Willow Award 2011/2012 Winners announced!

The winners of the Willow Awards, Saskatchewan's young readers' choice awards, were announced April 27th at the SaskEnergy Willow Awards Gala 2012 in Moose Jaw.  The titles nominated for these three awards were announced last spring (2011), and readers in Kindergarten to Grade 9 read and then voted on the titles in their award category. (These winners were originally announced on our home site here.)

Congratulations to the  

winners of the three Willow Awards!

The winner of the Shining Willow Award, selected from those books written for youngest readers, those in Kindergarten to Grade 3, is...

The King’s Taster

by Kenneth Oppel, 

Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

HarperCollins

2009

The king's cook is having a hard time getting the young king to eat his fare.  In an exhaustive series of trips, the cook and the king's taster look for new dishes to serve the king.  But, it isn't until the king's taster reveals a secret that the youthful king is compelled to enjoy his meals.

The winner of the Diamond Willow Award, selected from those books written for readers of Grades 4 to 6, is...

The Midnight Curse

by L. M. Falcone

Kids Can Press

2010

When their great-great-uncle Jonathan dies, eleven-year-old fraternal twins, Charlie and Lacey Darcy, and their mom are summoned to England hopeful for an inheritance.  But, it is a curse that transfers from Uncle Jonathan to Charlie, already a nervous worrier, which condemns him to a life sleeping in water from midnight to daybreak, or suffer death.

The winner of the Snow Willow Award, selected from those books written for readers in Grades 7 to 9, is ...

Dear George Clooney, 

Please Marry My Mom

by Susin Nielsen

Tundra Books

2010

Also, winner of the 2012 Rocky Mountain Book Award Gold Medal, Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom tells the story of Violet's struggle to look for an appropriate match for her mom after Violet's TV-director dad leaves Vancouver and reshapes his life into that of a rich LA big-shot with a beautiful actress-wife and perfect twin daughters.  With Dad blissfully unaware of the impact his choices have had on others, and her younger sister bed-wetting again, and her mom dating loser after loser, Violet decides to take matters into her own hands, compelling her to make some abominable and hilarious decisions.

Red Cedar Award 2012 winners announced

British Columbia children in Grades 4 through 7 have read and voted for their favourite titles among the Fiction nominees and Information Book nominees for 2011/2012. We are pleased to announce the winners in each category.

For the Red Cedar Book Award for Fiction, the winner is . . .

After the Fire

by Becky Citra

 Orca Books 

186 pp.

Ages 8-11

2010 

While her mom and boyfriend are passed out drunk, a fire breaks out and Melissa is left scarred.  Two years later, Melissa, her brother and mom are spending the summer at a friend's cottage. There Melissa meets Alice and, although she is embarrassed about her less-than-perfect family, Melissa learns that Alice is not what she seems, her family also less than perfect and dealing with grief in a variety of unhealthy ways.


For the Red Cedar Information Book Award, the winner is . . .

How to Build Your Own Country 

by Valerie Wyatt

Illustrated by Fred Rix

Kids Can Press

40 pp.

Ages 9-11

2009 

This "how-to" book will help readers establish their own countries, learn how to set up their governments and how to set up international relations with other countries.  All the organization needed and the knowledge of government, economics, trade and other key national endeavours are illustrated in this worthwhile book. 

Chocolate Lily 2012 winners announced

Unlike the British Columbia book awards of Red Cedar and the Stellar Award programs, the Chocolate Lily Book Awards promote children's fiction by B. C. authors and B. C. illustrators. The three award categories for 2011/2012 were:

1. Picture Book – for readers in Kindergarten to Grade 4
2. Chapter Book – for Grades 3-6
3. Novel – for Grades 5 to 8

The winners of the Chocolate Lily Book Awards were announced recently from the following shortlists announced last spring:


In the Picture Book Category (Kindergarten to Grade 3)

• Singing Away the Dark
by Caroline Woodward
Simply Read Books

• Great Lakes and Rugged Ground Imagining Ontario
by Sarah N. Harvey & Leslie Buffam
Orca Book Publishers

•  Stanley’s Little Sister
by Linda Bailey (BC)
Kids Can Press

• The Little Hummingbird
by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Greystone Books

• Where are You Bear?
by Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Sean L. Moore (BC)
Owl Kids

• Compost Stew an A to Z Recipe for the Earth
by Mary McKenna Siddals
Tricycle Press

The winner in the Picture Book Category is. . .

Stanley's Little Sister

by Linda Bailey

Kids Can Press

In the Chapter Book Category (Grades 3 – 5)

• Emily
by Julie Lawson
Penguin

• The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw
by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers

• Ben’s Robot
by Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishers

• Black Dog Dream Dog
by Michelle Superle
Tradewind Books

• No Pets Allowed
by Irene N. Watts
Tradewind Books

The winner in the Chapter Book Category is. . .

Black Dog, Dream Dog

by Michelle Superle

Tradewind Books

In the Novel Category  (Grades 5 – 8 )

• Hannah & the Spindle Whorl
by Carol Anne Shaw
Ronsdale Press

• Silver Rain
by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers

• Follow the Elephant
by Beryl Young
Ronsdale Press

• Ghost of Heroes Past
by Charles Ried
Ronsdale Press

• No Moon
by Irene Watts
Tundra Books

• Dear George Clooney Please Marry Mom
by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books

• Liar and Fools
by Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishers


The winner in the Novel Category is. . .

Follow the Elephant

by Beryl Young

Kids Can Press

 Congratulations 

authors, illustrators and publishers 

on your nominations and wins

The Willow Awards 2011/2012 Nominees

 

Established in 2001, the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice (SYRCA) awards, the Willow Awards, encourage reading by nominating a variety of Canadian titles in three categories.  Young readers can participate in the reading programs through their schools and public libraries, selecting their favourite from one list.  The Willow Awards are truly conferred according the choices of Saskatchewan's young readers.

This year's lists of nominated titles were announced last year.  Since then, young readers have enjoyed reading exceptional Canadian books, anticipating their voting day next week.

The three Willow Awards i.e., Shining Willow, Diamond Willow and Snow Willow are detailed below, along with the nominated titles.

The Shining Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for youngest readers, those in Kindergarten to Grade 3.

The 2011/2012 Shining Willow nominees are:

• Clever Rachel

by Debby Waldman, illustrated by Cindy Revell

Orca Books

2009

• Fred and Pete at the Beach

by Cynthia Nugent

Orca Books

2009

• Giraffe and Bird

by Rebecca Bender

Dancing Cat Books

2010

• The Imaginary Garden

by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher

Kids Can Press

2009

• In Front of My House

by Marianne Dubuc

Kids Can Press

2010

• The King’s Taster

by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

HarperCollins

2009

• The Little Hummingbird

by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Greystone Books/D & M Publishers

2010

• Timmerman Was Here

by Colleen Sydor, illustrated by Nicolas Debon

Tundra Books

2009

• Viola Desmond Won’t be Budged

by Jody Nyasha Warner, illustrated by Richard Rudnicki

Groundwood Books

2010

• Willow’s Whispers

by Lana Button, illustrated by Tania Howells

Kids Can Press

2010

The Diamond Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for readers of Grades 4 to 6.

The 2011/2012 Diamond Willow nominees are:

• After All, You're Callie Boone

by Winnie Mack

Scholastic Canada

2010

• Animals That Changed The World

by Keltie Thomas

Annick Press

2010

• Fatty Legs

by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes

Annick Press

2010

• The Gargoyle In My Yard

by Philippa Dowding

Dundurn

2009

• The Midnight Curse

by L. M. Falcone

Kids Can Press

2010

• The Odds Get Even

by Natale Ghent

HarperCollins

2009

• Ortega

by Maureen Fergus

Kids Can Press

2010

• Stolen Child

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Scholastic Canada

2010

• Tumbleweed Skies

by Valerie Sherrard

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

2009

• Walking Backward

by Catherine Austen

Orca Books

2010

The Snow Willow Award winner is selected from those books written for readers in Grades 7 to 9.

The 2011/2012 Snow Willow nominees are:

• Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom

by Susin Nielsen

Tundra Books

2010

• Free As A Bird

by Gina McMurchy-Barber

Dundurn

2010

• A Hare In The Elephant's Trunk 

by Jan L. Coates

Red Deer Press

2010

• Haunted 

by Barbara Haworth-Attard

HarperCollins

2009

• Home Truths

by Jill MacLean

Dancing Cat Books

2010

• No Safe Place

by Deborah Ellis

Groundwood Books

2010

• Puppet  

by Eva Wiseman

Tundra Books

2009

• Shapeshifter

by Holly Bennett

Orca Books

2010

• Thunder Over Kandahar

by Sharon E. McKay

Annick Press

2010

• The Worst Thing She Ever Did

by Alice Kuipers

HarperTrophy Canada

2010

We look forward to the announcement of the winners at the end of April. Good luck to all nominees.