2019 Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards: Finalists announced

On September 5th, the Canadian Children's Book Centre, our nationally-renowned authority on all things related to youngCanLit, announced the finalists for the 2019 Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards. (See their website announcement here.)

The eight major children's book awards, which will be awarded at two invitation-only galas in October and November, include:

• TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($50,000) Sponsored by TD Bank Group;
• Le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse ($50,000) Sponsored by TD Bank Group;
• Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000) Sponsored by A. Charles Baillie;
• Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction ($10,000) Sponsored by the Fleck Family Foundation;
• Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000) Sponsored by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Bilson Endowment Fund;
• John Spray Mystery Award ($5,000) Sponsored by John Spray of Mantis Investigation Agency;
• Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000) Sponsored by Amy Mathers' Marathon of Books; and
• Le Prix Harry Black de l’album jeunesse ($5,000) Sponsored by Mary Macchiusi

There is also the Fan Choice Award/Choix du public littérature jeunesse which invites young readers of ages 5-12 to to choose their favourite book from the titles shortlisted for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and Le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse.  Voting takes place between September 5 and October 3 for the English contest (https://www.cbc.ca/fanchoice/) and September 8 to October 6 for the French contest (https://ici.radio-canada.ca/concours-choixdupublic/).

Here are the short lists for each award category, as announced by the Canadian Children's Book Centre:



TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

After Life: Ways We Think About Death
Written by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox
Orca Book Publishers
88 pp.
Ages 9-12
2018

Ebb & Flow
Written by Heather Smith
Kids Can Press
232 pp.
Ages 9-12
2018
Reviewed here

Mustafa
Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-8
2018

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
Written by Jonathan Auxier
Puffin Canada
368 pp.
Ages 8-12
2018

They Say Blue
Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 3-7
2018









Le Prix TD de littérature pour l'enfance et la jeunesse canadienne

Anatole qui ne séchait jamais
Written by Stéphanie Boulay
Illustrated by Agathe Bray-Bourret
Éditions Fonfon
80 pp.
Ages 10+
2018

Jules et Jim, frères d’armes
Written and illustrated by Jacques Goldstyn
Bayard Canada
60 pp.
Ages 9+
2018

Moi, c’est Tantale
Written by André Marois
Illustrated by Julien Castanié
Éditions de l’Isatis
55 pp.
Ages 11+
2018

Nos héroïnes: 40 portraits de femmes québécoises
Written by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
Illustrated by Mathilde Cinq-Mars
Éditions Marchand de feuilles
96 pp.
Ages 9+
2018

Qui va bercer Zoé?
Written by Andrée Poulin
Illustrated by Mathieu Lampron
Éditions Les 400 coups
32 pp.
Ages 7+
2018







Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

Africville
Written by Shauntay Grant
Illustrated by Eva Campbell
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2018
Reviewed here

The Funeral
Written and illustrated by Matt James
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
2018
Reviewed here

Mustafa
Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-8
2018

Seb and the Sun
Written and illustrated by Jami Gigot
Ripple Grove Press
36 pp.
Ages 4-7
2018

They Say Blue
Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 3-7
2018








Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction

After Life: Ways We Think About Death
Written by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox
Orca Book Publishers
88 pp.
Ages 9-12
2018

Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night
Written by Rob Laidlaw
Pajama Press
48 pp.
Ages 8-12
2018
Reviewed here

Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes
Written by Wab Kinew
Illustrated by Joe Morse
Tundra Books
40 pp.
Ages 5-9
2018
Reviewed here

Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle
Written by Erica Fyvie
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press
64 pp.
Ages 8-12
2018

Turtle Pond
Written by James Gladstone
Illustrated by Karen Reczuch
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2018
Reviewed here






Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People 

Don’t Tell the Enemy
Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada
184 pp.
Ages 10-14
2018
Reviewed here

The Journey of Little Charlie
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic Canada
234 pp.
Ages 9-12
2018
Reviewed here

Miles to Go
Written by Beryl Young
Wandering Fox Books
224 pp.
Ages 10-14
2018

Piper
Written by Jacqueline Halsey
Nimbus Publishing
176 pp.
Ages 10-12
2018

The Sound of Freedom (Heroes Quartet, Book 1)
Written by Kathy Kacer
Annick Press
286 pp.
Ages 9-12
2018

John Spray Mystery Award

Aftermath
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Penguin Teen
384 pp.
Ages 12-18
2018

Call of the Wraith (The Blackthorn Key, Book 4)
Written by Kevin Sands
Aladdin
512 pp.
Ages 10-14
2018

The Case of the Firebane's Folly (Tank & Fizz, Book 4)
Written by Liam O'Donnell
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Orca Book Publishers
256 pp.
Ages 8-11
2018

Sadie
Written by Courtney Summers
St. Martin's Press
308 pp.
Ages 14+
2018
Reviewed here

Wolfe in Shepherd's Clothing (Shepherd & Wolfe, Book 3)
Written by Angie Counios and David Gane
Your Nickel's Worth Publishing
480 pp.
Ages 15+
2018







Amy Mathers Teen Book Award

Aftermath
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Penguin Teen
384 pp.
Ages 12-18
2018 

Easy Prey
Written by Catherine Lo
Amulet Books
352 pp.
Ages 14+
2018

A Girl Like That
Written by Tanaz Bhathena
Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers
369 pp.
Ages 14+
2018
Reviewed here

The House of One Thousand Eyes
Written by Michelle Barker
Annick Press
354 pp.
Ages 14+
2018
Reviewed here

Learning to Breathe
Written by Janice Lynn Mather
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
336 pp.
Ages 14+
2018









Prix Harry Black de l'album jeunesse

Mémé à la plage
Written by Rhéa Dufresne
Illustrated by Aurélie Grand
Éditions Les 400 coups
32 pp.
Ages 5+
2018

Mon lit de rêve
Written by Gilles Tibo
Illustrated by Mathilde Cinq-Mars
Éditions de l’Isatis
32 pp.
Ages 4+
2018

On a un problème avec Lilou la loutre
Written and illustrated by Orbie
Éditions Fonfon
32 pp.
Ages 5+
2018

Le pelleteur de nuages
Written by Simon Boulerice
Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Groupe d’édition la courte echelle
32 pp.
Ages 5+
2018

Qui va bercer Zoé?
Written by Andrée Poulin
Illustrated by Mathieu Lampron
Éditions Les 400 coups
32 pp.
Ages 7+
2018




Hosted by the Canadian Children's Book Centre and TD Bank Group, the Canadian Children's Literature Awards will celebrate great Canadian children's books and present the winners of the awards on the evenings of October 15, 2019 and November 7, 2019 in Toronto and Montreal, respectively.