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

2013 Willow Award Nominations

The Willow AwardsThe Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award (SYRCA) has three awards—the Shining Willow Award, kindergarten to grade 3; the Diamond Willow Award, grades 4 to 6; and the Snow Willow Award, grades 7 to 9. Ten books written by Canadian authors are nominated at each level. We are happy to announce the following Tundra nominations for the 2013 Willow Awards:

Shining Willow:
Here Comes Hortense!Here Comes Hortense!
Written by Heather Hartt-Sussman
Illustrated by Georgia Graham
Hardcover | 32 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-221-9
What could be more fun for a six-year-old than having your nana and her new husband take you to a theme park? But Nana and Bob announce that they’ve planned a surprise: they are going to be joined by Bob’s granddaughter, Hortense. It turns out to be the worst surprise ever.

Diamond Willow:
A Tinfoil SkyA Tinfoil Sky
Written by Cyndi Sand-Eveland
Hardcover | 224 Pages
Pub Date: January 2012
ISBN: 978-1-77049-277-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-294-3
Twelve-year-old Mel and her mother Cecily live in poverty, and eventually end up homeless. When Cecily is jailed, Mel must live with her grandmother Gladys, who is very distrustful. Mel is determined to beat incredible odds and steer her own destiny, but she has some tough decisions to make.

Snow Willow:
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K LarsenThe Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larson
Written by Susin Nielsen
Hardcover | 256 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-372-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-373-5
Henry’s family is trying to put back the pieces of their lives, after the worst-case bully scenario leaves them each shattered in their own way. Henry tries to keep his past a secret, and his new group of oddball friends help him navigate the waters of life after “IT”.

Congratulations to our authors!

In 2011, over 13,000 children and young adults throughout the province voted for their favourite book. That same year, Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielsen won the Snow Willow Award.

Students are still in the process of voting for the 2012 awards. Award winners will be announced in April at the annual Gala. Tundra’s 2012 Shining Willow nominees include Ella May and the Wishing Stone by Cary Fagan, illustrated by Geneviève Côté and In the Bag! by Monica Kulling, illustrated by David Parkins.

For more information, please visit www.willowawards.ca.