2026 Forest of Reading® nominees: Blue Spruce, Silver Birch Express, Silver Birch Fiction

Here is the first grouping of 2026 nominees from the nine Forest of Reading® awards of the Ontario Library Association:

• Blue Spruce: picture books for JK to Grade 2
  
• Silver Birch Express: fiction and non-fiction for Grades 3 and 4
  
• Silver Birch Fiction: fiction for Grades 3 to 6
  

BLUE SPRUCE™

 

 

Bannock in the Hammock
Written by Masiana Kelly
Illustrated by Amiel Sandland
Inhabit Media

The Beat of the Dragon Boat
Written by Christina Matula
Illustrated by Nicole Wong
Sleeping Bear Press

Fox and the Mystery Letter
Written and Illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

The Friendship Blanket
Written by Leonarda Carranza
Illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina
Scholastic Canada
Reviewed here 

The Girl Who Loved Poutine
Written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi
Sleeping Bear Press
Reviewed here

The Great Dinosaur Sleepover
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Joe Bluhm
Tundra Books

It’s Okay, Just Ask
Written by Monique Leonardo Carlos
Illustrated by Salini Perera
Owlkids Books

The Most Magnificent Team
Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
Reviewed here

Patty Dreams
Written by Nadia L. Hohn
Illustrated by Sahle Robinson
Owlkids Books

The Weedflower
Written by Elizabeth Davaze
Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer
Owlkids Books
Reviewed here

SILVER BIRCH EXPRESS

Barefoot Skateboarders
Written by Rina Singh
Illustrated by  Sophie Casson

Orca Book Publishers

 

The Big Splash (Julia On the Go!)
Written by Angela Ahn
Illustrated by Julie Kim

Tundra Books 

 

Chomp-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Eat
Written by Maria Birmingham
Illustrated by Kyle Reed

Owlkids Books 

 

Dogs vs. Humans: A Showdown of the Senses
Written by Stephanie Gibeault
Illustrated by Bambi Edlund

Owlkids Books 

 

Every Little Bit Olive Tran
Written by Phuong Truong

Second Story Press

 

The Great Puptective #2: Purranormal Activity
Written and illustrated by Alina Tysoe

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

 

The League of Littles

Written by Casey Lyall

Illustrated by Sara Faber

Greenwillow Books

 

Plant Attack! The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends Itself
Written by Erin Silver
Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

Orca Book Publishers 

 

Salma Speaks Up
Written by Danny Ramadan

Illustrated by Anna Bron

Annick Press 

This Is How A Ball Rolls: The Science of Wobbling, Bouncing, Spinning Balls
Written by Heather Tekavec
Illustrated by Suharu Ogawa

Kids Can Press

SILVER BIRCH FICTION

The Anxious Exile of Sara Salt
Written by Gabrielle S. Prendergast

Orca Book Publishers

 

Bea Mullins Takes a Shot
Written by Emily Deibert

Random House Books for Young Readers

 

Benny on the Case
Written by Wesley King 

Simon & Schuster 

 

The City of Lost Cats
Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Tundra Books 

 

Comic Shift
Written by Ted Staunton

Scholastic Canada

 

Death by Whoopee Cushion
Written by Vicki Grant

Tundra Books 

Reviewed here

 

Ghosts of Gastown
Written by Jessica Renwick

Yellow Dog 

 

The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents
Written by Nickie Pau Preto

Viking Books for Young Readers

 

Spirit Service
Written by Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

 

Taxi Ghost
Written and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse

Random House Graphic 

•••••••••••••••••••••••

Nominees for the other programs can be linked from below:

Yellow Cedar

Red Maple

White Pine

Le prix Peuplier

Le prix Mézèle

Le prix Tamarac

 

2026 Forest of Reading® nominated titles announced

 

Yesterday, the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading® announced the 2026 nominated titles for its book award programs for school-aged readers. For months, teachers and librarians on selection committees have been reading submitted books by Canadian creators to compile these exceptional lists from which young readers will choose winners next spring.  

The lists of all nominated books are available on the Forest of Reading® website here and schools, parents, everyone can register to be part of the program. (The program even extends beyond Ontario and Canada's borders.) Young readers from JK through high school have the opportunity to read and vote on their favourite books in these nine different categories:

• Blue Spruce: JK–Grade 2, picture books
• Silver Birch Express: Grades 3–4, fiction and non-fiction
• Silver Birch Fiction: Grades 3–6, fiction
• Yellow Cedar: Grades 4–8, non-fiction
• Red Maple: Grades 7–8, fiction
• White Pine: Grades 9–12, fiction
• Le prix Peuplier: French-language picture books, less text, simpler subject matters, perfect for read-alouds
• Le prix Mélèze: shorter French-language chapter books with maximum 100 pages or more mature picture books, larger text with pictures, simpler vocabulary and verb tenses
• Le prix Tamarac: French-language chapter books from 100 to 250 pages, smaller text with little or no illustrations, more complicated verb tenses and vocabulary

Because there are ninety nominated titles, I will break up the posts listing them in three groupings, all which can be accessed from this page. 

Do check out how to register for this fabulous reading program. It's very, very reasonable, and all young readers in public, private or separate schools and those who are home-schooled are welcome. Just select the right program for your young readers.  

 

Congratulations to all nominees

and

Happy reading to Forest of Reading participants!

🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲

 

Blue Spruce Award™
(JK–Grade 2, English-language picture books)
2026 nominees posted here

 

Silver Birch Express Award^®
(Grades 3–4, English-language fiction and non-fiction)
2026 nominees posted here

 

Silver Birch Fiction Award^®
(Grades 3–6, English-language fiction)
2026 nominees posted here

 

 

Yellow Cedar Award
(Grades 4–8, English-language non-fiction)
2026 nominees posted here

   

 

Red Maple Award™
(Grades 7–8, English-language fiction)
2026 nominees posted here

 

White Pine Award™
(Grades 9–12, English-language fiction)
2026 nominees posted here

 

Le prix Peuplier
(French-language picture books, less text, simpler subject matters, perfect for read-alouds)
2026 nominees posted here

   

 

Le prix Mélèze
(shorter French-language chapter books maximum 100 pages or more mature picture books, larger text with pictures,  simpler vocabulary and verb tenses)
2026 nominees posted here
 

 

Le prix Tamarac
(French-language chapter books from 100 to 250 pages, smaller text with little or no illustrations, more complicated verb tenses and vocabulary)
2026 nominees posted here
 

 

 

Let the Forest begin! 

 

🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲

A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests

Written by Caroline Adderson

Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki

Groundwood Books

978-1-773068930

32 pp.

Ages 3–7

October 2025

 

In the 1600s,  the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō wrote a poem titled, "The Old Pond." This is Caroline Adderson's charming imagining of how that haiku may have been created on the spot. And with Lauren Tamaki's acrylic ink illustrations, readers will be transported to a Japan of contemplative art to hear and smell and see that which is memorable at the pond.

From A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests, written by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Lauren Tamaki

One evening, the poet Bashō goes for a walk and rests by a pond. A carp, a lily, and a mosquito are all attracted to the poet who closes his eyes to quiet thought. One by one, these living organisms attempt to get the poet's attention, hopeful that he might include them in the poem he was sure to be bringing to life in his mind.

 

First, the carp dances and flutters her tail, determined that her loveliness in the moonlight might be noticed by Bashō. But even calling out, "O Bashō! Look at me!" does not trigger the poet to open his eyes.

From A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests, written by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Lauren Tamaki

The water lily first notices the antics of the carp and then the poet sitting on the bank of the pond. Wondering if he might be immortalized somehow, the lily concentrates his efforts to send the perfume of his flower to grab Bashō's attention. Still Bashō does not react, though a mosquito does notice the scent of the lily. Convinced that her life could fill a book of poetry, the mosquito also attempts to captivate the poet.

 

Finally, a frog who is preparing for his midnight swim decides not to be discouraged by the "Flashing fish, lavish lily, megalomaniacal mosquito, pensive poet" and jumps in, giving Bashō the inspiration for his famous haiku.

 

And so, a six-word haiku is born. Though the frog is the star of Bashō's poem, Caroline Adderson's story is more about the exhibitionism of the carp, the lily, and the mosquito that attempt to grab Bashō's attention. They get most of the story just as attention-seeking individuals usually demand most of the consideration through their efforts. The frog, on the other hand, is unconcerned with anything but its own business, and as such becomes immortalized in the poem of elegance and ordinariness. Caroline Adderson gives us a big story for a very simple poem and reminds all those who are Look-At-Me people—you know the ones that always demand attention and recognition—that fame doesn't have to come from the ego but rather from the lack thereof. The natural beauty of that frog just going about its business is far more notable than the extreme actions of some other self-absorbed organisms.

From A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests, written by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Lauren Tamaki

Artist Lauren Tamaki—yes, she is related to graphic novel artist Jillian Tamaki—has the perfect subtlety of style and medium to help tell the story of a poet and his inspiration. And with a Japanese backdrop, Lauren Tamaki gives Caroline Adderson's A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests the essence of traditional sumi-e (black ink painting) but with loads of colour. Still, with the ink on watercolour paper (I presume), the art evokes a dynamic essence to the landscape, so in keeping with the textures and fluidity of a pond.

 

If I was still a teacher, I would love to use A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests as a wonderful introduction to haiku and to finding inspiration for writing poetry. (For older kids, I'd definitely let them recreate scenarios for inspiring other poems.) But I'd also sneak in a discussion about attention-grabbing behaviour and the need for fame as character education never goes amiss. Even without its teachable potential, A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests will provide a beautiful and evocative rendering of how the natural world can hearten us with contemplation, beauty, and inspiration.