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2015 Christopher Award Winner

First presented in 1949, the Christopher Awards were established by founder Father James Keller to salute media that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit.” Their goal is to encourage men, women, and children to pursue excellence in creative arenas that have the potential to influence a mass audience positively. Award winners encourage audiences to see the better side of human nature and motivate artists and the general public to use their best instincts on behalf of others.

Congratulations to Eric Walters and Eugenie Fernandes, Hope Springs has been selected as a winner of the Christopher Award in the Books for Young People Ages 8 and up at the 66th annual Christopher Awards ceremony!

Hope SpringsHope Springs
Written by Eric Walters
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-530-2
“Based on actual events, this story is one of strength and kindness in the face of fear … the art is expressively large. A series of spreads gives readers a view of Boniface’s world, adding rich colors and patterns of folk art. With the addition of the author’s ‘Story Behind the Story,’ the facts of the origin of Hope Springs allow a retelling of the story through a personal narrative with the aid of photography, a map, and additional explanation.” – School Library Journal

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2015/2016 Red Cedar Book Award Nominations

We are happy to announce that two of our titles have been nominated for the 2015/2016 Red Cedar Book Award, hosted by B.C. Young Readers’ Choice Awards!

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

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

Congratulations to Dan Bar-el, Tatjana Mai-Wyss, and Charis Cotter! The winner will be announced on May 9th at the Red Cedar Gala in Vancouver.

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2014 Science in Society Book Award Winner

We’re thrilled to announce that Elise Gravel’s The Fly won the Canadian Science Writers’ Association‘s Science in Society Award for Children/Middle Grade Book!

The FlyThe Fly
Written by Elise Gravel
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-636-1
“The Fly is a unique nonfiction book about the common housefly. Full of interesting facts, the book reads more like a picture book or simple graphic novel. Everything you never wanted to know about one of mankind’s least favourite creatures is covered in this book…. Each page has incredible visual appeal and is very eye-catching…. Gravel’s ability to turn the most disgusting fact into an adorable drawing is remarkable…. This series is a must-read for children who like the world’s most unlikeable creatures. Highly Recommended.” – CM Magazine

Each year the Canadian Science Writers’ Association offers two book awards to honour outstanding contributions to science writing 1) intended for and available to children/middle grades ages 8-12 years, and 2) intended for and available to the general public for books that were published in Canada during the previous calendar year. This year the CSWA received a record number of entries in both categories. Entries were judged on the basis of initiative, originality, scientific accuracy, clarity of interpretation and value in promoting a better understanding of science by the public.

The winner will be presented a plaque and $1000 cash prize during the awards dinner in Saskatoon in mid-June. Congratulations Elise!

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Alcuin Awards

We are honored to announce that the Alcuin Society has chosen two of our titles to receive their Awards for Excellence in Book Design. The Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada is the only national competition for book design in the country. Congratulations to our illustrators and designers!

2nd place in the children’s category:
Book design by Julie Morstad and C.S. Richardson

Julia ChildJulia, Child
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Hardcover | 32 Pages
Trim Size: 8-5/8 x 11-1/4
ISBN: 978-1-77049-449-7

3rd place in prose fiction:
Book design by Kelly Hill

LMM_Page_2Anne of Green Gables
Written by L.M. Montgomery
Hardcover | 400 Pages
Trim Size: 5-5/16 x 7-7/8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-730-6

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Canadian Library Association Honours List

We are happy to announce that the Canadian Library Association has included two of our titles as honour books during this year’s award. Congratulations to Charis and Susan!

CLA Book of the Year for Children Honour Book:

The SwallowThe Swallow
A Ghost Story
Written by Charis Cotter
Hardcover | 320 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-591-3
eBook: 978-1-77049-593-7
“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

CLA Young Adult Book Award Honour Book:

The Voice Inside My HeadThe Voice inside My Head
Written by S.J. Laidlaw
Hardcover | 256 Pages | Ages 14+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-565-4
eBook: 978-1-77049-566-1
“With so much choice available on the Young Adult market, it’s refreshing to come across an engaging, authentic, and compelling first-person protagonist-and a male one at that. S.J. Laidlaw lays out a crisp, enticing, and realistic fictional piece of work with a grippingly vivid, unexpected ending. The beauty of the story here is one of the unfaltering friendship that can be found in siblings … the believable dialogue and dialect shines in The Voice inside My Head. This is quite simply a page-turner, and one that will leave voices inside your head for days after. Add it to your summer reading list, Central American island optional.” – Children’s Book Review

We are very excited for our colleagues at Penguin whose The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier won the Book of the Year for Children award. Congratulations to our honorees and all the other nominees!

The award will be presented during the CLA National Conference and Trade Show at the Shaw Conference Centre, Ottawa on Thursday, June 4th 2015 at the Book Awards Reception.

Tundra Book Group