NEWS RELEASE
CANADIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTRE
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The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is excited to announce the finalists for the following eight major awards celebrating Canadian books for young people:
- TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($50,000)
- Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000)
- Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000)
- Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000)
- Jean Little First-Novel Award ($5,000)
- Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy ($5,000)
- David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award ($3,500)
- Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award ($2,500)
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is proud to share the nominated titles and the juries’ notes. Click here to view the shortlists. To download a PDF of this press release, click here.
The nominated titles represent exceptional quality of work by Canadian book creators from across the country. Each nominated title will capture the imaginations of young readers and was chosen by our juries to represent the best in their category.
The winners of the awards will be announced at an in-person event at the Toronto Reference Library on Monday, October 28 hosted by Ainara Alleyne, co-creator of Ainara’s Bookshelf. The event will be live streamed and ASL interpretation will be provided. Tickets are on sale now. Space is limited.
“A heartfelt congratulations to all the finalists for the 2024 CCBC Book Awards,” says Stephanie Wells, CCBC Executive Director. “The titles in this year’s shortlist represent an incredible range of stories and experiences from across the country, the world, and the imagination. And within the illustrated books, the styles of artwork are as beautiful and diverse as the stories themselves. In these shortlists, I am confident everyone will find books to connect with, to learn from, and to be inspired by. Most importantly, young readers will find humour, comfort, challenge, and perspectives that will both reflect their own stories and open their world to other’s."
For the first time, the Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award (RACMA) will be bestowed as part of the CCBC’s awards program. The prize, named in memory of the late Richard Chase, a former teacher-librarian from Lethbridge, Alberta, was first established in 2022 by the board of the Rocky Mountain Book Award in recognition of Richard’s contributions to Canadian children’s literature and his compassion, patience, and love for all who crossed his path. Ruth McMahon, RACMA juror, friend and former colleague of Richard’s says, “Edith Wharton is quoted as saying: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Richard was the mirror, tirelessly reflecting the light of the creators and publishers of Canadian children’s literature.” The CCBC is honoured to continue Richard’s legacy of supporting Canadian creators and we’re especially proud of this year’s shortlist.
Two long-standing awards are celebrating significant milestones in 2024. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award/Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse, which was first presented in 2005. Thanks to the generous support of TD Bank Group, a total of $1.92 million in prize money has been awarded to Canadian creators and their publishers through this award! This fall, the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award turns 10. In 2015, after a year-long Marathon of Books, where teen fiction enthusiast Amy Mathers read and reviewed a Canadian teen novel every day for a year to bring more visibility to Canadian authors and to raise funds for the award, the first-ever Amy Mathers Teen Book Award was presented.
"TD is proud to recognize all nominees and the finalists of the 2024 CCBC literary awards, including the 20th anniversary of the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. We are proud to support early learning initiatives that celebrate talented and passionate artists creating inspiring stories that help foster a love of reading among young audiences," says Robyn Small, Senior Manager, Philanthropy (Canada), TD Bank Group.
Once again, we are partnering with our sister organization Communication-Jeunesse to organize the Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse. The shortlist for the French prize will be released on October 16, with the winner being announced on November 13.
Overall, $108,500 in prize monies will be awarded on October 28. An additional $62,500 will be awarded during the Prix TD ceremony on November 13.
In an effort to ensure that all youth have access to great Canadian children’s literature, the CCBC is continuing its partnership with the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA). Accessible formats for youth with print disabilities will be available in CELA’s library catalogue for the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.
For those interested in purchasing the shortlisted titles, visit the CCBC Book Awards page on Indie Bookstores. Not only will you be supporting the work of Canadian creators, but also your local independent bookseller.
Visit the CCBC’s YouTube channel to watch the playlist videos featuring our nominated titles.
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