2022 Canadian Children's Book Centre: English-language Book Awards shortlists announced

Yesterday, the Canadian Children's Book Centre, our nationally-renowned authority on all things related to youngCanLit, announced the finalists for the 2022 English-language Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards. (See their website announcement here with pdf here and video of shortlists on Bibliovideo.)

This year, the children's book awards include eight awards, both long-established and newly founded:

• TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($50,000), Sponsored by TD Bank Group;
• Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000), Sponsored by A. Charles Baillie;
• Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction ($10,000), Sponsored by the Fleck Family Foundation;
• Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000), Sponsored by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Bilson Endowment Fund;
• Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000), Sponsored by Amy Mathers' Marathon of Books;
• Jean Little First-Novel Award ($5,000);
• Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy ($5,000), Sponsored by Elly Barlin-Daniels; and
  
• David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award ($3,500), Sponsored by Shelly Stagg Peterson.

 (n.b. The French-language award short lists will be announced in October and winners celebrated in November.)

Here are the short lists for each award category, as announced by the Canadian Children's Book Centre:

TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

Borders
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan
HarperCollins

The Fabulous Zed Watson!
Written by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester
Illustrated by Kevin Sylvester
HarperCollins

Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words
Edited by Dr. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry
Orca Book Publishers

A Kid is a Kid is a Kid

Written by Sara O’Leary

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

On the Trapline

Written by David A. Robertson

Illustrated by Julie Flett

Tundra Books

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

 

Hare B&B
Written by Bill Richardson
Illustrated by Bill Pechet
Running the Goat Books & Broadsides
Reviewed here

Lala’s Words
Written and illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Orchard Books

On the Trapline
Written by David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Julie Flett
Tundra Books 

Time is a Flower
Written and illustrated by Julie Morstad
Tundra Books

We All Play / kimêtawânaw
Written and illustrated by Julie Flett
Greystone Kids

Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction

Boy from Buchenwald: The True Story of a Holocaust Survivor
Written by Robbie Waisman with Susan McClelland
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

The Girl Who Loved Giraffes and Became the World’s First Giraffologist

Written by Kathy Stinson

Illustrated by François Thisdale

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words
Edited by Dr. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry
Orca Book Publishers

Mad for Ads: How Advertising Gets (and Stays) in Our Heads
Written by Erica Fyvie
Illustrated by Ian Turner
Kids Can Press

The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures
Written by Christian Allaire
Illustrated by Jacqueline Li
Annick Press

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

Dear Peter, Dear Ulla
Written by Barbara Nickel
Thistledown Press

Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer
Written by Leslie Gentile
DCB

Second Chances
Written by Harriet Zaidman
Red Deer Press

Stealing Home
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by David Namisato
Kids Can Press

Traitors Among Us
Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic
Reviewed here

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award

Blood Like Magic
Written by Liselle Sambury
Margaret K. McElderry Books

If I Tell You the Truth
Written by Jasmin Kaur
HarperCollins

Iron Widow
Written by Xiran Jay Zhao
Penguin Teen Canada

Misfit in Love
Written by S.K. Ali
Salaam Reads

 

The Project
Written by Courtney Summers
Wednesday Books

Reviewed here

Jean Little First-Novel Award

Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer
Written by Leslie Gentile
DCB

Living with Viola
Written and illustrated by Rosena Fung
Annick Press

 

Thanks a Lot, Universe

Written by Chad Lucas

Amulet Books

Reviewed here 

 

 

 

 

Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy

Blood Like Magic
Written by Liselle Sambury
Margaret K. McElderry Books  

 

Hunting by Stars: A Marrow Thieves Novel
Written by Cherie Dimaline
Penguin Teen Canada

 

Iron Widow
Written by Xiran Jay Zhao
Penguin Teen Canada

Sisters of the Snake
Written by Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua
HarperTeen

Spell Sweeper
Written by Lee Edward Födi
HarperCollins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award

 

The Book of Selkie
Written and illustrated by Briana Corr Scott
Nimbus Publishing

A Great Big Night
Written by Kate Inglis
Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Nimbus Publishing

I Talk Like a River
Written by Jordan Scott
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Neal Porter Books

Our Corner Store
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Chelsea O’Byrne
Groundwood Books

Summer Feet
Written by Sheree Fitch
Illustrated by Carolyn Fisher
Nimbus Publishing

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The winners of these awards will be announced on September 29, 2022 at a ticketed event at Harbourfront but also via a free streamed event (register at https://festivalofauthors.ca/event/ccbc-2022-awards-ceremony/) in partnership with the Toronto International Festival of Authors.