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Award-Winning English Titles
AMELIA FRANCES HOWARD-GIBBON AWARD
(CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR BEST ILLUSTRATIONS.
© Raincoast Books |
THE DRAGON NEW YEAR: A CHINESE LEGEND
DAVID BOUCHARD
ILLUSTRATIONS: ZHONG-YANG HUANG
VANCOUVER: RAINCOAST BOOKS, 1999, 32 P.
ISBN 1551922002 (BOUND)
AGES 7 TO 10
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This large picture book recounts a story when, each New Year, an evil sea dragon would visit the grandmother's old village to feast on its villagers. During one of the dragon's visits, a young fisherman is devoured. The following New Year, the fisherman's mother chooses not to leave the village for she mourns the loss of her son and feels she has no reason for living. The fisherman's mother is then visited by a stranger, the great Buddha, who has also remained behind. Buddha, too, has lost his son to the dragon. Together, they plan to ensure the dragon will never again visit the village to wreak its murderous havoc.
Zhong-Yang Huang's paintings are simultaneously imaginatively bold and seething, gentle and reflective. They are complemented by David Bouchard's fine, precise prose. Illustrator and author combine to create a memorable picture book with an unforgettable tale.
ANN CONNOR-BRIMER AWARD
(THE NOVA SCOTIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR BEST BOOK BY AN ATLANTIC AUTHOR.
© Creative Book
Publishing Ltd. |
MAKE OR BREAK SPRING
JANET MCNAUGHTON
ST. JOHN'S, NFLD.: TUCKAMORE BOOKS, 1998, 188 P.
ISBN 1895387930
AGES 10 TO 14
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It's the spring of 1945, and a tumultuous time for 15-year-old Evelyn McCallum. Her father has been missing in action for the past three years, but Evelyn desperately clings to the hope that he may still be alive and return home some day. She feels betrayed as her family seems to be moving on with their lives and, in Evelyn's mind, forgetting her father. Everything in her world seems to be changing. Even her one constant, her friendship with Peter, has disintegrated. While trying to come to terms with her feelings, she finds it difficult to concentrate on her studies. Still, Evelyn finds herself competing for her father's memorial scholarship against both Peter, her best friend, and Stan, the most popular boy in school, who has taken a sudden interest in her. While Evelyn feels the pressure to win the scholarship to honour her father's memory, her heart is not in winning. Then, through a near tragedy, Evelyn comes to terms with her father's death. She discovers a different way to honour his memory and a new future for herself. Set in St. John's Newfoundland, McNaughton captures the essence of a community at the tail end of World War II. Make or Break Spring is the sequel to Catch Me Once, Catch Me Twice, and is McNaughton's third historical novel for young adults.
ARTHUR ELLIS AWARDS
CHILDREN'S FICTION
(THE CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA)
FOR BEST JUVENILE MYSTERY NOVEL.
Cover Illustration © 1999
Pat Cupples/Kids Can Press |
HOW CAN A BRILLIANT DETECTIVE SHINE IN THE DARK?
LINDA BAILEY
TORONTO: KIDS CAN PRESS, 1999, 198 P.
(A Stevie Diamond Mystery; v. 6)
ISBN 1550747509
AGES 9 TO 12
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Maps and bats and hats. Klondike gold and caves. Aunt Edna's soya sauce cupcakes and her vanilla chow mein. These are all part of Linda Bailey's mystery novel How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?
Stevie Diamond is quite a detective. She's 13, bright, curious and eager for adventure. Stevie, her mom, and friend Jesse visit Aunt Edna and Aunt Ivy on peaceful Catriola Island for a relaxing family reunion. For Stevie, though, the reunion promises to be boring. There's Aunt Edna's weird, inedible food. There are two young cousins obsessed with the game Go Fish, and a 15-year-old cousin preoccupied with early wrinkling and make-up. Adventure, however, sometimes lurks beyond cupcakes, cards and cosmetics.
There's Klondike gold on the island, so the legend goes. Apparently, it's buried in a bat cave that no one can locate - that is, until Stevie and Jesse discover a map to the cave. They find the cave and an Indiana Jones-style hat, the hat of a man who died 45 years earlier. The pair encounter bones and frantic flying things, as well as a ghost who urges them to stay away. Stevie's holiday with her staid aunts suddenly turns to mystery, peril and nocturnal flashlight outings in the deep woods.
Part of a series, How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark? is funny, quick-paced and tantalizing. Stevie Diamond is a dazzling detective and this is a gem of a mystery novel for pre-adolescents.
BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR CHILDREN AWARD
(CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR BEST TEXT.
© HarperCollins
Publishers Ltd. |
SUNWING
KENNETH OPPEL
TORONTO: HARPERCOLLINS, 1999, 243 P.
ISBN 0006481663
AGES 11 AND UP
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Following the multi-award winning novel Silverwing, Sunwing is the continuing story of Shade, a silverwing bat who undergoes many adventures. In Sunwing, Shade continues his search for his father after reuniting with his colony.
He and his friend, Marina, are joined in their search by other members of the colony. They travel many wingbeats to the north and discover a strange building constructed by humans. The bats hope that they can find Shade's father as well as answers to the meaning of the silver bands, which humans have attached to some of their species. The building holds many surprises, more frightening than any of the bats ever imagined.
Shade and Marina meet Goth, the evil vampire bat who tried to kill them previously. Which is the worse threat, humans or Goth? The bats escape, but they must find a way to stop Goth and his colony from destroying them. Shade uses all his wits to enlist the aid of the rats and the owls, enemies of the bats since the beginning of time. Goth and his colony live in the jungles in the south, and it is there that the bats and their group must make a stand.
In the ancient pyramids of the jungle, which the vampire bats call home, a terrifying battle ensues. The northern bats must win the battle to save their species and way of life.
This gripping story is written in great detail. The readers are pulled into the life of the bats, their quest for family, their journeys, fears and struggle to survive.
ELIZABETH MRAZIK-CLEAVER CANADIAN PICTURE BOOK AWARD
(INTERNATIONAL BOARD ON BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - CANADA)
FOR BEST ILLUSTRATIONS.
Jacket Illustration ©
1998 Kady MacDonald Denton
/Kids Can Press |
A CHILD'S TREASURY OF NURSERY RHYMES
KADY MACDONALD DENTON
ILLUSTRATIONS: KADY MACDONALD DENTON
TORONTO: KIDS CAN PRESS, 1998, 91 P.
ISBN 1550745549
AGES 3 TO 7
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Kady MacDonald Denton's charming watercolour illustrations are the highlight of this delightful collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes and verses. There is something for everyone in this volume. Denton's warm and expressive drawings have a magical quality that appeals to babies and preschoolers alike, as well as their parents.
Parents and babies will love the lullabies and familiar rhymes that can be sung and recited together. There are bouncing rhymes, playtime pat-a-cake rhymes and lullabies to help wind down at the end of a busy day. Toddlers will love the action rhymes and lively songs, as they learn about the events of their day. The wide selection of playground chants, tongue twisters and limericks will keep preschoolers giggling and amused. This will be a favourite book, to be shared by all, as children discover age-old nursery rhymes and parents rediscover familiar favourites.
GEOFFREY BILSON AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
(CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTRE)
FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK.
© Random House
Children's Books, A Division of
Random House, Inc. |
THE WRECKERS
IAIN LAWRENCE
NEW YORK: DELACORTE PRESS, 1998, 196 P.
ISBN 0385325355
AGES 10 TO 13
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The Wreckers is based on historical accounts of 16th-century villages which lured ships to their perilous shorelines in order to plunder the cargo. John Spencer, on his first sailing trip with his father, believes he is the sole survivor after their ship is shattered on the rocks during a violent storm. To his horror, John soon realizes that the ship's demise was no accident and that his father has been kidnapped. What follows is an eerie mystery novel of pirates, legends, ghosts and a motley crew of suspicious characters who keep the plot full of unexpected twists. Short, suspenseful chapters make this a novel well-suited for reading aloud to students.
The fast-paced adventure is sure to capture reluctant readers and a sprinkling of Goosebumps-like gore makes this one of those hard-to-find young-adult novels that appeals to boys. Lawrence includes a brief historical explanation of "wrecking". Readers will surely want to follow-up with the sequel, The Smugglers, published in 1999.
GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD/CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
(THE CANADA COUNCIL)
FOR BEST TEXT.
© Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd. |
A SCREAMING KIND OF DAY
RACHNA GILMORE
ILLUSTRATIONS: GORDON SAUVÉ
MARKHAM, ONT.: FITZHENRY & WHITESIDE, 1999, 38 P.
ISBN 155041514X
AGES 4 TO 8
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Scully wants to go outside to play in the rain. But earlier in the morning, she had fought with her brother Leo, and now, later in the afternoon, she is once again in trouble. She lives life with exuberance and vigour, and with a difference. She cannot hear without her hearing aids.
After her second fight, and after being sent to her room, she sneaks out into the rain. She is overjoyed by the rainshower, and her fury and temper subsides. Then her absence is noticed, and she is once again grounded for disobedience. She is angry, and loudly protests being punished. Exhausted, she falls asleep, and awakens in a better mood.
Scully is the narrator, telling why this is "a screaming kind of day." She conveys a day in her world: its colours, smells and sounds, in language which is expressive yet simple. The book is richly illustrated with intense, highly realistic paintings by Gordon Sauvé.
GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD/CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
(THE CANADA COUNCIL)
FOR BEST ILLUSTRATIONS.
© Groundwood Books |
THE GREAT POOCHINI
GARY CLEMENT
ILLUSTRATIONS: GARY CLEMENT
VANCOUVER: DOUGLAS & MCINTYRE, 1999, 32 P.
(A GROUNDWOOD BOOK)
ISBN 0888993315
AGES 5 TO 8
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The Great Poochini stars the most renowned opera-singing dog of his generation, Signor Poochini. He lives with Hersh, and takes the part of an ordinary dog called Jack. But, late at night, Jack exits through the open bedroom window, and heads to the Muttropolitan Opera House. There he, Signor Poochini, sings in operas.
This very afternoon Signor Poochini is to sing in the première of the opera, Dog Giovanni. He does his vocal exercises, and decides to nap, and eat, before heading to the Opera House. Alas, awakening from his nap, he has less than an hour before the start of the performance! Then to his horror, he discovers that the bedroom window is firmly closed. A burglar breaks in through the locked window, startling Signor Poochini. The burglar threatens the dog, who wisely retreats to the living room. With thundering music and a disguise, Signor Poochini scares the burglar away. Signor Poochini escapes through the broken window and dashes for the Opera House. And what a magnificent performance he gives!
The story pokes delightful fun at opera - W.A. Mozart becomes Wolfhound Amadeus Mozart, a dog sings the lead role in Dog Giovanni. The canine illustrations, from the opera-loving decorated home to the Opera House, have much detail to appreciate. Younger children will enjoy the story of the dog, while much older children, with musical knowledge, will find the play on terms amusing.
INFORMATION BOOK AWARD
(THE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ROUNDTABLES OF CANADA)
FOR BEST NON-FICTION BOOK.
Jacket Illustration
© 1998 Heather Collins/Kids
Can Press |
THE LAST SAFE HOUSE: A STORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
BARBARA GREENWOOD
ILLUSTRATIONS: HEATHER COLLINS
TORONTO: KIDS CAN PRESS, 1998, 199 P.
ISBN 1550745077 (BOUND)
ISBN 1550745093 (PAPERBACK)
AGES 8 TO 12
|
This story centres on two girls: Eliza Jackson, an escaped slave; and Johanna Reid, whose family hid Eliza. The Reids lived in St. Catharines, Canada West, across the Niagara River from the United States. In 1856, Eliza fled north to freedom with her mother and brother Ben, travelling by the Underground Railroad. But Eliza arrived alone at the Reids's house.
We learn of Eliza's life as a slave on a southern plantation, and her walk to Canada as she tells it to Johanna. Numerous sidebars and additional pages provide details of the plantation, the daily life of a slave, their history, music and toil. The run to freedom and their lives as free people in Canada are also described.
With a bibliography, glossary, index, map and activities, this book provides further areas for study. Numerous pictures bring Eliza's story to life. Activities such as making gingerbread cookies, signal lanterns and corn-husk dolls are included and are accompanied by illustrated instructions. Young people, adults and teachers will find this a valuable resource.
MANITOBA YOUNG READER'S CHOICE AWARD
(MANITOBA SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR THE FAVOURITE CANADIAN BOOK OF MANITOBA'S YOUNG READERS.
© HarperCollins
Publishers Ltd. |
SILVERWING
KENNETH OPPEL
TORONTO: HARPERCOLLINS, 1997, 217 P.
ISBN 0006481442
AGES 11 AND UP
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Working on the premise that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the author has taken two little bats and fashioned them into interesting and appealing characters in this remarkable animal fantasy. Together, Shade, a fledgling Silverwing bat, and Marina, a shimmering but resourceful Brightwing bat, cross oceans, mountains and cities, battle wind and snow, thunder and lightning and encounter formidable friends and foes (owls, pigeons, rats, and even other bats) in search of Shade's lost colony. Although tormented throughout their adventure with the knowledge that they are creatures of the night to whom the sun is forbidden, they ultimately find self-acceptance, concluding that they are "pretty happy" being bats.
MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD
(CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.)
FOR THE BEST ENGLISH BOOK AGE 7 AND UNDER.
(Information on the winner will be added when available)
MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD
(CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.)
FOR THE BEST ENGLISH BOOK AGE 8 TO 11.
(Information on the winner will be added when available)
MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD
(CHRISTIE BROWN & CO.)
FOR THE BEST ENGLISH BOOK AGE 12 AND OLDER.
(Information on the winner will be added when available)
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