2020 Governor General's Literary Awards: Winners announced

 

On June 1st, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the winners for the Governor General's Literary Awards for books published in 2020.

Please join me in congratulating the year's winners in the two categories for young readers. 

Young People's Literature -  Text

The King of Jam Sandwiches

Written by Eric Walters

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young People's Literature - Illustrated Books

The Barnabus Project

Written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers 

(Eric Fan, Terry Fan and Devin Fan)

Tundra Books

 

 

Governor General's Literary Awards: 2020 Finalists

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the Governor General's Literary Awards for books published in 2020. Normally this announcement and that of the winners would have taken place last fall. However, because of the pandemic, the announcements of the finalists and the winners have been deferred until this spring. (The 2021 awards will again take place in the fall of this year.) 

 

Awards are given in seven different categories:

• Fiction
• Poetry
• Drama
• Non-fiction
• Young People's Literature - Text
• Young People's Literature - Children's Illustration
• Translation 

Please join me in congratulating this year's finalists in the two categories for young readers. 

Young People's Literature -  Text

(Jury: Catherine Austen, Cary Fagan, Shenaaz Nanji)

 

Harvey Holds His Own

Written by Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press

Reviewed here

Nevers

Written by Sara Cassidy

Orca Book Publishers

Pine Island Home

Written by Polly Horvath

Puffin Canada

The Barren Grounds (Book One of The Misewa Saga)

Written by David A. Robertson

Puffin Canada

The King of Jam Sandwiches

Written by Eric Walters

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young People's Literature - Illustrated Books

(Jury: Wallace Edwards, Bonnie Farmer, Kyo Maclear)

 

I Talk Like a River

Written by Jordan Scott

Illustrated by Sydney Smith

Neal Porter Books / Holiday House

 

Our Little Kitchen

Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Groundwood Books 

Reviewed here

 

Swift Fox All Along

Written by Rebecca Thomas

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Annick Press

 

The Barnabus Project

Written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers 

Tundra Books

 

Weekend Dad

Written by Nassem Hrab

Illustrated by Frank Viva

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

As part of the Toronto International Festival of Authors, there will be six virtual events on May 27 and 28 featuring readings from the finalists in both these categories. You can register for these events here.

The winners will be announced on June 1, 2021.

Congratulations to all finalists!

The 2020 CCBC Book Awards: French-language Winners announced

Two weeks ago, the Canadian Children's Book Centre announced the winners of its six English-language book awards. Yesterday, the final two awards, specifically for French-language children's books, were announced as a part of Salon du Livre de Montreal. From the nominees posted here, the following awards were presented:

• Le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse ($50,000) Sponsored by TD Bank Group; and
  
• Le Prix Harry Black de l’album jeunesse ($5,000) Sponsored by Mary Macchiusi

Congratulations to all nominees and most especially to the winners:

Le Prix TD de littérature pour l'enfance et la jeunesse canadienne: WINNER

Les étoiles
Written and illustrated by Jacques Goldstyn
Éditions de la Pastèque

 

Prix Harry Black de l'album jeunesse: WINNER

Des couleurs sur la Grave
Written by Marie-Andrée Arsenault
Illustrated by Dominique Leroux
Éditions la Morue verte

The winners of the English-language awards were announced on October 30th and the winners posted here.

 

The 2020 First Page Student Writing Challenge

Art by Ben Shannon

Get your students in Grades 7 to 12 writing with

CBC Books'

2020

THE FIRST PAGE
STUDENT WRITING CHALLENGE

in which two winning entries

 (one for Gr. 7-9 and one for Gr. 10-12)

will be selected by

 

 award-winning author

David A. Robertson

 

The Challenge:  
• Write the first page of a speculative fiction novel set 150 years into the future imagining how current world issues and trends would evolve in the next century
• Write 300-400 words.  Be sure to give your "book" a title.

Eligible Participants:
• All Canadian residents who are full time students enrolled in Gr. 7 to 12 may enter.

Timeline:

• Submit here between November 4, 2020 and November 26, 2020

Selection:

• Author David A. Robertson will judge the entries based on the following criteria:

•     creativity;
•     critical thinking; and
•     quality of writing
  

• Shortlists of 10 entries per grade category will be selected from which the winner will be chosen.

Prizes:

• One year subscription to OwlCrate, a monthly delivery of a box of books (winner may select middle grade or young adult)

• The school library of each winner will also receive 50 YA books chosen by CBC.

Full details of this writing challenge are provided at CBC Books with rules and regulations available here.

Teachers' guides and writing tips are available from the CBC Books website for the contest. 

 

The 2020 CCBC Book Awards: English-language Winners announced

Tonight, the Canadian Children's Book Centre, in partnership with the Toronto International Festival of Authors, broadcast its awards ceremony live from the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. From impressive shortlists–see the website announcement here with pdf–the following books have been selected by juries as this year's winners.

Congratulations to all nominees and most especially tonight's winners!

Here are the six English-language awards given out tonight with details of the prize money and sponsors. (Winners of the two French-language awards will be announced on November 13.)

• 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;
• John Spray Mystery Award ($5,000) Sponsored by John Spray of Mantis Investigation Agency;
• Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000) Sponsored by Amy Mathers' Marathon of Books.

TD Canadian Children's Literature Award: WINNER

Birdsong

Written and illustrated by Julie Flett 

Greystone Kids

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award: WINNER 

Small in the City

Written by Sydney Smith 

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction: WINNER

Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, & Murdered Through History

Written by Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David 

Illustrated by Gillian Wilson 

Owlkids Books

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People: WINNER

Orange for the Sunsets

Written by Tina Athaide 

Katherine Tegen Books

John Spray Mystery Award: WINNER

The Starlight Claim
Written by Tim Wynne-Jones
Candlewick
Reviewed here

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award: WINNER

In the Key of Nira Ghani

Written by Natasha Deen 

Running Press Teens

Congratulations to all winners and nominees!

The 2020 Vancouver Writers Fest

The Vancouver Writers Fest, inaugurated in 1988, was named the best large literary festival in Canada by the Canadian Tourism Commission in 2010.  Held this year from October 19-25, 2020, though there are events that extend before and after that special week, the Vancouver Writers Fest hosts countless Canadian (names bolded below) and international authors  of books for adults and youth in interviews and panel discussions. Because the event is completely online this year, it is a great opportunity to visit a stellar writers festival without the travel. Even more special, all Youth events are FREE (or Pay-What-You-Can) to attend, though you must book a ticket at https://writersfest.bc.ca/2020-festival/box-office/. (Tickets went on sale on September 15 so don't wait to get them.)

• • • • • • • •

Here is the listing of YOUTH EVENTS for this year's online Vancouver Writers Fest:


Monday October 19, 2020

11 AM (PST)

This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes: A Morning with Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Gr. 6-9

Details

 

 

 

2 PM (PST)

Hope Matters: An Afternoon with Elin Kelsey
Gr. 8-12

Details

 

 

 

 

Tuesday October 20, 2020

11 AM (PST)

Fatty Legs: On Courage and Bravery with Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton and Christy Jordan-Fenton
Gr. 3-6

Details

 

 

 

2 PM (PST)

The Barren Grounds: An Afternoon with David A. Robertson
Gr. 5+

Details

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

11 AM (PST) 

Hatch & Bloom: A Morning with Kenneth Oppel
Gr. 5-9

Details
 

 

 

2 PM (PST)

I Didn't Do What You Told Me with A. S. King, Sybil Lamb and David A. Robertson
Gr. 8-12

Details

 

Thursday, October 22, 2020

11 AM (PST)

Yorick and Bones: A Morning with Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard
Gr. 3-6

Details

Do check out all the offerings for adults and youth at the Vancouver Writers Fest site (https://writersfest.bc.ca/2020-festival/2020-festival-events/) as there are many more events with well-known Canadian authors of books for adults, as well as with non-Canadian authors of some renown.

2020 Canadian Children's Book Centre Book Awards: Finalists announced

Yesterday, the Canadian Children's Book Centre, our nationally-renowned authority on all things related to youngCanLit, announced the finalists for the 2020 Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards. (See their website announcement here with pdf here and video of shortlists here.)

The eight major children's book awards, which will be awarded later this fall, include:

• TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($50,000) Sponsored by TD Bank Group;
• Le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse ($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;
• John Spray Mystery Award ($5,000) Sponsored by John Spray of Mantis Investigation Agency;
• Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000) Sponsored by Amy Mathers' Marathon of Books; and
• Le Prix Harry Black de l’album jeunesse ($5,000) Sponsored by Mary Macchiusi

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




TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

Birdsong
Written and illustrated by Julie Flett
Greystone Kids

Broken Strings
Written by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer
Puffin Canada

It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Tundra Books

Small in the City
Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
Reviewed here

Stand on the Sky
Written by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada













Le Prix TD de littérature pour l'enfance et la jeunesse canadienne

Les étoiles
Written and illustrated by Jacques Goldstyn
Éditions de la Pastèque

Le grain de sable : Olivier Le Jeune, premier esclave au Canada
Written by Webster
Illustrated by ValMo
Éditions Septentrion

Mon ami Pierrot
Written by Annie Gravel
Illustrated by Enzo
Éditions Planète rebelle

Pipo
Written by Amélie Dumoulin
Illustrated by Todd Stewart
Éditions Québec Amérique

Quand le vent souffle
Written and illustrated by Todd Stewart
Translated by Nadine Robert
Comme des géants

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

Birdsong
Written and illustrated by Julie Flett
Greystone Kids

King Mouse
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dena Seiferling
Tundra Books

My Winter City
Written by James Gladstone
Illustrated by Gary Clement
Groundwood Books

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden
Written by Heather Smith
Illustrated by Rachel Wada
Orca Book Publishers

Small in the City
Written by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
Reviewed here










Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction

Beastly Puzzles: A Brain-Boggling Animal Guessing Game
Written by Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
Kids Can Press
Reviewed here 

Cells: An Owner's Handbook
Written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher
Beach Lane Books

Fairy Science (Fairy Science, Book 1)
Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
Tundra Books

Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, & Murdered Through History
Written by Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David
Illustrated by Gillian Wilson
Owlkids Books

Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket
Written by Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson
Orca Book Publishers









Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People 

Among the Fallen
Written by Virginia Frances Schwartz
Holiday House

Be My Love
Written by Kit Pearson
HarperTrophy Canada

The Big Dig
Written by Lisa Harrington
Nimbus Publishing

City on Strike
Written by Harriet Zaidman
Red Deer Press

Orange for the Sunsets
Written by Tina Athaide
Katherine Tegen Books

Room for One More 

Written by Monique Polak 

Kar-Ben Publishing 

John Spray Mystery Award

The Athena Protocol
Written by Shamim Sarif
HarperTeen
304 pp.
Ages 13+
2019

Keep This to Yourself
Written by Tom Ryan
Albert Whitman & Co.
320 pp.
Ages 13+
2019

The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane
Written by Julia Nobel
Sourcebooks
320 pp.
Ages 8-12
2019
Reviewed here

Songs from the Deep
Written by Kelly Powell
Margaret McElderry
320 pp.
Ages 12+
2019

The Starlight Claim
Written by Tim Wynne-Jones
Candlewick
240 pp.
Ages 13+
2019
Reviewed here









Amy Mathers Teen Book Award

All Our Broken Pieces
Written by L.D. Crichton
Hyperion

The Candle and the Flame
Written by Nafiza Azad
Scholastic Press

In the Key of Nira Ghani
Written by Natasha Deen
Running Press Teens

Keep This to Yourself
Written by Tom Ryan
Albert Whitman & Company

Love from A to Z
Written by S.K. Ali
Salaam Reads






 




Prix Harry Black de l'album jeunesse

La case 144
Written by Nadine Poirier
Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Éditions D'eux

La corde à linge
Written and illustrated by Orbie
Éditions les 400 coups

Des couleurs sur la Grave
Written by Marie-Andrée Arsenault
Illustrated by Dominique Leroux
Éditions la Morue verte

Laurent, c'est moi!
Written by Stéphanie Deslauriers
Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Éditions Fonfon

Le poisson et l'oiseau
Written by Kim Thúy
Illustrated by Rogé
Éditions de la Bagnole

The winners of the English-language awards will be announced at a small, socially distanced event, co-hosted by the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA). There will be a free live stream of the event available on the Canadian Children's Book Centre's YouTube channel, Bibliovideo, afterwards. Leading up to the event, the CCBC and TIFA will host free panel discussions with some of the nominated creators. More event information will be available at festivalofauthors.ca on September 22.

The French-language awards will be celebrated as a part of Salon du livre Montreal, hosted by Communication-Jeunesse, with a virtual event announcing winners of Prix TD and Prix Harry Black in mid-November.