The Willow Awards: Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice

On February 28, 2012,  young readers in Saskatchewan will be voting for their favourite books as part of the 2011 Willow Awards reading program. 

Established in 2001, the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice (SYRCA) awards, the Willow Awards, encourage reading by nominating a variety of Canadian titles in three categories.  Young readers can participate in the reading programs through their schools and public libraries, selecting their favourite from one list.  The Willow Awards are truly conferred according the choices of Saskatchewan's young readers.

This year's lists of nominated titles were announced last year.  Since then, young readers have enjoyed reading exceptional Canadian books, anticipating their voting day next week.

The three Willow Awards i.e., Shining Willow, Diamond Willow and Snow Willow are detailed below, along with the 2011 nominated titles.
 

The Shining Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for youngest readers, those in Kindergarten to Grade 3.

The 2011 Shining Willow nominees are:

• Clever Rachel
by Debby Waldman, illustrated by Cindy Revell
Orca Books
2009

• Fred and Pete at the Beach
by Cynthia Nugent
Orca Books
2009

• Giraffe and Bird
by Rebecca Bender
Dancing Cat Books
2010

• The Imaginary Garden
by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Kids Can Press
2009

• In Front of My House
by Marianne Dubuc
Kids Can Press
2010

• The King’s Taster
by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
HarperCollins
2009

• The Little Hummingbird
by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Greystone Books/D & M Publishers
2010

• Timmerman Was Here
by Colleen Sydor, illustrated by Nicolas Debon
Tundra Books
2009

• Viola Desmond Won’t be Budged
by Jody Nyasha Warner, illustrated by Richard Rudnicki
Groundwood Books
2010

• Willow’s Whispers
by Lana Button, illustrated by Tania Howells
Kids Can Press
2010

The Diamond Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for readers of Grades 4 to 6.

The 2011 Diamond Willow nominees are:

• After All, You're Callie Boone

by Winnie Mack
Scholastic Canada
2010

• Animals That Changed The World
by Keltie Thomas
Annick Press
2010

• Fatty Legs
by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes
Annick Press
2010

• The Gargoyle In My Yard
by Philippa Dowding
Dundurn
2009

• The Midnight Curse
by L. M. Falcone
Kids Can Press
2010

• The Odds Get Even
by Natale Ghent
HarperCollins
2009

• Ortega
by Maureen Fergus
Kids Can Press
2010

• Stolen Child
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada
2010

• Tumbleweed Skies
by Valerie Sherrard
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
2009

• Walking Backward
by Catherine Austen
Orca Books

2010

The Snow Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for readers in Grades 7 to 9.

The 2011 Snow Willow nominees are:

• Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom
by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books
2010

• Free As A Bird
by Gina McMurchy-Barber
Dundurn
2010

• A Hare In The Elephant's Trunk 
by Jan L. Coates
Red Deer Press
2010

• Haunted 
by Barbara Haworth-Attard
HarperCollins
2009

• Home Truths
by Jill MacLean
Dancing Cat Books
2010

• No Safe Place
by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
2010

• Puppet  

by Eva Wiseman
Tundra Books
2009

• Shapeshifter
by Holly Bennett
Orca Books
2010

• Thunder Over Kandahar
by Sharon E. McKay
Annick Press
2010

• The Worst Thing She Ever Did
by Alice Kuipers
HarperTrophy Canada
2010

The nominated titles for the 2012 Willow Awards have been posted here on the March 2, 2012.