2016 YALSA Bests for Young Adults recognize numerous youngCanLit titles

Each year, YALSA presents lists of best fiction, popular paperbacks, amazing audiobooks and great graphic novels for Young Adults after the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting.  The books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The lists comprises a wide range of genres and styles, including contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy, horror, science fiction and non-fiction.

It was a banner year for youngCanLit with six titles included in the Best Fiction for Young Adults (there was only one last year), two titles amongst the Great Graphic Novels for Teens, and three in the Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Of the 64 titles included, the following youngCanLit titles were recognized:

The Truth Commission 

by Susan Juby

Razorbill Canada

Calvin

by Martine Leavitt

Groundwood Books

When Everything Feels Like the Movies

by Raziel Reid

Arsenal Pulp

All the Rage

by Courtney Summers

St. Martin's Press

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

by Teresa Toten

Doubleday Canada/Random House Canada

The Emperor of Any Place

by Tim Wynne-Jones

Candlewick

Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War

by Jessica Dee Humphreys and Michel Chikwanine

Illustrated by Claudia Davila

Kids Can Press

SuperMutant Magic Academy

by Jillian Tamaki

Drawn & Quarterly

In Real Life

by Cory Doctorow

Illustrated by Jen Wang

First Second

This One Summer

by Mariko Tamaki

Illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Groundwood Books

Blood Red Road

by Moira Young

Random House 

Lovely to see so many books of YACanLit recognized!

2016 ALSC Notable Children's Books, Recordings and Videos: youngCanLit selections

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division within the American Library Association, announced its 2016 Notable Children's Books, Recordings and Videos at the ALA's Midwinter Meeting in Boston.

The lists for all notables are posted at the ALSC website.  However, I would like to note those Canadian books that made the list, bolding the Canadian author or illustrator. 

Congratulations 

to all of you 

for creating outstanding work 

for our children.

NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOKS

YOUNGER READERS (Preschool to Grade 2)

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear
by Lindsay Mattick
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Little, Brown

Sidewalk Flowers
by JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books









MIDDLE READERS (Grades 3-5)


The Nest
by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Simon & Schuster








OLDER READERS (Grades 6-8)



Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War
by Jessica Dee Humphreys and Michel Chikwanine
Illustrated by Claudia Dávila
Kids Can Press









NOTABLE CHILDREN'S RECORDINGS


The Boundless
Brilliance Audio, CD
Based on book by Kenneth Oppel

The Madman of Piney Woods
Listening Library, CD
Based on book by Christopher Paul Curtis

NOTABLE CHILDREN'S VIDEOS

Extra Yarn

Weston Woods
7 min.
Ages 4-8
Based on book illustrated by Jon Klassen





This Is Not My Hat
Weston Woods
5 min.
Ages 4-8
Based on picture book author illustrated by Jon Klassen

2016 ALA Youth Media Awards winners: youngCanLit selections

Each year at the American Library Association's midwinter meeting, the ALA honours books for young people with a full roster of awards including the:

• 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 (three age categories: Ages 0-10; Ages 11-13; Ages 13-18)
• 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

The ALA Youth Media Awards were announced on January 11, 2016 in Boston, and included the following titles by Canadian authors and illustrators. 

Congratulations 

to these authors/illustrators for the following honours:

Randolph Caldecott Medal:  Winner

for the most distinguished American picture book for children

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Written by Lindsay Mattick 

Little, Brown and Company

Schneider Family Book Award: For teens (ages 13-18): Winner

 for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

by Teresa Toten

published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books

2016 USBBY Outstanding International Books List

Each year, the United States Board of Books for Young People (USBBY) compiles its Outstanding International Books 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 the 

2016 USBBY Outstanding International Books List!

Grades Pre-K to Grade 2

The Bus Ride

by Marianne Dubuc

Translated by Yvette Ghione

Kids Can Press

Sidewalk Flowers

by JonArno Lawson

Illustrated by Sydney Smith

Groundwood Books

Grades 3-5

The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle

by Jude Isabella

Illustrated by Simone Shin

Kids Can Press

Grades 6-8

We Are All Made of Molecules

by Susin Nielsen

Tundra Books

Grades 9-12

My Name is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok
by Germaine Arnaktauyok and Gyu Oh

Illustrated by Germaine Arnaktauyok

Inhabit Media

Prison Boy

by Sharon E. Mackay

Annick Press

Dance of the Banished

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Pajama Press

2016 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals nominees announced

The Carnegie Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal are children's book awards presented by the CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the United Kingdom.  Shortlists and winners are selected by librarians who serve young readers.

To be eligible for the 2016 Awards titles must have been first published in the UK between 1 September 1, 2014 and August 31,  2015.  Books first published in another country must have been co-published in the UK within three months of the original publication date.

The winning titles will be announced at an awards ceremony in June.

This year, there are two Canadian authors' books nominated for the 2016 CILIP Carnegie Medal for the writer of an outstanding book for children.  Congratulations to authors Susin Nielsen and Allan Stratton on their nominations!

We Are All Made of Molecules
by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books (Canada)
Andersen Press (U.K.)

The Dogs
by Allan Stratton
Scholastic Canada (Canada)
Andersen Press (U.K.)









Among the nominated illustrators for the 2016 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, there are two Canadian illustrators, Jon Klassen and Sydney Smith. Congratulations!

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Written by Mac Barnett
Walker Books (U.K.)

Footpath Flowers (Sidewalk Flowers in Canada)
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Written by Jon Arno Lawson
Groundwood Books (Canada)
Walker Books (U.K.)

2015 Governor General's Literary Awards: Winners

(I know I spent much time online congratulating the winners of the 2015 Governor General Literary Awards when they were announced October 28, 2015, but I just noticed that I failed to post those winners here.  Can't believe I was so remiss.  So here they are, two months late.)

The Governor General's Literary Awards are Canada's national book awards, honouring the best of our literature in seven categories, in both official languages.  On October 28, 2015, the winners of the 2015 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced on the Canada Council website.

Congratulations to the winners of the Children's Literature: Text and Children's Literature: Illustration awards, for both English and French:

English Children’s Literature: Text

Caroline Pignat 

for

The Gospel Truth

Red Deer Press

Reviewed here

Q & A with author Caroline Pignat

English Children’s Literature: Illustration 

JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith

for

Sidewalk Flowers

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

French Children's Literature: Text 

Louis-Philippe Hébert

par

Maria Réparatrice

Les Éditions de La Grenouillère

French Children's Literature: Illustration

Patrick Doyon et André Marois

par

Le voleur de sandwichs

Les Éditions de la Pastèque