2018 Forest of Reading® Nominees for Blue Spruce and Silver Birch Awards

Today, the Ontario Library Association announced the nominated titles for the 2017-2018 Forest of Reading® readers' choice awards. In an extraordinary set of videos of last year's winners reading the names of this year's nominees, the Ontario Library Association put a personal spin on this auspicious announcement. This popular literacy program which is designed to cultivate a love of reading for people of all ages, certainly got everyone's attention today.

In a series of three posts, I'll list the nominees for the following programs that were announced today:

• Blue Spruce™: K to Grade 2 reading level
• Silver Birch® Express: Grades 3-4 reading level
• Silver Birch® Fiction: Grades 5-6 reading level
• Silver Birch® Non-fiction: Grades 5-6 reading level
• Red Maple™ Fiction: Grades 7-8 reading level
• White Pine™ Fiction: Grades 9-12 reading level
• Le Prix Tamarac: les titres en français
• Le Prix Tamarac Express: les titres en français
• Le Prix Peuplier: les albums français

Announced here by Eric Fan and Terry Fan at https://youtu.be/-5_F-kB5IF0

The Branch
Written by Mirielle Messier
Illustrated by Pierre Pratt
Kids Can Press

The Darkest Dark
Written by Chris Hadfield and
Illustrated by Eric Fan and Terry Fan
Tundra

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days
by Shelly Becker
Illustrated by Eda Kaban
Sterling Publishing

French Toast
Written by Kari-Lynn Winters
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Pajama Press

Great
Written by Glen Gretzky and Lauri Holomis
Illustrated by Kevin Sylvester
Puffin Canada

The Little Boy Who Lived Down the Drain
Written by Carolyn Huizinga Mills
Illustrated by Brooke Kerridan
Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Milo and Georgie
Written by Bree Galbraith
Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Owlkids Books

The Owl and the Lemming
Written by Roselynn Akulukjuk
Illustrated by Amanda Sandland
Inhabit Media

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist
Written by Jess Keating
Illustrated by Marta Alvarez Magueys
Sourcebooks

A Squiggly Story
Written by Andrew Larsen
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
Kids Can Press

Read by The Biggest Poutine in the World author Andrée Poulin at https://youtu.be/tHgrILPcgIU

The Banana Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World
Written by Katie Smith Milway
Illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Kids Can Press

Big Blue Forever: The Story of Canada's Largest Blue Whale Skeleton
Written by Anita Miettunen
Red Deer Press

A Boy Named Queen
by Sara Cassidy
Groundwood Books

Heartwood Hotel: A True Home
Written by Kallie George
Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
HarperCollins

I Am Not a Number
by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
Illustrated by Gillian Newland
Second Story Press

Pablo Finds a Treasure
by Andrée Poulin
Illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant
Annick Press

Smiley: A Journey of Love
by Joanne George
Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Tank and Fizz: The Case of the Missing Mage
Written by Liam O'Donnell
Illustrated by Mike Deas
Orca Book Publishers

The Vimy Oaks: A Journey to Peace
Written by Linda Granfield
Illustrated by Brian Deines
Scholastic Canada

Wolf Island
Written by Nicholas Read
Photographs by Ian McCallister
Orca Book Publishers

Nominated announced by author of OCDaniel, Wesley King at https://youtu.be/9MbQkxNPEXg

Brave
by Svetlana Chmakova
Yen Press

Cammie Takes Flight
by Laura Best
Nimbus Publishing

Clutch
by Heather Camelot
Red Deer Press

The Doll's Eye
by Marina Cohen
Roaring Brook Press

From Ant to Eagle
by Alex Lyttle
Central Avenue Publishing

The Griffin of Darkwood
by Becky Citra
Coteau Books

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
by Shari Green
Pajama Press

Restart
by Gordon Korman
Scholastic

The Stone Heart: The Nameless City Book 2
by Faith Erin Hicks
First Second Press

Yellow Dog
by Miriam Körner
Red Deer Press

Nominees were announced by author Joel A. Sutherland at https://youtu.be/EIOe9Pre0Hk

5 Giraffes
by Anne Innis Dagg
Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Eat Up: An Infographic Exploration of Food
by Antonia Banyard and Paula Ayer
Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich
Annick Press

Fight to Learn: The Struggle To Go To School
by Laura Scandiffio
Annick Press

Meatless?: A Fresh Look At What You Eat
by Sara Elton
Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
Owlkids

Monster Science: Could Monsters Survive and Thrive in the Real World?
by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Phil McAndrew
Kids Can Press

Pocket Change: Pitching in for a better world
by Michelle Mulder
Orca Book Publishers

Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees
by Mary Beth Leatherdale
Illustrated by Eleanor Shakespeare
Annick Press

To Burp or Not to Burp: A guide to your body in space
by Dr. Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti
Illustrated by Theo Krynauw
Annick Press

Top Dogs: True Stories of Canines that Made History
by Elizabeth MacLeod
Annick Press

What a Waste: Where does garbage go?

by Claire Eamer
Illustrated by Bambi Edlund
Annick

Remaining nominees will be listed here:

Red Maple and White Pine

Le Prix Tamarac and Le Prix Peuplier