currently serving as president of the West Virginia Reading Association.

The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award was named for the late internationally renowned educator, poet, anthologist, and passionate advocate of poetry for young people. Established in 1993, the award was the first of its kind in the United States. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book and the Penn State University Libraries share joint administration of the annual award, and its winning titles are selected by a panel of authors, librarians, teachers and scholars.

The other judges for the 2023 award included Colette Slagle, Danielle Higley, Marilyn Robbins, and Arpita Sarker.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book established in 1977 at the Library of Congress, encourages Pennsylvania’s citizens and residents to study, honor, celebrate and promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy. In addition to the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, it also administers the Public Poetry Project, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, “A Baker’s Dozen: The Thirteen Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy,” and the interactive Literary and Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania.

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