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About the Flying Turtle Prize

Helping families choose books for children

A seasonal selection of outstanding books for Iranian children and young adults, reviewed collectively by critics, specialists, and authors in children’s literature.

How it began

From a supplement to a collective memory

Flying Turtle grew out of collective work around literature for children and young adults: a journey that began as a seasonal supplement and became a living archive of independent selections, conversations, and reviews.

  1. Winter 2012

    1 / 4

    Beginning with a supplement

    The first Flying Turtle list appeared as a supplement to the Journal of Children’s and Young Adult Literature, placing book selections alongside an analysis of that season’s publishing landscape.

  2. Season by season

    2 / 4

    A collective conversation

    Critics, authors, and specialists reviewed new books against published criteria. Their conversation produced a list for families, educators, librarians, and young readers.

  3. Year by year

    3 / 4

    From lists to awards

    Four seasonal lists became the starting point for a fresh review of the year’s books, followed by the Gold and Silver Awards through a separate vote and independent rules.

  4. Today

    4 / 4

    A record of independent choices

    The project continues with the support of City Book Institute, preserving lists, reviews, statements, and celebrations as a traceable history of collective selection.

Every season

Selecting and rating books

Books enter each list through a documented review process and clear criteria. A rating of three to six turtles is the outcome of that seasonal review.

Every year

Gold and Silver Awards

Each year, the jury also selects distinguished books and presents the Flying Turtle Gold and Silver Seals to the chosen works. is a separate annual distinction and is not determined solely by a book’s seasonal turtle rating.

Official rating system

What three to six turtles mean

6

Six Turtles

The strongest alignment with the jury’s criteria, together with a distinctive quality in content or form.

5

Five Turtles

The strongest alignment with the jury’s criteria.

4

Four Turtles

A meaningful degree of alignment with the jury’s criteria.

3

Three Turtles

Literary merit with no conflict with the jury’s criteria.

Read the source on the official website

How to use the list

How to read each book entry

1 Turtle rating

2 Book and edition details

3 Keywords

A book’s audience is indicated through Age range, Reading ability, School level .

Read-aloud

Children who do not yet read and need the book to be read aloud to them.

Beginning reader

Children beginning to read fluently who can read short books independently.

Independent reader

Children and young adults with advanced reading skills.

Keywords describe the intended audience, physical qualities and materials, genre and form, and the book’s prominent subjects.

A human-led process

How reviews work

Book review groups

  • Literature
  • Science and Education
  • Religion and the Humanities
  • Art and Recreation
  • Books for Children Under Five
  1. 1

    Regular jury meetings are valid when an absolute majority of members is present.

  2. 2

    A book proposed by at least three members receives three turtles and enters the list. Four, five, or six turtles require approval by a majority of the jury.

  3. 3

    A juror employed by a publishing organization may not propose or vote for books published by that organization.

  4. 4

    Authors outside the jury may help propose books and write reviews.

  5. 5

    Books written by jury members are presented in a separate section of the list.

  6. 6

    Each issue reviews books from one season, identified at the beginning of the relevant section.

  7. 7

    The initial inventory is prepared from the Iran Book House database. A missed title may be reviewed in the following season.

  8. 8

    External specialists are consulted for picture books and specialist fields.

Published criteria

Criteria for selection and annual awards

  1. 1

    A distinctive personal style and the ability to create a fresh world and singular atmosphere.

  2. 2

    Coherence among content, language, execution, graphic design, production, materials, and printing.

  3. 3

    Attention to the possibilities of language and innovation in Persian.

  4. 4

    A relationship with literary heritage alongside the ability to open new horizons.

  5. 5

    Innovation in literary forms and new contributions to Iranian and international children’s literature.

  6. 6

    Accurate, impartial, current information and innovation in the authorship and design of informational books.

  7. 7

    Respect for the values of Iran’s peoples and communities, without ridicule or stereotyping.

  8. 8

    Attention both to the lives of Iranian children and to their place in the global community.

  9. 9

    Encouragement of critical thinking and questioning.

  10. 10

    Respect for individual differences and resistance to treating all children alike.

  11. 11

    Attention to the complexity of children’s real lives, without oversimplification or imposing an adult world.

  12. 12

    Respect for peace, safety, tolerance, dialogue, human and children’s rights, disability and access needs, other living beings, and the environment, while opposing discrimination.

Read the full criteria on the official website

Annual award rules

Gold and Silver Awards

A six-turtle rating does not automatically result in a Gold Award. Annual award voting has its own quorum and rules.

  1. 1

    Flying Turtle Gold and Silver Seals are presented annually to books that best align with the project’s criteria.

  2. 2

    The initial nominees come from the year’s four seasonal lists. Five- and six-turtle books receive priority, while every book from the year is reviewed again.

  3. 3

    Seal selection takes place in one or more meetings separate from seasonal judging.

  4. 4

    An annual-seal meeting requires at least two-thirds of the jury to be present.

  5. 5

    A Gold Seal requires the votes of two-thirds of the full jury.

  6. 6

    A Silver Seal requires the votes of two-thirds of the jurors present.

  7. 7

    Between one and three exceptional books may receive a Gold Seal each year.

  8. 8

    Silver Seals recognize books that merit special commendation.

  9. 9

    When results are announced, the jury explains the reasons behind each selection.

The team masthead

The people behind the list

Flying Turtle is not the choice of one person. Jury members bring different experiences to the same table, read, discuss, and share responsibility for every seasonal selection.

  • 1

    Hamid Abazari

    Jury member

  • 2

    Mahmoud Borabadi

    Jury member

  • 3

    Shokouh Haji-Nasrollah

    Jury member

  • 4

    Shiva Hariri

    Jury member

  • 5

    Shadi Khoshkar

    Jury member

  • 6

    Ali-Asghar Seyedabadi

    Jury member

  • 7

    Shahram Shokouri

    Jury member

  • 8

    Gisou Faghfouri

    Jury member

  • 9

    Nelly Mahjoub

    Jury member

  • 10

    Farmehr Monjezi

    Jury member

  • 11

    Maryam Mohammadkhani

    Jury member

  • 12

    Farnaz Mirhosseini

    Jury member

  • 13

    Roya Mirghiasi

    Jury member

  • 14

    Komeil Ghasemi

    Flying Turtle team member

  • 15

    All Children of Iran

    Flying Turtle team member

Official contact

Flying Turtle Prize Secretariat

City Book Institute, 765 Shariati Street, corner of Kalateh Alley, Tehran, Iran
Phone: +98 21 8840 8288
lakposht.parandeh@gmail.com
Current official website