2025 Willow Awards: Winners announced

Established in 2001, the Willow Awards, also known as the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards (SYRCA), encourage reading of Canadian books for young people. Readers can participate in the reading programs through their schools and public libraries, selecting their favourite from one of the following categories: Shining Willow, Diamond Willow, and Snow Willow. 
 

Last year, the nominees for these three awards were announced. This spring, young readers selected their favourites. Two days ago the winners were announced. 

 

Congratulations to the 2025 winners of he Shining Willow, Diamond Willow and Snow Willow awards.

 

 

 

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

Do Hippos Brush Their Teeth?: How Animals Care for Their Bodies

Written by Etta Kaner

Illustrated by Jenna Piechota

Owlkids Books

32 pp.

Ages 4–8

2024

 

 

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

Plague Thieves

Written by Caroline Fernandez
DCB Young Readers
208 pp.
Ages 9–12 

2024

 

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

 Simon Sort of Says

Written by Erin Bow

Disney-Hyperion
305 pp.
Ages 8–12

2023 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all!

2026 Willow Award nominees announced

Established in 2001, the Willow Awards, also known as the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards (SYRCA), encourage reading of Canadian books for young people. Readers can participate in the reading programs through their schools and public libraries, selecting their favourite from one of the following categories: Shining Willow, Diamond Willow, and Snow Willow. 
 

This year's lists of nominated titles were announced recently, and readers will have the next year to read them and then vote, before a gala that will announce the winners next spring.
 

Here are the 2026 nominees for the Shining Willow, Diamond Willow and Snow Willow awards.

 

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

At the Rescue Cat Café

Written by Anna Humphrey
Illustrated by Kari Rust 

Owlkids Books 

 

Call Me Gray

Written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen
Illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine
Kids Can Press 

 

Frostfire

Written and illustrated by Elly Mackay

Tundra Books 

 

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd

Written by Philippa Dowding

Illustrated by Carolyn Clarke 

DCB Young Readers

 

Oma's Bag

Written by Michelle Wang
Illustrated by Sam Nunez 

Arsenal Pulp Press 

 

Paisley & Peck: Jurassic Farm 

Written by J. Torres

Illustrated by Mike Deas

Owlkids Books 

 

Raven's Ribbons

Written by Tasha Spillett
Illustrated by Daniel Ramirez 

Owlkids Books 

 

Rez Kid

Written by Andrea Landry
Illustrated by Isabelle Fassler
Kids Can Press 

 

Sand Cakes

Written by Kallie George

Illustrated by Devon Halzwarth

Tundra Books 

 

Who Needs the Dark? The Many Ways Living Things Depend on Darkness
Written by Laura Alary

Illustrated by Risa Hugo

Owlkids Books 

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

 

After the Wallpaper Music

Written by Jean Mills 

Pajama Press 

 

The City of Lost Cats

Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Tundra Books 

 

Closer to Far Away

Written by Kristin Butcher

Red Deer Press 

 

Death by Whoopee Cushion

Written by Vicki Grant 

Tundra Books 

 

How to Save a Library

Written by Colleen Nelson

Pajama Press 

 

The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey
Written by Chad Soon & George Chiang
Illustrated by Amy Qi

Orca Book Publishers 

 

Robot Island

Written by Cary Fagan 

Tundra Books 

 

Swan: The Girl Who Grew

Written by Sidura Ludwig 

Nimbus Publishing 

 

Time Surfers

Written by Kevin Sylvester 

HarperCollins 

 

Touching Grass

Written by  Kristy Jackson

Illustrated by Rhael McGregor

HarperCollins Canada 

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

Among Ghosts

Written by Rachel Hartman

Penguin Teen Canada

 

The End of Always

Written by Rebecca Phillips

Second Story Press 

 

A Fondness for the Reckless

Written by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith

YNWP 

 

The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall

Written by Charis Cotter 

Penguin Random House 

 

Never Stop Skating

Written by Jesse A. Murray

Off the Field Publishing 

 

No Purchase Necessary

Written by Maria Marianayagam
HarperCollins

 

Red Flags and Butterflies

Written by Sheryl Azzam

DCB Young Readers

 

Tig

Written by Heather Smith 

Tundra Books 

 

We Bury Nothing

Written by Kate Blair

DCB Young Readers

 

You Started It

Written by Jackie Kalileh

Penguin Random House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all nominees!

 

2023 Willow Awards: Winners announced for the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards

The winners of the SaskEnergy Willow Awards, Saskatchewan's Young Readers' Choice Awards, were announced last week at Perdue School in Perdue, Saskatchewan.  Readers in Kindergarten to Grade 9 read and then voted on the titles in their award category, and young readers announced the winners. Videos and announcements are detailed at the Willows' website here. 

 

Congratulations to the  

winners of the three Willow Awards!

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

The Strangest Thing in the Sea: And Other Curious Creatures of the Deep
Written by Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
Kids Can Press
Reviewed here

 

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

Children of the Fox 

 (Thieves of Shadow, Book 1)

Written by Kevin Sands

Puffin Canada

 

 

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

Under the Iron Bridge
Written by Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press