Wednesday, November 10, 2010

TD Children's Book Awards

I'm just back from the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award ceremony in Toronto. What an evening! I definitely made the right choice when given the option of which awards ceremony to attend tonight. Sorry Giller Light- maybe next year!

The TD Awards boasted delectable appetizers, amazing children's book authors (it was a particular pleasure talking with Arthur Slade, Lesley Livingston, Janet McNaughton and Kenneth Oppel), the chance to catch up with customers I haven't seen in years, fabulous presenters, moving acceptance speeches, then when the awards presentation had wrapped up-glasses of champagne (or coffee for us commuters) and a dessert buffet that featured such treats as apple pie on a stick and cheesecake kebabs.

Several awards were presented over the course of the evening. Here are the winners:

The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction For Young People:

Vanishing Girl (The Boy Sherlock Holmes Book 3) by Shane Peacock (Tundra)

The Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction:

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road by Priscilla Galloway with Dawn Hunter (Annick Press)

The Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award:

Timmerman Was Here by Colleen Sydor (Tundra)

The TD Canadian Children's Literature Award:

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade (HarperCollins Canada)

I am a huge fan of the Hunchback Assignment series and of Arthur Slade in general, so seeing him win the $25,000 prize was a real thrill- the award really couldn't have gone to a nicer person! For more on this award, check out this Canadian Business article.

Congratulations also to author/illustrator Marie-Louise Gay for having her book Caramba chosen as the TD Grade One Book Giveaway, and to the finalists for each award. It must have been a hard decision for the jurors!

5 comments:

Library Gal @Lost in the Library said...

Woo Hoo Arthur Slade!!!

PragmaticMom said...

Thanks for your post! Now I gotta check out all these great books! Can't wait!

mountie9 said...

Thanks!
BTW, Are you guys not doing the Dewey Diva's presentations at the OLA this year, I couldn't find anything in the conference brochure (although I didn't look that closely)

Maylin said...

We're not on the program at OLA but do visit our booths in the Book Fair - we'll have lists of our spring picks, both kids and adult books.

mountie9 said...

Awesome,your picks are always right on the mark for us