The Missouri Association of School Librarians sponsors several reader's award programs. The books selected for these programs represent the best current youth literature available to students of different grade levels. Every year, MASL's Readers Award Committees work to create a preliminary list of titles that are read and voted upon by groups of Reader/Selectors to create the final list of nominees. Titles on the final list are then read and voted upon by students across Missouri to determine the recipients of the MASL Readers Awards.
The Mark Twain Readers Award was designed to provide the children of Missouri with a recommended reading list of literature that will enrich their lives. It was originally conceived for students in grades four through six.
