Great writing sparks passionate responses. We invite you to share yours.

The finalists have been announced for the 93rd California Book Awards. Now we want to know what you think!

Since 1931, the California Book Awards has honored the best of California literature. Each year, a jury reads hundreds of books to find the very best; every spring, they choose a small group of finalists for the award. Winners are announced in May.

To celebrate more than 93 years of the California Book Awards, we invite readers aged 13 and older to read with us and share your responses to the 2024 finalists! Do you agree with our choices? Did your favorite win the award? Tell us what you think!

To participate, check out the previews of each of the finalists and select one or more to read. Then write, draw, discuss with your friends—respond however you want and share your responses here.

See the information below about how to get started and publish your responses on this website.

Need ideas? We have some suggestions! You can also browse through other people’s responses or click on the map below. You can even read finalists from previous years (under The Finalists in the top nav).

Need books?

To ensure that everyone can participate, free books can be sent to people, schools, and organizations with financial need. Email education@commonwealthclub.org for more information.

Get your students involved in three simple steps.

  1. Review the "How-To" Docs Before you get started, you may want to review the "how-to" videos and instructions of this project.
  2. Sign Up You and your students are invited to add your stories to the conversation. Register to get accounts for your school or learning space.
  3. Be Inspired We've put together some prompts to get you started.

Use the Map to Find Other Responses


Map placeholder