Shortlist for 2015 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards Announced
The 2015 shortlist for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards was announced today. The winners will be selected by student juries from Toronto’s Alexander Muir / Gladstone Avenue Junior and Senior Public School and will be announced there on Friday, May 15, 2015.
About This Year’s Shortlist
- The Children’s Picture Book category includes tributes to the spirit of invention, the world of emotions, and the possibility of magic in the darkest of places.
- The Young Adult / Middle Reader category includes stories of mystery and suspense, hope in the face of injustice, and chasing big dreams.
About The Awards
- Two awards of $6,000 each are presented annually to recognize artistic excellence in writing and illustration in English-language Canadian children’s literature.
- The winners are selected by two juries of young readers, which this year are students at Alexander Muir / Gladstone Avenue Junior and Senior Public School in Toronto.
- Five students in grades 3 and 4 will select the recipient(s) of the Children’s Picture Book Award.
- Five students in grades 7 and 8 will select the recipient of the Young Adult / Middle Reader Award.
Quotes
“The Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards continue to be a special way to acknowledge the work of Canada’s remarkable children’s authors and illustrators. Each shortlisted book is discussed and debated by a student jury, who then work together to choose a winner. It’s a great way for these young people to develop their critical thinking skills, not to mention a love of reading.”
Peter Caldwell, Director & CEO, Ontario Arts Council
“We hear time and time again from Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award winning authors at how moved they are by the insight and sophistication shown in the school-age jurors. These awards have a profound impact on all involved, and we thank the Ruth Schwartz Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council for helping to make these awards such a memorable experience for all.”
Alan Walker, Executive Director, Ontario Arts Foundation
Children's Picture Book
Award Category
|
Young Adult / Middle Reader Award Category
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A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison
Margriet Ruurs (Salt Spring Island, B.C.) and Katherine Gibson (Comox, B.C.)
Pajama Press
 |
Audrey (cow)
Dan Bar-el (Vancouver, B.C.)
Tundra Books
|
The Magician of Auschwitz
Kathy Kacer (Toronto, Ont.)
Illustrations by Gillian Newland
(Toronto, Ont.)
Second Story Press
 |
The Boundless
Kenneth Oppel (Toronto, Ont.)
HarperCollins Canada Ltd.
|
The Most Magnificent Thing
Ashley Spires (Delta, B.C.)
Kids Can Press
 |
Julian
William Bell (Orillia, Ont.)
Doubleday Canada
 |
Nancy Knows
Cybèle Young (Toronto, Ont.)
Tundra Books
 |
Lord and Lady Bunny – Almost Royalty!
Polly Horvath (Victoria, B.C.)
Groundwood Books
|
Starring Me and You
Geneviève Côté (Montreal, Que.)
Kids Can Press
 |
Moon at Nine
Deborah Ellis (Simcoe, Ont.)
Pajama Press
|
Learn More
- The Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards were established in 1976 by Sylvia Schwartz in memory of her sister, Ruth, a respected Toronto bookseller. In 2004, the family renamed the awards to honour both sisters.
- The Ontario Arts Foundation administers the awards with the support of the Ontario Arts Council, which manages the nomination and jury process. These awards are funded through the Ruth Schwartz Foundation.
- See the full details on the award and the list of previous laureates.
Ontario Arts Foundation Inquiries
Alan Walker, Executive Director, Ontario Arts Foundation
416-969-7413 | awalker@arts.on.ca