The Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award for Children’s Literature was established in 2007 to recognize outstanding works of children’s literature. A juried panel reviewed nominated children’s titles from authors in the mid-Atlantic region. The winner was chosen through public voting on line and at public libraries, bookstores, and the Children’s Museum of Richmond. Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation was selected as the 2010 winner of the Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award. The book traces the challenges and compromises that shaped the United States Constitution, by featuring children dressed in state-shaped costumes, acting out the drama of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

The award was presented at the 13th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration on October 16, 2010. The gala black-tie-optional affair honored Virginia authors in the fields of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners received a handsome engraved crystal book and a cash prize. For more information, see http://www.lva.virginia.gov/news/press/2010LitAwardWinners.pdf.