Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature

The Governor General's Award for English-language children's writing is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian writer for a children's book written in English. It is one of four children's book awards among the Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit, one each for writers and illustrators of English- and French-language books. The Governor General's Awards program is administered by the Canada Council.

In name, this award is part of the Governor General's Award program only from 1987 but there was a single award for "Juvenile" literature from 1949 to 1958, and the four present-day "Children's" awards were established in 1975 under a Canada Council name. In the event, the "Canada Council" and "Governor General's" awards have recognized writing in an English-language children's book every year from 1975.[1][2]

Juvenile fiction

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The oldest of now-14 annual Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were inaugurated in 1936. One award for a "juvenile" book was introduced in 1949, and conferred every year to 1958. Throughout those ten years, the juvenile literature award was one of five in the program, all for English-language books.[2]

Juvenile fiction winners, 1949–1958
Year Author Title
1949 Richard S. Lambert Franklin of the Arctic
1950 Donalda Dickie The Great Adventure
1951 John F. Hayes A Land Divided
1952 Marie McPhedran Cargoes on the Great Lakes
1953 John F. Hayes Rebels Ride at Night
1954 Marjorie Wilkins Campbell The Nor'westers
1955 Kerry Wood The Map-Maker
1956 Farley Mowat Lost in the Barrens
1957 Kerry Wood The Great Chief
1958 Edith L. Sharp Nkwala

Two of the Governor General's Award-winning writers also won the Canadian Library Association award for children's book writing, recognizing the same book: Richard Lambert in 1949 and Farley Mowat in 1958. The CLA Book of the Year for Children Award was conferred six times during these ten years.[3]

Canada Council Children's Literature Prize

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In 1975 the Canada Council established four annual prizes of $5000 for the year's best English- and French-language children's books by Canadian writers and illustrators. Those "Canada Council Children's Literature Prizes" were continued under the "Governor General's Awards" rubric from 1987, and continue today. Among them the English-language writing prize was awarded every year from 1975.[1]

Canada Council Children's Literature Prize winners, 1975–1986
Year Author Title
1975 Bill Freeman Shantymen of Cache Lake
1976 Myra Paperny The Wooden People
1977 Jean Little Listen for the Singing
1978 Kevin Major Hold Fast
1979 Barbara Smucker Days of Terror
1980 Christie Harris, illus. by Douglas Tait The Trouble with Princesses
1981 Monica Hughes The Guardian of Isis
1982 Monica Hughes Hunter in the Dark
1983 Sean O'Huigin The Ghost Horse of the Mounties
1984 Jan Hudson Sweetgrass
1985 Cora Taylor Julie
1986 Janet Lunn Shadow in Hawthorn Bay

Three of the CCCLP-winning English-language writers also won the annual Canadian Library Association award for children's book writing, recognizing the same book. Their CLA Book of the Year for Children Awards are dated one year later: Kevin Major 1979, Cora Taylor 1986, and Janet Lunn 1987. The CLA Book of the Year was inaugurated in 1947 and has been awarded every year since 1963.[3]

Two of the CCCLP-winning English-language writers also won the CLA Young Adult Book Award, recognizing the same book, namely Monica Hughes in 1983 and Janet Lunn in 1987.[4] That is, Janet Lunn and Shadow in Hawthorn Bay (1986) won both the CLA awards for children's and young-adult books.

According to one WorldCat library record The Trouble With Princesses (McClelland & Stewart, 1980) "retells stories about Northwest Coast princesses and compares them with similar Old World princesses", OCLC 9085067. For their collaboration Christie Harris won the CCCLP prize for English-language writing and Douglas Tait won the CLA award for children's book illustration, the 1981 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award.[5]

Children's literature (writing)

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Four books listed below, winners of the English-language writing award under the "Governor General's" name, were also named CLA Book of the Year for Children: Bedard 1991, Wynne-Jones 1994, Porter 2006, and Nielsen 2013.[3] Four of them also won the CLA Young Adult Book Award: Wieler 1990, Johnston 1995, Wynne-Jones 1996, and Brooks 2003.[2]

1980s

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Award winners, 1987–1989
Year Author Title Result
1987 Morgan Nyberg Galahad Schwartz and the Cockroach Army Winner
Welwyn Wilton Katz False Face Finalist
Donn Kushner A Book Dragon
Russell McRae Going to the Dogs
1988 Welwyn Wilton Katz The Third Magic Winner
Martha Brooks Paradise Café and Other Stories Finalist
Brian Doyle Easy Avenue
Jean Little Little by Little
1989 Diana Wieler Bad Boy Winner
Kit Pearson The Sky Is Falling Finalist
Eliane Corbeil Roe Circle of Light

1990s

[edit]
Award winners, 1990–1999
Year Author Title Result Ref.
1990 Michael Bedard Redwork Winner
Jan Andrews The Auction Finalist
Brian Doyle Covered Bridge
Welwyn Wilton Katz Whale Singer
1991 Sarah Ellis Pick-Up Sticks Winner
Martha Brooks Two Moons in August Finalist
Roch Carrier A Happy New Year's Day
Jean Little Stars Come Out Within
Monty Reid The Last Great Dinosaurs
1992 Julie Johnston Hero of Lesser Causes Winner
Margaret Buffie My Mother's Ghost Finalist
John Ibbitson 1812: Jeremy and the General
Thomas King A Coyote Columbus Story
Kit Pearson Looking at the Moon
1993 Tim Wynne-Jones Some of the Kinder Planets Winner
Mitzi Dale Bryna Means Courage Finalist
James Archibald Houston Drifting Snow: An Arctic Search
Carol Matas Daniel's Story
Shirley Sterling My Name Is Seepeetza
1994 Julie Johnston Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me Winner
Sarah Ellis Out of the Blue Finalist
Carol Matas The Burning Time
Jim McGugan Josepha: A Prairie Boy's Story
Ken Roberts Past Tense
1995 Tim Wynne-Jones The Maestro Winner [6]
Beth Goobie Mission Impossible Finalist
Hazel Hutchins Tess
Welwyn Wilton Katz Out of the Dark
Diana Wieler RanVan A Worthy Opponent
1996 Paul Yee Ghost Train Winner [7]
Jan Andrews Keri Finalist
David Boyd Bottom Drawer
Gillian Chan Glory Days and Other Stories
Don Gillmor The Fabulous Song
1997 Kit Pearson Awake and Dreaming Winner
Cheryl Foggo One Thing That's True Finalist
James Heneghan Wish Me Luck
Teddy Jam The Fishing Summer
Barbara Nichol Dippers
1998 Janet Lunn The Hollow Tree Winner [8]
Gayle Friesen Janey's Girl Finalist
Julie Johnston The Only Outcast
Janet McNaughton Make or Break Spring
Sarah Withrow Bat Summer
1999 Rachna Gilmore A Screaming Kind of Day Winner
Don Gillmor The Christmas Orange Finalist
Graham McNamee Hate You
W. D. Valgardson The Divorced Kids Club and Other Stories
Frieda Wishinsky Each One Special

2000s

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Award winners, 2000–2009
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2000 Deborah Ellis Looking for X Winner [9]
Martha Brooks Being with Henry Finalist
Sharon E. McKay Charlie Wilcox
Sheldon Oberman The Shaman's Nephew
Duncan Thornton Kalifax
2001 Arthur Slade Dust Winner [10]
Brian Doyle Mary Ann Alice Finalist
Beth Goobie Before Wings
Julie Johnston In Spite of Killer Bees
Teresa Toten The Game
2002 Martha Brooks True Confessions of a Heartless Girl Winner
Alan Cumyn The Secret Life of Owen Skye Finalist
Deborah Ellis Parvana's Journey
John Lekich The Losers' Club
Karen Levine Hana's Suitcase
2003 Glen Huser Stitches Winner
Sarah Ellis The Several Lives of Orphan Jack Finalist
Barbara Haworth-Attard Theories of Relativity
Kevin Major Ann and Seamus
Judd Palmer The Maestro
2004 Kenneth Oppel Airborn Winner
Martine Leavitt Heck Superhero Finalist [11]
Sharon McKay Esther
Judd Palmer The Wolf King
Ange Zhang Red Land, Yellow River: A Story from the Cultural Revolution
2005 Pamela Porter The Crazy Man Winner [12]
Francis Chalifour After Finalist
Barbara Nickel Hannah Waters and the Daughter of Johann Sebastian Bach
Gail Nyoka Mella and the N'anga: An African Tale
Shyam Selvadurai Swimming in the Monsoon Sea
2006 William Gilkerson Pirate's Passage Winner
André Alexis Ingrid and the Wolf Finalist
Glen Huser Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen
Teresa Toten Me and the Blondes
Budge Wilson Friendships
2007 Iain Lawrence Gemini Summer Winner
Hugh Brewster Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting Finalist [13]
Christopher Paul Curtis Elijah of Buxton
John Wilson The Alchemist's Dream
Eva Wiseman Kanada
2008 John Ibbitson The Landing Winner
Alma Fullerton Libertad Finalist
Dianne Linden Shimmerdogs
Shenaaz Nanji Child of Dandelions
Mariko Tamaki Skim
2009 Caroline Pignat Greener Grass: The Famine Years Winner [12]
Shelley Hrdlitschka Sister Wife Finalist [14]
Sharon Jennings Home Free
Robin Stevenson A Thousand Shades of Blue [14]
Tim Wynne-Jones The Uninvited

2010s

[edit]
Award winners, 2010–2019
Year Author Title Ref.
2010 Wendy Phillips Fishtailing Winner [15]
K. L. Denman Me, Myself and Ike Finalist
Lesley Fairfield Tyranny
Gina McMurchy-Barber Free as a Bird
Cheryl Rainfield Scars [16]
2011 Christopher Moore From Then to Now: A Short History of the World Winner
Jan L. Coates A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk Finalist
Deborah Ellis No Ordinary Day
Kenneth Oppel This Dark Endeavour
Tim Wynne-Jones Blink & Caution
2012 Susin Nielsen The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen Winner [17][18][19][20]
Rachel Hartman Seraphina Finalist [21]
Deborah Kerbel Under the Moon
Judd Palmer The Umbrella
Allan Stratton The Grave Robber's Apprentice
2013 Teresa Toten The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B Winner [22][23][24]
Beverley Brenna The White Bicycle Finalist [25][26]
Shane Peacock Becoming Holmes
Jean E. Pendziwol Once Upon a Northern Light
Valerie Sherrard Counting Back from Nine
2014 Raziel Reid When Everything Feels Like the Movies Winner [27][28][29][30][31]
Jonathan Auxier The Night Gardener Finalist [32]
Lesley Choyce Jeremy Stone
Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley Skraelings
Mariko Tamaki This One Summer [32][31]
2015 Caroline Pignat The Gospel Truth Winner [33][34]
Dan Bar-el Audrey (cow) Finalist
Darren Groth Are You Seeing Me?
Susin Nielsen We Are All Made of Molecules
Emil Sher Young Man with Camera
2016 Martine Leavitt Calvin Winner [35]
Mikaela Everett The Unquiet Finalist
E. K. Johnston A Thousand Nights
Trilby Kent Once, in a Town Called Moth
Tim Wynne-Jones The Emperor of Any Place
2017 Cherie Dimaline The Marrow Thieves Winner
Alison Hughes Hit the Ground Running Finalist
Aviaq Johnston Those Who Run in the Sky
Allan Stratton The Way Back Home
Danielle Younge-Ullman Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined
2018 Jonathan Auxier Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster Winner [36]
Christopher Paul Curtis The Journey of Little Charlie Finalist
Janice Lynn Mather Learning to Breathe
Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut Winnie's Great War
Heather Smith Ebb & Flow
2019 Erin Bow Stand on the Sky Winner [37]
Brian Francis Break in Case of Emergency Finalist
Sue Farrell Holler Cold White Sun
Michelle Kadarusman Girl of the Southern Sea
Jo Treggiari The Grey Sisters

2020s

[edit]
Award winners, 2020–present
Year Author Title Result Ref
2020 Eric Walters The King of Jam Sandwiches Winner [38]
Sara Cassidy Nevers Finalist [39]
Polly Horvath Pine Island Home
Colleen Nelson and Tara Anderson Harvey Holds His Own
David A. Robertson The Barren Grounds
2021 Philippa Dowding Firefly Winner [40]
Jo Treggiari Peter Lee's Notes from the Field Finalist [41]
Sharon Jennings Unravel
Liselle Sambury Blood Like Magic
Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester The Fabulous Zed Watson!
2022 Jen Ferguson The Summer of Bitter and Sweet Winner [42]
Deborah Ellis Step Finalist [43]
Joanne Levy Sorry for Your Loss
Edeet Ravel A Boy Is Not a Ghost
Kate Story Urchin
2023 Sarah Everett The Probability of Everything Winner [44]
Michelle Kadarusman Berani Finalist [45]
Zoulfa Katouh As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Iain Lawrence Fire on Headless Mountain
Kim Spencer Weird Rules to Follow
2024 Li Charmaine Anne Crash Landing Winner [46]
Cherie Dimaline Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix Finalist [47]
Shari Green Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams
June Hur A Crane Among Wolves
Kristy Jackson Mortified

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Canada Council Children's Literature Awards" Archived 2011-01-02 at the Wayback Machine [English-language books]. online guide to writing in canada (track0.com/ogwc). Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  2. ^ a b c "Governor General's Literary Awards" Archived 2019-01-11 at the Wayback Machine [winners, 1936–1999]. online guide to writing in canada. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  3. ^ a b c "Book of the Year for Children Award" Archived 2015-07-22 at the Wayback Machine [winners]. Book Awards. Canadian Library Association (cla.org). Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  4. ^ "Young Adult Book Award" Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine [winners]. Book Awards. CLA. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  5. ^ "Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award" Archived 2015-07-06 at the Wayback Machine [list of winners]. Book Awards. CLA. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  6. ^ "News Shorts". Publishers Weekly. October 30, 2000. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  7. ^ Jinje, Safa (2012-11-08). "Tamas Dobozy among Writers' Trust Award winners". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2023-02-05. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  8. ^ "Obituary Note: Janet Lunn". Shelf Awareness. July 3, 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  9. ^ Atkinson, Nathalie (November 17, 2003). "A Timely Trilogy". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  10. ^ Milliot, Jim; Eichler, Leah (February 15, 2002). "Sales, Earnings Rebound At HarperCollins". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  11. ^ "Book Brahmin: Martine Leavitt". Shelf Awareness. December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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  13. ^ Vanessa Farquharson, "Heavyweights vie for fiction prize; Two Islanders in the running for Governor General's Literary Awards". Victoria Times-Colonist, October 17, 2007.
  14. ^ a b "A Roster of Canadian Houses". Publishers Weekly. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  15. ^ "In Brief: November 18". Publishers Weekly. November 18, 2010. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  16. ^ Sellers, John A. (July 21, 2011). "WestSide Books Up for Sale". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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  18. ^ Beattie, Steven W. (2012-11-13). "Linda Spalding, Ross King, and Julie Bruck winners at Governor General's Literary Awards". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
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  20. ^ "Rights Report: Week of December 9, 2013". Publishers Weekly. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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  22. ^ "Awards: Governor General's Literary; Goldsmiths". Shelf Awareness. November 15, 2013. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  23. ^ "Rights Report: Week of December 2, 2013". Publishers Weekly. 2013-12-03. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  24. ^ Cerny, Dory (2014-05-20). "2014 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award winners announced". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  25. ^ Ahearn, Victoria (2013-10-02). "Governor General Literary Award finalists announced (updated)". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  26. ^ Carter, Sue (2013-10-02). "Penguin Random House Canada fiction dominates GG awards". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
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  28. ^ Medley, Mark (2014-11-18). "Thomas King wins Governor-General's Award for fiction". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  29. ^ "#Wi10 Buzz Books: Young Adult". Shelf Awareness. February 4, 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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  31. ^ a b Cerny, Dory (2014-11-18). "Thomas King and Michael Harris give HarperCollins Canada Governor General's double win". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  32. ^ a b Godfrey, Laura (2015-11-19). "Jonathan Auxier Wins Twice at TD Canadian Children's Lit Awards". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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  34. ^ Robertson, Becky (2015-10-28). "Guy Vanderhaeghe, Robyn Sarah, Sydney Smith among 2015 Governor General's Literary Awards winners". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  35. ^ Godfrey, Laura (October 27, 2016). "News from the North: October 2016". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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  37. ^ "Awards: Governor General's Literary; Warwick Women in Translation". Shelf Awareness. October 30, 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  38. ^ "Michelle Good says celebrating fiction win feels 'petty and selfish' after residential school discovery". CTVNews. 2021-06-01. Archived from the original on 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  39. ^ "Francesca Ekwuyasi, Billy-Ray Belcourt & Anne Carson among 2020 Governor General's Literary Awards finalists". CBC Books. 2021-05-04. Archived from the original on 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  40. ^ Bresge, Adina (2021-11-17). "Inuk author Norma Dunning wins $25K Governor General's fiction prize - Coast Reporter". Coast Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  41. ^ "Ivan Coyote, David A. Robertson & Julie Flett among finalists for $25K Governor General's Literary Awards". CBC Books. 2021-10-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  42. ^ Dundas, Deborah (2022-11-16). "Sheila Heti, Eli Baxter win 2022 Governor General's Literary Awards for fiction and non-fiction". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
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  44. ^ "Anuja Varghese wins Governor General's literary award for fiction". Toronto Star, November 8, 2023.
  45. ^ "Suzette Mayr, Iain Reid among finalists for $25K Governor General's Literary Awards". CBC Books, October 25, 2023.
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