2014 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards' nominees announced

On Wednesday, April 16, the Ontario Arts Foundation announced the 2014 nominees for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards that recognize artistic excellence in writing and illustration in English-language Canadian children’s literature.  The awards will be selected by two juries of young readers, this year from Aldergrove Public School in Markham, Ontario.  Five students from Grades 3 and 4 will select the award-winning book for the Children's Picture Book Award, and five students from Grades 7 and 8 will select the Young Adult/Middle Reader Book Award recipient.  The prizes will be given out May 20 at the school.

Here are the two short-lists of nominees announced Wednesday:

• • •                                        

In the CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK CATEGORY, the nominees are:

The Boy Who Paints
by K. Jane Watt
Illustrations by Richard Cole
Fenton Street Press

Loula is Leaving for Africa
by Anne Villeneuve
Kids Can Press

The Man with the Violin
by Kathy Stinson 
Illustrations by Dušan Petričić
Annick Press

Reviewed here

Once Upon a Northern Night
by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault
Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

Read Me a Story, Stella 
by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

• • •                                       

In the  YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE READER CATEGORY, the nominees are:

Little Red Lies 

by Julie Johnston
Tundra Books

Ultra
by David Carroll
Scholastic Canada 

Reviewed here

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
by Teresa Toten
Doubleday Canada

Reviewed here

Jane, the Fox and Me
by Fanny Britt
Illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault 
Groundwood Books

Sorrow's Knot 
by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada

Congratulations to all nominees

2014 CLA Book Award winners announced!

Cue the fanfare! Break out the bubbly! Exciting news is emanating from the Canadian Library Association. The announcements of winners of the CLA's annual book awards have just been released.  From extraordinary shortlists to outstanding winners, the selection committees have once again done their association proud. 

This award recognizes an illustrator of a noteworthy Canadian book, published in 2013, that appeals to children up to the age of 12 years.

 
Congratulations to the Winner:

* The Dark *

Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Written by Lemony Snicket
HarperCollins

Press release announcement from CLA

This notable award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2013, which appeals to children up to and including age 12.

Congratulations to the Winner:

* Curse of the Dream Witch *

by Allan Stratton
Scholastic Canada

Reviewed here

Congratulations also to the two Honour Books selected:

 
Metro Dogs of Moscow
by Rachelle Delaney

Puffin Canada

 
Prince Puggly and the Kingdom of Spiff

by Robert Paul Weston
Puffin Canada

Reviewed here

Press release announcement from CLA

This award recognizes an author of an outstanding English-language Canadian work of fiction (novel, collection of short stories or graphic novel), published in 2013, that appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18.

Congratulations to the Winner:

* Graffiti Knight *

by Karen Bass
Pajama Press

Reviewed here

Congratulations also to the only Honour Book selected:

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B 

by Teresa Toten

Doubleday Canada

Reviewed here

Press release announcement from CLA


The full list of press releases from CLA is available here.

2014 Alberta Literary Awards short lists announced

The short-lists for the Alberta Literary Awards were just announced a few days ago. (Press release here.) The Alberta Literary Awards, created by the Writers Guild of Alberta in 1982, recognize excellence in writing by Alberta authors.

The Writers Guild of Alberta presents the following nine awards as well as administers two city book awards:

• R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature This award alternates yearly between picture and chapter books

• Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction

• Wilfred Eggleston Award for Non-Fiction
 
• Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama
 
• Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry 

• Amber Bowerman Memorial Travel Writing Award

• James H. Gray Award for Short Non-Fiction

• Howard O'Hagan Award for Short Story

• Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Prize

The two city book awards are:
• The City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize

• The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize


The one award that is always about youngCanLit is the R. Ross Annett Award, whose nominees, all books penned by Alberta authors, I present here:

The 2014 nominees for the
R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature 

 are:

Graffiti Knight
by Karen Bass
Pajama Press

Reviewed here

The Great Bike Rescue
by Hazel Hutchins
Orca Book Publishers

Not With a Bang
by Gail Sidonie Sobat
Magpie Books

Reviewed here

The winners of all awards will be announced in June. 

Congratulations to all nominees!