2025 CCBC Book Awards: Winners announced

On Monday, October 27, 2025, a gala event was held to announce the winners of this year's English-language Canadian Children's Book Awards of the Canadian Children's Book Centre. (The press release of the announcement is posted here.) From a fine list of nominees, the following winners were selected by juries of their peers from the kidCanLit world. 

Here now are the winners of the following English-language awards:

• Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000)
• Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000)
• Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction ($10,000)
• Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000)
• Jean Little First-Novel Award ($5,000)
• Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy ($5,000)
• Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award ($2,500)

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Congratulations to all winners!

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Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award: WINNER 

 

SOS Water

Written and illustrated by Yayo 
Tradewind Books

 

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Geoffrey Bilson Award for 

Historical Fiction for Young People:   WINNER

 

Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams

Written by Shari Green 
Andrews McMeel Publishing

 

 

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Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children's Non-fiction :   WINNER

 

Meet Jim Egan (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Written by Elizabeth MacLeod 
Illustrated by Mike Deas 
Scholastic Canada

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Amy Mathers Teen Book Award:   WINNER

 

Age 16

Written and illustrated by Rosena Fung
Annick Press

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Jean Little First-Novel Award:   WINNER   

 

Alterations

Written and illustrated by Ray Xu 
Union Square Kids

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Arlene Barlin Award 

for Science Fiction and Fantasy:   WINNER 

 

The Headmasters

Written by Mark Morton
Shadowpaw Press

 

 

 

 

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Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award:   WINNER

  

Hummingbird / Aamo-binashee

Written and illustrated by Jennifer Leason 
Anishinaabemowin translation by Norman Chartrand and Jennifer Leason 
Orca Book Publisher

 

 

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