On October 1st, the Canadian Children's Book Centre,
our nationally-renowned authority on all things related to youngCanLit,
announced the finalists for the 2024 English-language Canadian Children's Book Centre
Awards. (See their website announcement here with videos of shortlists on Bibliovideo.) These finalists for the seven awards are a sampling of the extraordinary books for young people created by Canadian authors and illustrators. They are a great resource for exceptional reads from 2023 and 2024.
This year, the children's book awards include the following:
- TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($50,000)
- Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000)
- Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000)
- Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000)
- Jean Little First-Novel Award ($5,000)
- Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy ($5,000)
- David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award ($3,500)
- Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award ($2,500)
(n.b. The French-language award short lists will be announced on October 16th and winners celebrated on November 13.)
• • • • • • •
Here are the short lists for each award category, as announced by the Canadian Children's Book Centre:
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
Do You Remember?
Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
Green Papayas
Written by Nhung N. Tran-Davies
Illustrated by Gillian Newland
Red Deer Press
Simon Sort of Says
Written by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada
Skating Wild on an Inland Sea
Written by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrated by Todd Stewart
Groundwood Books
The Umbrella House
Written by Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press
Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
Love Is in the Bear
Written by Judith Henderson
Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi
Owlkids Books
Our Pool
Written and illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Skating Wild on an Inland Sea
Written by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrated by Todd Stewart
Groundwood Books
A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis
Written by Kathy Stinson
Illustrated by Lauren Soloy
Greystone Kids
When You Can Swim
Written and illustrated by Jack Wong
Orchard Books (Scholastic)
Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold
Written by Jessica Outram
Second Story Press
The Cricket War
Written by Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish
Kids Can Press
Focus. Click. Wind.
Written by Amanda West Lewis
Groundwood Books
Mall Goth
Written and illustrated by Kate Leth
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Out of the Dark
Written by Julie Lawson
Nimbus Publishing
Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
Brighter Than the Sun
Written by Daniel Aleman
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Written by Liselle Sambury
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Only This Beautiful Moment
Written by Abdi Nazemian
Balzer + Bray
Something More
Written by Jackie Khalilieh
Tundra Books
The Space Between Here & Now
Written by Sarah Suk
Quill Tree Books
Jean Little First-Novel Award
Bee Bakshi and the Gingerbread Sisters
Written by Emi Pinto
HarperCollins Publishers
The Boy Who Woke the Sun
Written by A.T. Woodley
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Red Deer Press
The Cricket War
Written by Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish
Kids Can Press
The Secret of the Ravens
Written and illustrated by Joanna Cacao
Clarion Books
Where the Water Takes Us
Written and illustrated by Alan Barillaro
Candlewick Press
Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy
Bonesmith (House of the Dead, Book 1)
Written by Nicki Pau Preto
Margaret K. McElderry Books
The Boy, the Cloud and the Very Tall Tale
Written by Heather Smith
Orca Book Publishers
City of Nightmares (City of Nightmares, Book 1)
Written by Rebecca Schaeffer
Clarion Books
Nightbreaker (Nightbreaker, Book 1)
Written by Coco Ma
Viking Books for Young Readers
The Stars of Mount Quixx (The Brindlewatch Quintet, Book 1)
Written by S.M. Beiko
ECW Press
David Booth Award for Children's and Youth Poetry
Forever Our Home
Written by Tonya Simpson
Illustrated by Carla Joseph
Orca Book Publishers
I Want to Build a Seahouse
Written by Whitney Moran
Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Nimbus Publishing
Like a Hurricane
Written by Jonathan Bécotte
Translated by Jonathan Kaplansky
Orca Book Publishers
The Prisoner and the Writer
Written by Heather Camlot
Illustrated by Sophie Casson
Groundwood Books
Robot, Unicorn, Queen: Poems for You and Me
Written by Shannon Bramer
Illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Groundwood Books
The Yellow Leaves Are Coming
Written by James Gladstone
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Red Deer Press
Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award
Alone: The Journeys of Three Young RefugeesWritten by Paul Tom
Illustrated by Mélanie Baillairgé
Translated by Arielle Aaronson
Groundwood Books
The Halifax Explosion: 6 December 1917, at 9:05 in the Morning
Written by Afua Cooper
Illustrated by Rebecca Bender
Plumleaf Press
The Secret Pocket
Written by Peggy Janicki
Illustrated by Carrielynn Victor
Orca Book Publishers
Shizue's Path
Written by Mark Sakamoto
Illustrated by Rachel Wada
HarperCollins Publishers
A Star Explodes: The Story of Supernova 1054
Written by James Gladstone
Illustrated by Yaara Eshet
Owlkids Books
📚📚📚
The
winners of these awards will be announced on October 28, 2024 at a
ticketed event in Toronto.
Written and illustrated by Yayo 
Written and illustrated by Rosena Fung
Written and illustrated by Ray Xu 
Written and illustrated by Jennifer Leason 
