Red Cedar Award 2012 winners announced

British Columbia children in Grades 4 through 7 have read and voted for their favourite titles among the Fiction nominees and Information Book nominees for 2011/2012. We are pleased to announce the winners in each category.

For the Red Cedar Book Award for Fiction, the winner is . . .

After the Fire

by Becky Citra

 Orca Books 

186 pp.

Ages 8-11

2010 

While her mom and boyfriend are passed out drunk, a fire breaks out and Melissa is left scarred.  Two years later, Melissa, her brother and mom are spending the summer at a friend's cottage. There Melissa meets Alice and, although she is embarrassed about her less-than-perfect family, Melissa learns that Alice is not what she seems, her family also less than perfect and dealing with grief in a variety of unhealthy ways.


For the Red Cedar Information Book Award, the winner is . . .

How to Build Your Own Country 

by Valerie Wyatt

Illustrated by Fred Rix

Kids Can Press

40 pp.

Ages 9-11

2009 

This "how-to" book will help readers establish their own countries, learn how to set up their governments and how to set up international relations with other countries.  All the organization needed and the knowledge of government, economics, trade and other key national endeavours are illustrated in this worthwhile book. 

Chocolate Lily Awards 2012/2013 Nominees

The shortlists of nominated titles for the 2012-2013 Chocolate Lily Awards, books by British Columbia authors and/or illustrators for young readers in Kindergarten to Grades 6, were announced on May 25, 2012.

Now just two categories (the Novel category is no longer used), the shortlists on which young readers will vote next spring include the following titles:

In the Chapter Book Category (Grade 3 – Grade 5)

• Ghosts of the Titanic
by Julie Lawson

• Encore Edie
by Annabel Lyon

• That Fatal Night
by Sarah Ellis

• The Runaway
by Glen Huser

• Run Marco Run
by Norma Charles

• The Whole Truth
by Kit Pearson

• Ice Storm
by Penny Draper









In the Picture Book Category (Kindergarten to Grade 5)

• Pussycat, Pussycat, Where have you Been?

by Dan Bar-el

• I Want to go to the Moon 

by Tom Saunders 

Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent (BC)

• Seal Song

by Andrea Spalding

• Can Hens Give Milk?
by Joan Betty Stuchner

• Sounds of the Ferry 

 by Sara Leach

• Louis the Tiger Who Came From the Sea

by Michal Kozlowski

• Grandpa’s Girls

by Nicola I. Campbell

We'll be checking back on these short lists when young readers in B.C. begin their reading and voting and ultimately when the winners are announced in May, 2013.

Chocolate Lily 2012 winners announced

Unlike the British Columbia book awards of Red Cedar and the Stellar Award programs, the Chocolate Lily Book Awards promote children's fiction by B. C. authors and B. C. illustrators. The three award categories for 2011/2012 were:

1. Picture Book – for readers in Kindergarten to Grade 4
2. Chapter Book – for Grades 3-6
3. Novel – for Grades 5 to 8

The winners of the Chocolate Lily Book Awards were announced recently from the following shortlists announced last spring:


In the Picture Book Category (Kindergarten to Grade 3)

• Singing Away the Dark
by Caroline Woodward
Simply Read Books

• Great Lakes and Rugged Ground Imagining Ontario
by Sarah N. Harvey & Leslie Buffam
Orca Book Publishers

•  Stanley’s Little Sister
by Linda Bailey (BC)
Kids Can Press

• The Little Hummingbird
by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Greystone Books

• Where are You Bear?
by Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Sean L. Moore (BC)
Owl Kids

• Compost Stew an A to Z Recipe for the Earth
by Mary McKenna Siddals
Tricycle Press

The winner in the Picture Book Category is. . .

Stanley's Little Sister

by Linda Bailey

Kids Can Press

In the Chapter Book Category (Grades 3 – 5)

• Emily
by Julie Lawson
Penguin

• The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw
by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers

• Ben’s Robot
by Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishers

• Black Dog Dream Dog
by Michelle Superle
Tradewind Books

• No Pets Allowed
by Irene N. Watts
Tradewind Books

The winner in the Chapter Book Category is. . .

Black Dog, Dream Dog

by Michelle Superle

Tradewind Books

In the Novel Category  (Grades 5 – 8 )

• Hannah & the Spindle Whorl
by Carol Anne Shaw
Ronsdale Press

• Silver Rain
by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers

• Follow the Elephant
by Beryl Young
Ronsdale Press

• Ghost of Heroes Past
by Charles Ried
Ronsdale Press

• No Moon
by Irene Watts
Tundra Books

• Dear George Clooney Please Marry Mom
by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books

• Liar and Fools
by Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishers


The winner in the Novel Category is. . .

Follow the Elephant

by Beryl Young

Kids Can Press

 Congratulations 

authors, illustrators and publishers 

on your nominations and wins

Commonwealth Book Prize Regional Winners announced

On May 21, 2012, the Commonwealth Writers announced the regional winners for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Representing five regions of Commonwealth countries, these new writers will now compete for overall winner to be announced at Hay Festival on June 8, 2012. 

 

In Canada, we are celebrating the selection of Riel Nason as the Regional Winner for Canada and Europe with her young adult novel, The Town That Drowned from Goose Lane Editions (2011).

The Town That Drowned

by Riel Nason

Published by Goose Lane Editions

978-0864926401

280 pp.

2011

The announcement from the Commonwealth Writers included the following graphic. Although the resolution is poor on this blog, Riel Nason is the author is the middle of the regional winners.

Commonwealth Book Prize

The list of regional winners includes:

Jacques Strauss, South Africa 

The Dubious Salvation of Jack V 

Jonathan Cape

Regional Winner, Africa

Shehan Karunatilaka, Sri Lanka

Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew 

Random House 

Regional Winner, Asia

Riel Nason, Canada

The Town That Drowned 

Goose Lane Editions 

Regional Winner, Canada and Europe

 
Alecia McKenzie, Jamaica

Sweetheart 

Peepal Tree Press

Regional Winner, Caribbean

Cory Taylor, Australia

Me and Mr Booker 

The Text Publishing Company

Regional Winner, Pacific

 

 

We wish Riel Nason and Goose Lane Editions the best for the June 8th selection of the overall winner, and send hearty congratulations on this astounding win! 

Forest of Reading 2012 winners announced!

After two fantastic days of great weather, words and winning, it is clear that young readers in Ontario appreciate and applaud the great Canadian literature that the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading promotes.  At the Festival of Trees event at Toronto's Harbourfront yesterday and today, young readers celebrated the culmination of their reading programs with the announcement of the winning books.

Congratulations to:
• the readers on their amazing selections from exemplary lists of Canadian literature for young people;
• the countless volunteers and OLA staff who ensure that Ontario readers see the best titles and who help bring the Festival of Trees to fruition (pun intended);
• the authors and illustrators honoured with Forest of Reading nominations;
• the authors and illustrators who enjoyed the undeniable adoration of thousands of reading fans;
• the publishers who are recognizing the importance of publishing and promoting children's and YA literature in Canada; and
• the winners and honourees in each reading program. 

Here are the winners and honour books for each reading program:

 

Blue Spruce

WINNER

Giraffe and Bird
Rebecca Bender

Dancing Cat Books/Cormorant Books

HONOUR BOOKS

 

One Hockey Night

David Ward and Brian Deines

Scholastic Canada/North Winds Press 

Kiss Me! (I'm a Prince!)

   Heather McLeod and Brooke Kerrigan

   Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Silver Birch EXPRESS

   WINNER

When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean 

 Jan Andrews and Dušan Petričić 

Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press

HONOUR BOOKS

The Time Time Stopped 

Don Gillmor 

Scholastic Canada

  

 
The Last Loon 

Rebecca Upjohn 

Orca Book Publishers

 

Silver Birch FICTION

 WINNER

Undergrounders 

David Skuy 

Scholastic Canada

HONOUR BOOKS

Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction 

Kevin Sylvester  

Simon and Schuster 

 
Ghosts of the Titanic 

Julie Lawson 

Scholastic Canada

 

Silver Birch NON-FICTION

WINNER

Don’t Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Tell You 

Catherine Rondina and Kevin Sylvester 

Kids Can Press

HONOUR BOOKS

50 Poisonous Questions: A Book With Bite 

Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Ross Kinnaird 

Annick Press

  

Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science

Susan Hughes and Michael Wandelmaier 

Kids Can Press

 

Le Prix Tamarac

 WINNER

Secrets de Famille

Sylvie Marcoux
Éditions du Phoenix

HONOUR BOOKS

L’étrange affaire du 413 

Nadya Larouche
Éditions Vents d’Ouest

 

Le Priz Tamarac EXPRESS

                   WINNER

Les Dragouilles: Les Rouges de Tokyo 

Karine Gottot et Maxim Cyr
Éditions Michel Quintin

HONOUR BOOKS

Une Petite bouteille jaune 
Angèle Delaunois et Christine Delezenne
Éditions de l’Isatis                                                       

Le Zaillemeur

Marie-Pierre Meunier et Sébastien Pinard
Les Éditions Z’ailées

Red Maple Fiction

WINNER

Half Brother

Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins Canada

HONOUR BOOK

Haunting Violet
Alyxandra Harvey
Walker & Company

White Pine FICTION

WINNER

The Gathering

Kelley Armstrong

 Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada

HONOUR BOOKS

Blood Red Road
Moira Young
Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada

  

 
Chance to Dance for You 

Gail Sidonie Sobat

Great Plains Publications

 

White Pine NON-FICTION

WINNER

The Book of Awesome
Neil Pasricha
Random House Canada/ Doubleday Canada

HONOUR BOOKS

Two Generals 
Scott Chantler
McClelland & Stewart

 Nice Recovery 

Susan Juby
Penguin Group Canada/Viking Canada