2021 Governor General's Literary Awards: Finalists announced

 

Today, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards.

The seven categories of books, both in French and English, for which awards are given are:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Young People's Literature (Text)
• Young People's Literature (Illustration)
• Drama
• Translation

Congratulations to the finalists 

of all the awards
and I present here those of

works for young people.

English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Blood Like Magic

Written by Liselle Sambury

Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster

 

The Fabulous Zed Watson 

Written by Kevin Sylvester and Basil Sylvester

HarperCollins

 

Firefly

Written by Philippa Dowding

DCB

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Lee's Notes From the Field

Written by Angela Ahn

Tundra

Unravel

Written by Sharon Jennings

Red Deer Press

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

The Library Bus

Written by Bahram Rahman

Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

Pajama Press

Reviewed here

Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh/This is How I Know

Written by Brittany Luby
Illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Translated by Alvin Ted Corbiere and Alan Corbiere
Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

On the Trapline

Written by David A. Robertson

Illustrated by Julie Flett

Tundra

 

Out Into the Big Wide Lake

Written by Paul Harbridge

Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon

Tundra

 

The Wind and the Trees

Written and illustrated by Todd Stewart

Owlkids Books

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Les avenues
Written by Jean-François Sénéchal
Leméac Éditeur

Comme un ouragan
Written by Jonathan Bécotte
Les éditions Héritage

Le Dernier Viking
Written by Mario Fecteau
Les Éditions du Boréal

Stella, qu'est-ce que tu fais là? (Tome 1)

Written by Sandra Sirois

Éditions Hurtubise

Tara voulait jouer

Written by Frédérick Wolfe

Leméac Éditeur

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

À qui appartiennent les nuages?
Written by Mario Brassard
Illustrated by Gérard DuBois
Les Éditions de la Pastèque

Bouées: dérives identitaires, amours imaginaires et détours capillaires
Written and illustrated by Catherine Lepage
Les Éditions de la Pastèque 

La langue au chat et autres poèmes pas bêtes
Written by François Gravel
Illustrated by Laurent Pinabel
Éditions Les 400 coups

Ma maison-tête
Written and illustrated by Vigg
Fonfon
 

Le tricot
Written and illustrated by Jacques Goldstyn
Les Éditions de la Pastèque

Winning titles will be announced 

on November 17, 2021.

2020 Governor General's Literary Awards: Finalists announced

 

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the Governor General's Literary Awards for books published in 2020. Normally this announcement and that of the winners would have taken place last fall. However, because of the pandemic, the announcements of the finalists and the winners have been deferred until this spring. (The 2021 awards will again take place in the fall of this year.) 

 

Awards are given in seven different categories:

• Fiction
• Poetry
• Drama
• Non-fiction
• Young People's Literature - Text
• Young People's Literature - Children's Illustration
• Translation 

Please join me in congratulating this year's finalists in the two categories for young readers. 

Young People's Literature -  Text

(Jury: Catherine Austen, Cary Fagan, Shenaaz Nanji)

 

Harvey Holds His Own

Written by Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press

Reviewed here

Nevers

Written by Sara Cassidy

Orca Book Publishers

Pine Island Home

Written by Polly Horvath

Puffin Canada

The Barren Grounds (Book One of The Misewa Saga)

Written by David A. Robertson

Puffin Canada

The King of Jam Sandwiches

Written by Eric Walters

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young People's Literature - Illustrated Books

(Jury: Wallace Edwards, Bonnie Farmer, Kyo Maclear)

 

I Talk Like a River

Written by Jordan Scott

Illustrated by Sydney Smith

Neal Porter Books / Holiday House

 

Our Little Kitchen

Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Groundwood Books 

Reviewed here

 

Swift Fox All Along

Written by Rebecca Thomas

Illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Annick Press

 

The Barnabus Project

Written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers 

Tundra Books

 

Weekend Dad

Written by Nassem Hrab

Illustrated by Frank Viva

Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

The winners will be announced on June 1, 2021.

Congratulations to all finalists!

2020/2021 Willow Book Awards: Finalists announced

Okay, I am going to try to get ahead of the book awards game now and post the recently announced nominees for the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards, also known as the Willow Awards.

Congratulations to authors and illustrators and their publishers on these nominations.

For those books written for readers in Kindergarten to Gr. 3

The Shining Willow Finalists are:

Aw​â​sis and the World-Famous Bannock ​
Written by Dallas Hunt
Illustrated by AmandaStrong
Highwater Press
Reviewed here

Boxitects ​
Written and illustrated by Kim Smith
HarperCollins
Reviewed here

Emma’s Gems ​
Written by Anne Renaud
Illustrated by Leanne Franson
Peanut Butter Press

How to Give Your Cat a Bath In Five Easy Steps ​
Written by Nicola Winstanley
Illustrated by John Martz
Tundra Books

Karate Kakapo​
Written by Loredana Cunti
Illustrated by Stacy Curtis
Kids Can Press

Princess Puffybottom...and Darryl ​
Written by Susin Nielsen
Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
Tundra Books
Reviewed here

Robert Bateman: The Boy Who Painted Nature ​
Written by Margriet Ruurs
Illustrated byRobert Bateman
Orca Book Publishers

Sergeant Billy: The True Story of the Goat Who Went to War ​
Written by Mireille Messier
Illustrated by Kass Reich
Tundra Books

The Silence Slips In ​
Written by Alison Hughes
Illustrated by Ninon Pelletier
Orca BookPublishers

Triceratops Stomp ​
Written and illustrated by Karen Patkau
Pajama Press
Reviewed here

For those books written for readers of Gr. 4 to 6

The Diamond Willow Finalists are:

Acting Wild: How We Behave Like Birds, Bugs and Beasts ​
Written by Maria Birmingham
Illustrated by Dave Whamond
Owlkids Books

Camp Average
Written ​by Craig Battle
Owlkids Books

​

The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster ​
Written by Cary Fagan
Tundra Books

Girl of the Southern Sea ​
Written by Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press
Reviewed here

Harvey Comes Home​
Written by Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press
Reviewed here

Missing Mike ​
Written by Shari Green
Pajama Press
Reviewed here

My Deal With the Universe
Written by Deborah Kerbel
Scholastic Canada
Reviewed here

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying ​
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Puffin Canada

Tales Beyond the Brain​
Written by Jeff Szpirglas
Illustrated by Steven P. Hughes
Orca Book Publishers

Too Young to Escape: a Vietnamese Girl Waits to be Reunited with Her Family
Written ​by Van Ho and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Pajama Press
Reviewed here

For those books written for readers in Gr. 7 to 9

The Snow Willow Finalists are:

Broken Strings ​
Written by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer
Penguin Random House

The Center of the Universe​
Written by Ria Voros
Kids Can Press
Reviewed here







Don’t Tell the Nazis (also titled Don't Tell the Enemy)
Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada 
Reviewed here

Funny You Don’t Look Autistic​
Written by Michael McCreary
Annick Press

The Journey of Little Charlie​
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic Canada
Reviewed here

The Justice Project​
Written by Michael Betcherman
Orca Book Publishers

Sadia​
Written by Colleen Nelson
Dundurn Press
Reviewed here

Safe Harbour​
Written by Christina Kilbourne
Dundurn Press

This Place: 150 Years Retold
Written by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm​, Sonny Assu, BrandonMitchell, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, David A. Robertson, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Jen Storm, Richard Van Camp, Katherena Vermette and ​Chelsea Vowel​
HighWater Press
Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, Kyle Charles, Natasha Donovan, GMB Chomichuk, Ryan Howe, Jen Storm, Tara Audibert and Andrew Lodwick
Reviewed here

Trail of Crumbs ​
Written by Lisa J. Lawrence
Orca Book Publishers








It may seem a long wait until voting begins next winter but it's a perfect time to start and with so many great reads here that I'm sure time will fly quickly!  

Congratulations to all nominees!