Comstock Read Aloud Book Award 2015

We are happy to announce that the Comstock Read Aloud Book Award released its list of winners and The Bambino and Me by Zachary Hyman, illustrated by Zachary Pullen, was an honor book!

BambinoComstockThe Bambino and Me
Written by Zachary Hyman
Illustrated by Zachary Pullen
Read by Jason Alexander
Hardcover | 48 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-627-9
“Students grades 1 through 5 enjoyed the book. They laughed at the pictures, especially when George defied his mother and got his mouth washed out with soap. And children laughed at some of the phrases in the book such as, ‘I’d rather kiss a girl.’ Both boys and girls liked the story and they especially liked the theme of never giving up.” – Comstock Read Aloud Honor Books 2015

The Comstock Read Aloud Book Award for children’s literature, sponsored by the Curriculum Materials Center at Minnesota State University Moorhead, is for the best picture book of the year to read aloud to older children (ages 9-12).

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!

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

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

2015-2016 Chickadee Book Award

More great news, The Highest Number in the World has been nominated for the 2015-2016 Chickadee Book Award! Congratulations to Roy MacGregor and Geneviève Després!

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

The Chickadee Award is a picture book award program for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. This award is given annually to one of ten picture books nominated by a committee of teachers, librarians, and early literacy professionals. Each year the books are chosen from those published in the previous year and are selected because they present a solid original story and artwork that supports and extends the text.

Tundra Book Group