Tuesday 25 February 2014

2014 IBBY Honour Books


The 2014 IBBY Honour List, a selection of outstanding books intended to encourage international understanding through children's literature has announced this year's titles of nominees.  The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is a non-governmental organization with an official status in UNESCO and UNICEF advocating for children's books.  National Sections, IBBY Canada for us, nominate books that represent the best in children's literature, providing insight into diverse cultural, political and social setting and suitable for publication throughout the world.

Of the 150 nominations, these following five were submitted by IBBY Canada:

For text:

The Stamp Collector
by Jennifer Lanthier

Mingan, mon village: Poèmes d'écoliers innus
by Rogé









For illustration:

Virginia Wolf
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault









For translation:


Harvey: How I Became Invisible 
Translated by Helen Mixter
(English translation of Harvey by Hervé Bouchard and Janice Nadeau)


Les maux d’Ambroise Bukowski
Translated by Rachel Martinez
(French translation of Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen)







BUT, an added nomination with a youngCanLit connection is Germany's nomination for translation of Robert Paul Weston's Zorgamazoo  (translated by Uwe-Michael Gutzschhahn)


The full IBBY Honour List 2014 may be viewed here.

The selected books will be presented at the IBBY Congress in Mexico City, 10-13 September 2014.

2014 USBBY Outstanding International Books



Each year, the United States Board of Books for Young People (USBBY) compiles its Outstanding International Books (OIB) List of books that, while published or distributed in the U.S., originated or were first published outside of the USA. These books are "deemed most outstanding of those published" in the previous year and, not surprisingly, a number of Canadian books have earned this honour.

Congratulations 
to the following Canadian books for young people 
for inclusion on


For GRADES PreK-2
Once Upon a Northern Night
by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Groundwood/House of Anansi




Picture a Tree
by Barbara Reid
Whitman


Out the Window
by Cybèle Young
Groundwood/House of Anansi











For GRADES 6-8
Raziaʼs Ray of Hope: One Girlʼs Dream of an Education
by Elizabeth Suneby
Illustrated by Suana Verelst
Kids Can Press
Jane, the Fox and Me
by Fanny Britt
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou
Groundwood/House of Anansi

War Brothers: The Graphic Novel
by Sharon E. McKay
Illustrated by Daniel Lafrance
Annick Press
Reviewed here 





Branded by the Pink Triangle
by Ken Setterington
Second Story Press

Touched by Fire
by Irene N. Watts
Tundra Books








Tuesday 18 February 2014

The 2014 Amelia Bloomer Project List

The Amelia Bloomer Project is part of the Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association’s Social Responsibility Round Table.  Each year it selects books with significant feminist content that will appeal to young readers in the following categories:
  • Early Readers: Fiction, Non-fiction
  • Middle Grade: Fiction, Non-fiction
  • Young Adult: Fiction, Non-fiction
This year two #youngCanLit books were recognized in the Middle Grade Non-fiction category. 
  
Congratulations to authors  
Christine Welldon and Frieda Wishinsky 
on this recognition!


Reporter in Disguise: The Intrepid Vic Steinberg
by Christine Welldon
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
78 pp.
Gr. 5-8
2013
A biography of Vic Steinberg, an early female reporter, who used disguises to go places most women of her time weren’t allowed.


Profiles: Freedom Heroines
by Frieda Wishinsky
Scholastic
144 pp.
Gr. 4-6
2012
The stories of six women who furthered the cause of civil rights and feminism.

Profiles: Freedom Heroines was selected as a Top Ten Amelia Bloomer Book


The complete 2014 Amelia Bloomer Project List can be viewed at
http://ameliabloomer.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/2014-amelia-bloomer-project-list/

Saturday 15 February 2014

2014 CBC Bookie Awards winners announced

In 2011, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) introduced the CBC Bookie Awards as an opportunity for readers to choose their favourite Canadian reads published the previous year.  Based on the selections of the well-read CBC personnel from CBC Books, Canada Reads, Writers & Company, The Next Chapter, as well as recommendations from the public, five titles in each of ten categories are nominated.  Readers then have several weeks to cast their votes online (only once per category per day).  Winners are identified some time in February.
Here's this year's big news:

in the Young Adult category, 
whose nominees were announced in January 

the winner 
(as selected by readers online) 
with 43.55% of the votes

is

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
by Teresa Toten
Doubleday Canada/Random House of Canada
978-0-385678346
255 pp.
Ages 14+
2013
 
to 
 
Teresa Toten 
and her book
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

Monday 10 February 2014

Resource Links' Best Books of 2013

Touting itself as "a journal devoted to Canadian English and French resources" (http://www.resourcelinksmagazine.ca/), Resource Links annually announces the best books of the previous year. 

Congratulations 
to all authors and illustrators 
for your inclusion on  
Resource Links' Best Books of 2013 list:



Picture Books

Little Jack Horner Live From the Corner
by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Mike Boldt

It’s Not About the Ball!
by Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins

It’s  Not About the Beanstalk!
by Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins
 
It’s Not About the Diamonds!
by Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins

It’s Not About the Straw!
by Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins

It’s Not About the Tiny Girl!
by Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins

Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Shoe
by Wallace Edwards

The Adventures of Franklin and His Friends: A Collection of 8 Stories
by Henry Endrulat
Illustrated by Brenda Clarke

Oy, Feh, So?
by Cary Fagan 
Illustrated by Gary Clement

Franklin’s Big Book of Stories: A Collection of 6 First Readers
by Sharon Jennings

Where Do You Look?
by Marthe Jocelyn
Illustrated by Nell Jocelyn

On A Snowy Night
by Jean Little
Illustrated by Brian Deines

Mr. Flux
by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Matt Stephens

Never Let You Go
by Patricia Storms





Fiction Gr. 3-6

Justine Mckeen and the Bird Nerd
by Sigmund Brouwer
Illustrated by Dave Whamond

From Anna
by Jean Little  

The Hidden Agenda of Sigrid Sugden
by Jill Maclean

Curse of the Dream Witch
by Allan Stratton

Into The Woods (Bigfoot Boy Series)
by J Torres
Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks




Non-fiction Gr. 3 – 6

Electrical Engineering And The Science Of Circuits (Engineering In Action Series)
by James Bow

Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises To Hide In Plain Sight
by Marthe Jocelyn

Our Rights: How Kids Are Changing The World
by Janet Wilson

Buzz About Bees
by Kari-Lynn Winters





Fiction Gr. 7-12

Graffiti Knight
by Karen Bass

Triggered (Orca Soundings Series)
by Vicki Grant

Hockey Girl
by Natalie Hyde

Break Point (Orca Sports)
by Kate Jaimet

Dying To Go Viral
by Sylvia McNicoll

Nothing Man And The Purple Zero
by Richard Scarsbrook

Not With A Bang
by Gail Sidonie Sobat

Power Play
by Eric Walters

Stolen (Orca Currents)
by John Wilson




Non-Fiction Gr. 7-12

Aston Martin (Superstar Cars Series)
by James Bow

Stanley Cup: 120 Years of Hockey Supremacy
by Eric Zweig




French Resources

Perdue dans la Neige
by Jean Little
Illustrated By Brian Deines

Les Maux d’Ambroise Bukowski
by Susin Nielsen
Translated By Rachel Martinez

Toujours Avec Moi
by Patricia Storms

* * * * * * * * * * * *



Saturday 1 February 2014

2014 ALA Youth Media Award Winners announced

Each year, the American Library Association (ALA)  honours books for young people with several long-established awards:  the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Awards.  But these distinctions are only three of the Youth Media Awards presented annually at the ALA's midwinter meeting.  Although the American Library Association is based in the U.S., it occasionally selects titles by Canadian authors and illustrators, hence its inclusion here.

Earlier this week, the ALA announced its book awards at its meeting in Philadelphia.  This year only one youngCanLit title was recognized.

to


One of three  Honor Books for the 

   
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans 
Children's & Young Adult Literature Award
for English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience


 Branded by the Pink Triangle
by Ken Setterington
Second Story Press


 

Complete details and the press release for the ALA Youth Media Awards is available at their website here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FYI:
The full roster of ALA awards include:
  • John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature
  • Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children
  • Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults
  • Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults
  • Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults
  • Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
  • Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
  • Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
  • Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video
  • Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
  • May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature
  • Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States
  • Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States
  • Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience
  • Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience
  • Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children
  • Stonewall Book Award -Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience
  • Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book
  • William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens
  • YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18

2014 Preschool Reads Award

Only in its third year, the Preschool Reads Award of the Wee Read Program of Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin Country, has announced its 2014 winner.  Young children listened to readings of the four nominated Canadian picture books :


I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press


Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That
by Victoria Allenby
Illustrated by Tara Anderson
Pajama Press


Where Do You Look?
by Marthe Jocelyn & Neil Jocelyn
Tundra



The Yoga Game
by Kathy Beliveau
Illustrated by Farida Zaman
Simply Read Books








The 2014 winner, selected this year by the preschoolers, is


 Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That

by Victoria Allenby
Illustrated by Tara Anderson
Pajama Press
978-1-927485-52-1
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
September, 2013