2013 Rocky Mountain Book Award

The Case of the Missing Deed by Ellen Schwartz is the winner of the 2013 Rocky Mountain Book Award Gold Medal! Congratulations to Ellen, let’s break out the chocolate cinnamon sparkle cookies to celebrate!

The Case of the Missing DeedThe Case of the Missing Deed
Written by Ellen Schwartz
Hardcover | 200 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-0-88776-959-7
eBook: 978-1-77049-267-7
“…The Case of the Missing Deed is fast-paced, and full of cryptic clues, secret codes, and red herrings…. Schwartz beautifully captures the agony, ecstasy, and exquisite self-centredness of a 13-year-old girl on a family vacation…. The Case of the Missing Deed is a great summer read for kids who love a good, meaty mystery as much as they love a delicious homemade dessert.” – Quill & Quire

The Rocky Mountain Book Award invites students and educators to participate in their readers’ choice program. The Rocky Mountain Book Award is an Alberta based program designed to connect young readers with exemplary Canadian literature.

Information Book Award

Six of Tundra’s titles have made it onto the Preliminary List for the 2013 Information Book Award! Congratulations to our authors and illustrators!

Going Up - Elisha Otis Trip to the TopGoing Up!
Elisha Otis’s Trip to the Top

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-240-0
eBook: 978-1-77049-367-4
“…Kulling gives lesser-known inventor Elisha Otis a lift in this latest entry into the Great Idea series…. [T]his picture-book biography gives a lively account of Otis’ world-changing invention. Caricatured expressions set against detailed backdrops add playfulness to the informative text.” – Booklist

Who Needs a Jungle? Who Needs a Swamp? Who Needs an Iceberg
Ecosystem Series
Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages Each | Ages 7-10
Who Needs a Jungle? ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
Who Needs a Swamp? ISBN: 978-0-88776-991-7
Who Needs an Iceberg? ISBN: 978-0-88776-993-1

Oscar PetersonOscar Peterson
The Man and His Jazz

Written by Jack Batten
Hardcover | 192 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-269-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-362-9
“If you are looking for a solid biography for middle schoolers of the man who was arguably the top jazz pianist for over twenty years and among the best for the rest of his life, then look no further than this book…. Batten makes the reader unfamiliar with songs run to the web to listen for the first time….” – VOYA Magazine

Rescuing the ChildrenRescuing the Children
The Story of the Kindertransport

Written by Deborah Hodge
Hardcover | 64 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-256-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-366-7
“…Neither melodramatic nor sentimental, the simple, accessible prose reveals the historical realities of how ‘non-Jewish children [were] taught to love Hitler and to hate Jews,’ along with the heartbreak of saying good-bye and the fact that most of the rescued would never see their parents again…. Even with all the books out there about the Kindertransport, readers will grab this exemplary title for historical research and for personal reading.” – Starred Review, Booklist

The Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award is given to a book that arouses interest, stimulates curiosity, captures the imagination, and fosters concern for the world around us. The award’s aim is to recognize excellence in Canadian publishing of non-fiction for children. The criteria include accuracy, clarity, imaginative approach, appropriateness of organization and format, and sensitivity to ethnocentric and gender biases.

Shortlist for the 2013 Arthur Ellis Awards

Becoming HolmesThis year marks the 29th anniversary of the Arthur Ellis Awards! The Arthur Ellis Awards, established in 1984 and named after the nom de travail of Canada’s official hangman, are awarded annually by the CWC in various categories.

The Arthur Ellis Awards are for crime writing, which includes crime, detective, espionage, mystery, suspense, and thriller writing, as well as fictional or factual accounts of criminal doings and crime-themed literary works.

Tundra would like to congratulate Shane Peacock, nominated for the 2013 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book for Becoming Holmes: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Final Case.

arthurellisCongratulations to the other nominees in this category:

  • Lisa Harrington, Live to Tell
  • Y.S. Lee, The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel
  • Sylvia McNicoll, Crush Candy Corpse
  • Elizabeth Stewart, The Lynching of Louie Sam

The winners will be announced at the Arthur Ellis Awards gala dinner on Thursday, May 30, at the Arts & Letters Club, 14 Elm Street, Toronto.

CLA’s 2013 Book of the Year for Children Award Winner

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K LarsenSince the shortlist released in March, we were patiently waiting for the Canadian Library Association to announce the winners. And when they did, we did a little happy dance. The winning title for the 2013 Book of the Year for Children Award is The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen.

The CLA’s Book of the Year for Children Award Jury Chair Alexandra Yarrow elaborates: “Nielsen’s books typically are characterised by empathy for her characters. She has a particular gift for finding the unique voice of one child and embracing it, while also portraying with balance and sensitivity other, often unsympathetic, characters of all ages. In The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, Nielsen’s gifts are at their best yet, resulting in an unforgettable novel that explores a painful topic with compassion.”

A Tinfoil SkyThe jury also selected two Honour Books this year: A Tinfoil Sky by Cyndi Sand-Eveland and The Grave Robber’s Apprentice by Allan Stratton. Congratulations to Cyndi and Allan!

This year’s award, generously sponsored by Library Services Centre, will be presented to Susin Nielsen on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at the CLA Book Awards and reception during the CLA National Conference and Tradeshow in Ottawa. The Book Award Reception is generously sponsored by TD Bank Group.

In awe of all the titles you receive for consideration, we want to thank the following jury members for all their hard work:

  • Myra Junyk, Literacy advocate and author, Toronto
  • Jaclyn McLean, Librarian, Prince Albert
  • Rachel Seigel, Selection Manager – Education, S&B Books, Mississauga
  • Kathryn Weisman, Librarian, West Vancouver
  • Alexandra Yarrow, Librarian, Ottawa (Chair)

Shortlist for the 2013 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards

The following titles have been shortlisted for the 2013 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards in the Young Adult category:

A Tinfoil SkyA Tinfoil Sky
Written by Cyndi Sand-Eveland
Hardcover | 224 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-277-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-294-3
“…A Tinfoil Sky is a messy, heart-wrenching story. Sand-Eveland does an admirable job of not flinching from the harsh realities of Mel’s life. Her vivid, descriptive prose clearly depicts a precarious world where love, family and home are elusive propositions…. Tackling a challenging topic, Sand-Eveland deftly weaves hope amidst the hurt and the story has the ring of authenticity to which young readers will respond.” – Canadian Children’s Book News

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K LarsenThe Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Written by Susin Nielsen
Hardcover | 256 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-372-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-373-5
“…a highly emotional story about a family that blames one another, and themselves, for an unimaginable tragedy. Nielsen’s balance of humor and pathos is finely honed, making this a surprisingly breezy read for so heavy a topic.” – Booklist

Congratulations to Cyndi and Susin! Congratulations to the other shortlisted authors for their titles as well: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield, Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, and The Grave Robber’s Apprentice by Allan Stratton.

About the Award
The award, made possible by the Ruth Schwartz Foundation, is presented annually to the authors/illustrators of two outstanding works of Canadian children’s literature – a picture book and a young-adult/middle-reader title. The award is administered jointly – the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) oversees the jury process and publicizes the award and the Ontario Arts Foundation (OAF) publicizes the award.

The 2013 winners will be announced at Etobicokes’s North Kipling Junior Middle School, 2 Rowntree Road, Etobicoke, ON at 1 p.m. on May 23, 2013.

Tundra Book Group