Book Awards
This folder contains links to book award sites.
- B.C. Red Cedar Awards
- The Red Cedar is British Columbia’s Young Reader’s Choice book award. Every year, thousands of children between grades 4 and 7 from across the province are invited to read books from the nominated lists of non-fiction and fiction titles and vote for their favourite. The purpose of the program is threefold: 1. To enrich and broaden students’ reading experiences, 2. To promote literacy through the reading of quality Canadian literature 3. To encourage students’ thoughtful evaluation of these reading materials. The Red Cedar Book Awards are officially "launched" in mid-November each year, and students have the next six months to read and decide which one of the titles on the list they feel is the best Canadian book of the year. Voting takes place in Late April, and the award winners are announced in May. Students may read books in either the fiction or the non-fiction category (or both if they’re really avid readers!). Two awards are given annually to the book from each list receiving the most votes.
- Rocky Mountain Book Award
- The Rocky Mountain Book Award is a readers’ choice program, which invites students to choose the best book from a shortlist. This Alberta-based program is designed to stimulate the reading interests of students in grades 4-7. Students and educators are invited to read exemplary Canadian literature, and then the students vote for their favorite book. This award program is for schools, libraries, and interested groups of students. This may include children who are being home-schooled or families who wish to become involved in reading good Canadian children’s literature. Each reading group must have a teacher or adult leader.
- The Saskatchewan Willow Book Awards
- The mission of The Willow Awards is to promote reading by granting a "Willow Award" to the Canadian and/or Saskatchewan book(s) voted by Saskatchewan students to be the best of those nominated in designated categories for a specific year. In an effort to encourage participation by all children, regardless of the level at which they are reading, three awards have been established: •The Shining Willow Award for books written for young readers. •The Diamond Willow Award for titles written for upper elementary readers (grades 4-6) . •The Snow Willow Award for books for young people in grades 7 - 9.
- Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards
- The MYRCA Selection Committee considers all Canadian novels written in English each year for the intended audience of ages 10 to 14 years, or grades 5 to 8. The 15 to 18 titles deemed the best find their way onto the MYRCA list for the following year. The selection committee is composed of teachers, teacher-librarians and library staff from a variety of Winnipeg school divisions. We also have representatives from the Winnipeg Public Library, the Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg as well as at least one university professor of children's literature and a bookseller. We encourage participation from rural Manitoba and currently have a professor from Brandon University. The program is actively promoted across the province. Brochures are sent out to all Manitoba schools and public libraries. Students must read or have heard read a minimum of 3 of the titles to be eligible to vote. Votes are collected and tabulated in mid-April.
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers Choice Awards
- The Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award is the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada. The award was established in 1940 by a Seattle bookseller, the late Harry Hartman, who believed every student should have an opportunity to select a book that gives him or her pleasure. NOMINATIONS Nominations are taken only from children, teachers, parents and librarians in the Pacific Northwest ~ Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Nominations will not be accepted from publishers. Nominations of books that are a sequel in a series will not be considered. Nominations may include fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, animae and manga. JUDGING Books will be judged on popularity with readers. Age appropriateness will be considered when choosing which of the three divisions a book is placed. Other considerations may include reading enjoyment; reading level; interest level; genre representation; gender representation; racial diversity; diversity of social, political, economic, or religions viewpoints; regional consideration; effectiveness of expression; and imagination. The Pacific Northwest Library Association is committed to intellectual freedom and diversity of ideas. No title will be excluded because of race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political or social view of either the author or the material.
- American Library Association Newbery Medal
- The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
- American Library Association Caldecott Medal
- The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
- Canadian Governor General's Literary Awards
- Each year, the Governor General’s Literary Awards (the GGs) honour the best in Canadian literature. As Canada’s national literary awards, the GGs represent the rich diversity of Canadian literature. Some 1,600 books are submitted each year from English and French-language publishers representing authors, translators and illustrators from across Canada, in seven categories. • Fiction • Poetry • Drama • Non-fiction • Children’s literature – text • Children’s literature – illustration • Translation For each category, a jury, comprised of fellow authors, translators and illustrators, makes the final selection. Each GG winner receives $25,000; each non-winning finalist receives $1,000. The publisher of each winning book receives $3,000 to help promote the book. The total annual value of the GGs is close to $450,000.
