Category: honours

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Today’s Parent 100 Best Canadian Kids’ Books of All Time

Today’s Parent surveyed experts from coast to coast to create this awesome list of titles. Here are their Tundra favourites:

01_Anne of Green GablesAnne of Green Gables
Written by L. M. Montgomery
Trade Paperback
384 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-731-3
eBook: 978-1-77049-860-0
“Melodramatic and relatable Anne-with-an-E is an 11-year-old orphan who finds love, loss and belongingin picturesque Prince Edward Island.” – Today’s Parent

The Hockey Sweater_30th AnniversaryThe Hockey Sweater, 30th Anniversary Edition
Written by Roch Carrier
Illustrated by Sheldon Cohen
Translated by Sheila Fischman
Hardcover
48 Pages | All Ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-762-7
“In a small Quebec town, life revolves around playing hockey and the Montreal Canadiens, but trouble brews when Roch outgrows his Habs sweater and receives a Toronto Maple Leafs one as a replacement.” – Today’s Parent

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded FangJacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
Written by Mordecai Richler
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
96 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-0-88776-925-2
“Misunderstood Jacob Two-Two finds himself at the mercy of the mean Hooded Fang after insulting a grown-up.” – Today’s Parent

A Child in Prison CampA Child in Prison Camp
Written by Shizuye Takashima
Trade Paperback
104 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-241-3
“The author reflects on how her family and thousands of other Japanese Canadians were forced to live in internment camps during the Second World War.”- Today’s Parent

Emily of New MoonEmily of New Moon
Written by L.M. Montgomery
Hardcover
448 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-746-7
“Emily Starr’s world is shattered with the death of her father. Now she’ll have to start fresh in a new place with her stern aunt and cruel classmates.” – Today’s Parent

The Olden Days CoatThe Olden Days Coat
Written by Margaret Laurence
Illustrated by Muriel Wood
Trade Paperback
32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-704-3
“While visiting her grandmother at Christmas, 10-year-old Sal is transported to the past when she tries on a coat she finds in a weathered trunk.” – Today’s Parent

Mr Zingers HatMr. Zinger’s Hat
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Hardcover
32 Pages |Ages 4-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-253-0
“A little boy knocks the town storyteller’s hat off his head, but together they come up with a new story to tell.” – Today’s Parent

DippersDippers
Written by Barbara Nichol
Illustrated by Barry Moser
Trade Paperback
32 Pages | Ages 7-9
ISBN: 978-0-88776-549-0
“Based on a letter written by a girl named Margaret and discovered in the Toronto archives, this book is her fantastical account of some strange happenings during the summer of 1912.” – Today’s Parent

The Night They Stole the Stanley CupThe Night They Stole the Stanley Cup
Written by Roy MacGregor
Trade Paperback
176 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-414-5
“Hockey’s greatest trophy is in danger. Will the Screech Owls hockey team be able to save it?” – Today’s Parent

Julia ChildJulia, Child
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Hardcover
32 Pages | All Ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-449-7
“Simca and Julia are best friends who love to cook. This delightful tale is based loosely on the relationship between real-life friends chef Julia Child and Simone (Simca) Beck.” – Today’s Parent

The Nose from JupiterThe Nose from Jupiter
Written by Richard Scrimger
Trade Paperback
160 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-0-88776-428-8
“Alan is bullied at school, until an alien from Jupiter lands in his nose and teaches him how to stick up for himself.” – Today’s Parent

Check out the full list of titles here on the Today’s Parent website! Thank you to the esteemed panelists for all their work. You can also enter to win all 100 books here (contest closes June 12, 2015).

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Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards Shortlist

We are very excited to announce that two of our titles have been nominated for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards! Congratulations to Cybèle Young, Dan Bar-el and Tatjana Mai-Wyss!

Picture Book Category:

Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
“Nancy Knows is a great example of the power and charm of simple storytelling. Young’s prose is clear; each brief sentence is composed of carefully chosen words that inspire readers to take their time and savour the story (a fitting approach for a book about memory). But it is Young’s artwork that elevates the narrative to extraordinary heights…. Young once again works her magic, combining intricately detailed miniature paper sculptures (which represent memories) with soft, pencil-sketched outlines of Nancy and her surroundings. The effect is utterly mesmerizing.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

Middle Reader Category:

audreyAudrey (cow)
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss
Hardcover | 240 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-602-6
“Animal Farm meets The Great Escape…. The back-and-forth among the characters is over the top … but Bar-el pulls it off with great charm. The result is purely delightful, as are Tatjana Mai-Wyss’s appropriately vintage-looking spot illustrations. The short first-person passages help move the story along, ending with a comedy-of-errors that culminates in Audrey happily living out her days at an animal sanctuary. Bar-el manages to gently and thoughtfully introduce kids to the concept of the abattoir while also underscoring that a farm’s very purpose is producing food. At its heart, Audrey (Cow) encourages kids to think even as it entertains – the mark of wonderful children’s literature.” – Starred Review, Quill and Quire

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.

Ruth Schwartz was a respected Toronto bookseller who ran a bookstore in the Park Plaza Hotel. She made a special effort to promote Canadian-authored children’s books. In 1976, after Ruth Schwartz’s death, her sister, Sylvia, established an award in her name. In honour of the late Sylvia Schwartz, the family recently added her name to the award.

The award is administered jointly – the Ontario Arts Council oversees the jury process and publicizes the award and the Ontario Arts Foundation publicizes the award.

The winners are selected by two juries of young readers, which this year are students at Alexander Muir / Gladstone Avenue Junior and Senior Public School in Toronto and will be announced there on Friday, May 15, 2015.

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Manitoba Book Award Shortlist 2015

The Manitoba Writers’ Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers have announced the Manitoba Book Awards shortlists. We would like to congratulate Eva Wiseman, The World Outside has been shortlisted for the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award!

The World OutsideThe World Outside
Written by Eva Wiseman
Hardcover | 240 Pages | Ages 12 and up
ISBN: 978-0-88776-981-8
eBook: 978-0-88776-982-5
“Wiseman is known for choosing unique time periods in Jewish history for her books. She authentically portrays a young woman torn between two worlds. Readers of all backgrounds will be able to empathize with Chanie…. Recommended for libraries looking to enhance their collections about cultural groups and self-identity.” – School Library Journal

Eva Wiseman won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award for Puppet in 2010 and My Canary Yellow Star in 2001 and was shortlisted for the award in 2013 for The Last Song. Fingers crossed for another win!

UPDATE: We are thrilled to announce that Eva was chosen as the winner! This is the first time the award has been won three times by one author. Congratulations, Eva!

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CCBC Choices 2015

Congratulations to Charis Cotter and Kate De Goldi! The Swallow: A Ghost Story and The ACB with Honora Lee, are included in CCBC Choices 2015, the annual best-of-the-year list of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC).

The SwallowThe Swallow: A Ghost Story
Written by Charis Cotter
Hardcover | 320 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-591-3
“Spooky tension, friendship and compassion permeate this exquisitely plotted middle-grade ghost story. …the story structure weaves its way in and out-riveting and tumbling with tension but never obvious, leaving the readers wondering if anything is really as it seems. …readers will seesaw between chills and snorts of laughter. When Cotter delivers the final twist, it is a denouement that becomes a springboard for greater revelations that lead to even greater reader satisfaction. Middle-grade storytelling at its very best-extraordinary.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

The ACB with Honora LeeThe ACB with Honora Lee
Written by Kate De Goldi
Illustrated by Gregory O’Brien
Hardcover | 128 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-722-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-723-8
“De Goldi’s story of an only child’s determined efforts to know and love her grandmother deserves a place in the pantheon of quiet, word-of-mouth classics . . . Perry is funny and bewitching, and all of the other characters, even the walk-ons, are equally engaging. O’Brien’s curious diagram-illustrations pay appropriate tribute to Perry’s admiration for the unconventional.” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

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2015 Willow Awards Nominations

The Willow AwardsThe Willow Awards have been announced! We are very happy to see that three of our titles have been nominated for the Shining Willow Award and one for the Diamond Willow. Congratulations to Roy MacGregor, Geneviève Després, Eric Walters, Eugenie Fernandes, Elise Gravel, and Charis Cotter for their fantastic work!

Click here for a bookmark checklist for the Shining Willow nominees and click here for the Diamond Willow bookmark.

Shining Willow Nominees:

The Highest Number in the WorldThe Highest Number in the World
Written by Roy MacGregor
Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-5753
“MacGregor’s writing packs an emotional punch without relying on sentimentality (‘Gabe’s heart felt as if a skate had just run across it’). Expressive pencil drawings, brightened with color washes, perfectly capture the characters’ feelings. From the moment Grandma begins to share her past and her passion for hockey, the story’s context becomes broader, more complex, and more meaningful. A memorable, intergenerational picture book perfect for sharing.” – Starred Review, Booklist

My Name Is BlessingMy Name Is Blessing
Written by Eric Walters
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Hardcover | 32 Pages |Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-301-8
“This expressive picture book, based on a real family, lovingly tells a hard story with a twist. It’s difficult to broach poverty, disability and custody issues in so few pages without sounding maudlin, but Walters manages by speaking simply…. With dignity and quiet acceptance, this story illustrates that blessings, like family, can take unexpected forms.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

The WormThe Worm
Written by Elise Gravel
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-633-0
“Gravel covers basics like worm anatomy and diet with simple text and bold, hand-lettered typography. But it’s the earthworm protagonist, sporting a beret and greeting readers with a worldly ‘Énchanté!’, that helps make the book so entertaining. It has a witty quip for every wormy fact…. But even the book’s more aesthetically challenged creatures-tapeworms, I’m looking at you-can’t help but woo with their cute dot-eyes and expressive mouths. The Worm is gross, silly, and informative-the perfect combo for maximum kid appeal.” – Science Friday

Diamond Willow Nominee:

The SwallowThe Swallow
A Ghost Story
Written by Charis Cotter
Hardcover | 320 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-591-3
“The novel alternates between Polly’s and Rose’s first-person points of view, and Cotter ably creates their two distinct voices, each of which is appealing in its own way. This is a novel about loneliness and friendship, feeling invisible, finding your voice, and long-buried secrets. But The Swallow is never heavy-handed, and, best of all, it’s genuinely spooky. Cotter builds suspense without artificially withholding information from the reader. And for bibliophiles, the author’s subtle hat tips to favourite books are a joy. Like all the best ghost stories, The Swallow tells us more about the living than the dead. It is a fantastic addition to Toronto literature, with all the makings of a classic.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

Tundra Book Group