2026 Governor General's Literary Awards: Finalists announced

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards.

The seven categories of books, both in French and English, for which awards are given are the following:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Young People's Literature (Text)
• Young People's Literature (Illustration)
• Drama
• Translation

Congratulations to the finalists of all the awards.

 

Here I present those finalists of works for young people.

English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

 

Touching Grass
Written by Kristy Jackson

Illustrated by Rhael McGregor
HarperCollins Canada

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd
Written by Philippa Dowding
DCB Young Readers

The World's End (The Misewa Saga, Book 6)
Written by David A. Robertson
Tundra Books

Seabird
Written by Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press

The Rebel Girls of Rome
Written by Jordyn Taylor
HarperCollins Canada

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

 

Call Me Gray

Illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine

Written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen

Kids Can Press 

Aggie and the Ghost

Illustrated and written by Matthew Forsythe

Simon & Schuster 

Little Moments in a Big Universe

Illustrated and written by Todd Stewart

Owlkids Books 

Billie Builds a Robocorn

Illustrated by James Braithwaite

Written by José Avelino Gilles Lourenço 

Tundra Books 

A Door Is to Open
Illustrated by Julie Morstad

Written by Kyo Maclear
Tundra Books

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

 

Au chevet de la lumière
Écrit par Jean-Christophe Réhel
la courte échelle  

Un roi sans couronne
Écrit par Uashteskun
Dominique et compagnie

Comment convaincre un fantôme de déménager
Écrit par Maude Ménard-Dunn

Illustré par Sophie Bédard
Éditions Québec Amérique 

Les différences invisibles
Écrit par Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve
Les Éditions Écosociété 

Un don du ciel
Écrit par Eveline Payette
Les Éditions du Boréal 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

Fleurs de verre
Écrit et illustré par Eve Patenaude
Éditions XYZ 

La maison cachette
Illustré par Geneviève Bigué

Écrit par Erika Soucy
Éditions de la Pastèque 

À l’enVERRE
Écrit et illustré par Orbie

Éditions Les 400 coups  

Minuit sonne et farandole

Illustré par Laurence Goulet-Tremblay

Écrit par Alizée Goulet
Monsieur ED  

Nos poissons
Illustré par Mathilde Cinq-Mars
Écrit par Éric Dupont
Marchand de feuilles 

 

 

 

 

 

Winning titles will be announced on November 12, 2026.