The winning author receives a medal and an invitation to visit Rhode Island in October for a ceremony. The polls are open Feb. 1 through March 2 at public libraries statewide.

February is voting time. But in this case, children get to vote instead of adults.

All around Rhode Island, readers in third through fifth grade can cast their votes for the annual Rhode Island Children’s Book Award. Last February, more than 6,700 did just that. What does it take? The voter must read at least three books from a list of 20 excellent choices. The winning author receives a medal and an invitation to visit Rhode Island in October for a ceremony. The polls are open Feb. 1 through March 2.

What are this year’s reading choices? The list really does have something for everyone. Among the fiction books, which range from 32 to 294 pages, are contemporary stories, historical ones, fantasy novels, mysteries and adventures. Some are funny, others are serious. They focus on sports, school, friendship, immigrants, orphans, war, superstitions, witches, monsters, quests and much more.

Even their formats vary. One is told in letters and another in poetry. Some have pictures, from a few to a lot. "The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo" is a graphic novel with pictures on every page. Several of the fiction books are the first in a series, so if a reader likes the series opener, sequels are waiting in the wings.

Kids who prefer facts to fiction will find a true story about an orchestra with instruments made from trash, a picture book biography of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a memoir of Little League star Mo’ne Davis and a lively biography titled "Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions." And for anyone of any age looking for a terrific collection of concrete poetry, the list features "Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems."

Where can you find the books? Many public and school libraries have the books available. The Rhode Island Center for the Book persuaded publishers to donate copies to schools that, painfully, don’t have adequate book budgets.

If your public library doesn’t have the book on hand, they can get it for you for free through Rhode Island’s great interlibrary loan system. Many of the books can also be downloaded through eZone, the public library source for electronic books and digital audiobooks. Find eZone, which has books for all ages, at your library’s website.

Where can a middle-grade reader vote? There are voting stations at some public libraries as well as many schools. Participating libraries include: Ashaway, Cranston (voting station at Central but ballots will be accepted at all branches), Cumberland, Exeter, Greenville, Hope, Hope Valley (Langworthy), Knight Memorial (Providence), Lincoln, Louttit (West Greenwich), Mount Pleasant (Providence), Newport, Pawtucket, Providence Public Library, Richmond (Clark), Warwick (Central Branch), and Woonsocket Harris Public Library.

Everyone likes to offer an opinion but we don’t always ask kids what they think. The Rhode Island Children’s Book Award invites kids to read, compare the books, maybe talk to their friends about them, and register their vote. The award builds excitement around reading and libraries. So take your third, fourth or fifth grader to your local library to become a book voter.

Find the full list of books at www.olis.ri.gov/youth/ricba/.

P.S. Older students, you haven’t been left out. The Rhode Island Middle School Book Award is for students in sixth through eighth grade, with voting in March from a list of 20 books. Teens are participating in the Rhode Island Teen Book Award vote this month.

— Kathleen Odean, who lives in North Kingstown, is the author of “Great Books for Babies and Toddlers.”