Shortlists for the 2026 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards
The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) and the Ontario Arts Foundation (OAF) released the shortlists for the 2026 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards. The Schwartz Awards are the only Canadian literary award where student jurors work together to choose the winning books.
Student juries from Brock Public School in Toronto will debate the shortlisted books and come to a consensus on the 2026 winners. The winning books will be announced at an event in June.
Children's Picture Book Award Category
Chidori: A Story of One Thousand Birds
by Jennifer Maruno (Burlington, Ont.)
Illustrations by Miki Sato (Toronto, Ont.)
Pajama Press
Dreaming Alongside
by Monique Gray Smith (Victoria, B.C.)
Illustrations by Nicole Neidhardt (Toronto, Ont.)
Orca Book Publishers
Grandma Can Make Anything
by Susan Avingaq (Igloolik, Nvt.) and Maren Vsetula (Guelph, Ont.)
Illustrations by Amiel Sandland (Toronto, Ont.)
Inhabit Media
Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue!
by Howie Shia (Toronto, Ont.)
Annick Press
The Warmest Blanket in the World
by Tamara Levine (Ottawa, Ont.)
Illustrated by Ellie Arscott (Toronto, Ont.)
Second Story Press
Young Adult / Middle Reader Award Category
Best of All Worlds
by Kenneth Oppel (Toronto, Ont.)
Penguin Random House
I Won’t Feel This Way Forever
by Kim Spencer (Prince Rupert, B.C.)
Orca Book Publishers
Robot Island
by Cary Fagan (Toronto, Ont.)
Penguin Random House / Tundra Books
The Haunted Blizzard
by Aviaq Johnston (Iqaluit, Nvt.)
Illustrated by Athena Gubbe (Brantford, Ont.)
Inhabit Media
We Bury Nothing
by Kate Blair (Toronto, Ont.)
DCB Young Readers / Cormorant Books
About the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book 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, this year comprising students at Brock Public School in Toronto.
- Five students in grade 4 will select the recipient of the Children’s Picture Book Award.
- Five students in grade 8 will select the recipient of the Young Adult / Middle Reader Award.
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.
- OAF administers the awards with the support of OAC, which manages the nomination and jury process.
- The nomination committee that chose this year’s shortlist consisted of Andrei Iorga (teacher librarian at Birch Cliff Heights Public School in Toronto), Stephen Davidson (co-owner of The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore in Ottawa), and Danielle Big Canoe Snake (Children's Library Programmer at Chippewas of Rama First Nation Public Library).
- See the full details on the award and the complete list of past laureates.
Ontario Arts Foundation Inquiries
Bruce Bennett, Executive Director, OAF
bbennett@oafdn.ca