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

2014 winners of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards announced

Yesterday, the winners of the 2014 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards were announced at Aldergrove Public School in Markham, Ontario.  The juries for the two awards, Children's Picture Book and Young Adult/Middle Reader, each comprised of five students from this school, the first from Grades 3 and 4 and the second from Grades 7 and 8.

Administered by the Ontario Arts Council, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards recognize artistic excellence in writing and illustration in English-language Canadian children’s literature. The award was established in 1976 by Sylvia Schwartz in memory of her sister, Ruth Schwartz, a respected Toronto bookseller.  In 2004, the Schwartz family renamed the awards to honour both sisters.

Each award is accompanied by a $6000 prize, generously funded by the Ruth Schwartz Foundation.

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS!

In the CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK CATEGORY, 
the winner is:

Anne Villeneuve 

for her book

Loula is Leaving for Africa

by Anne Villeneuve

Kids Can Press

In the  YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE READER CATEGORY, 
the winner is

Teresa Toten

for her book

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

by Teresa Toten

Doubleday Canada

CONGRATULATIONS 
to the juries on their selection,
to the nominees for their inclusion, 
and 
the winners for their awards!

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 

(here on CanLit for LittleCanadians), 

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

Reviewed here in August 

 

to 

 

Teresa Toten 

and her book

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

2013 Governor General Literature Award winners announced!

Today, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the winners of the prestigious Governor General Literary Awards for 2013 including those in the two (English) Children's categories.

Congratulations to all the award winners and nominees for being recognized for their contributions to enriching our collection of phenomenal youngCanLit.

This year's winners in the two (English) Children's categories are: 

For Children’s Text:

The winner is 

Teresa Toten 

 

for her book  

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

Doubleday Canada/Random House of Canada

978-0-385678346

255 pp.

Ages 14+

August, 2013

Reviewed here on August 15, 2013.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten is a transformative, high-energy novel that vibrates with the creativity of both the writer and main character. Adam struggles with OCD (obsessive‑compulsive disorder) and a troubled family life. His group therapy becomes an unlikely source of love and friendship. A powerful story with brilliant language and unexpected moments of humour. 

(Jury comments retrieved from

 http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/news-room/news/2013/the-ggreat-books-of-2013)

For Children’s Illustration:

The winner is

Matt James 

for his book  

Northwest Passage

Text by Stan Rogers

Illustrated by Matt James
Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-153-3

56 pp.

All ages

September 2013

Reviewed here on July 17, 2013. 

Matt James’s unique illustrations set our imaginations soaring as they steer us through Stan Rogers’ famous ballad, Northwest Passage. The ink and acrylic paintings explode with raw effects and vivid colour, sometimes settling to small ice-blue vignettes. Each page is descriptive of the search that obsessed much of the world for hundreds of years.

(Jury comments retrieved from

 http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/news-room/news/2013/the-ggreat-books-of-2013)