Readers across the country voted for favourite Canadian titles in readers’ choice award program
NEWS RELEASE
TORONTO, ON (May 15, 2019) – On May 14 and 15, thousands gathered at the annual Festival of Trees, an annual rock concert of reading, where winners of the 2019 Forest of Reading program are announced live. The event, which celebrates a love of reading for children of all ages, brings together thousands of young readers from across Ontario for workshops, entertainment, and meaningful experiences with our nation’s top Canadian fiction and non-fiction authors.
The 2019 Forest of Reading Award winners are:
- Blue Spruce Award™ Winner: Barnaby Never Forgets by Pierre Collet-Derby (Candlewick Press)
- Red Maple Fiction Award™ Winner: A World Below by Wesley King (Paula Wiseman Books)
- Red Maple Non-Fiction Award™ Winner: Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland (Abrams Amulet)
- White Pine Award™ Winner: The Agony of Bun O’Keefe by Heather Smith (Penguin Teen Canada)
- Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award® Winner: Carey Price: How a First Nations Kid Became a Superstar Goaltender by Catherine Rondina (James Lorimer & Company Ltd.)
- Silver Birch Fiction Award® Winner: Chase by Linwood Barclay (Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers)
- Silver Birch Express Award® Winner: Meet Viola Desmond by Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas (Scholastic Canada Ltd.)
On Thursday, May 16, the winners of the French Forest of Reading programs (Prix Peuplier, Prix Tamarac, and Prix Tamarac Express) will be announced live.
Since October, over 250,000 children across Ontario read nominated books, which included the best Canadian fiction and non-fiction books by English and French authors. Almost 170,000 voted in the 2019 program.
The Forest of Reading allows readers of all ages to cultivate a love of reading through Canadian picture books, young adult books, novels and French-language titles. The program consists of seven award programs distinguished by age group and reading level: Blue Spruce, Silver Birch, Red Maple, White Pine, Peuplier, Tamarac, and Evergreen. Together, there are 110 nominated titles with ten books for each program.
We recognize the major support from our sponsors Tinlids Inc., Toronto Arts Council, First Book Canada, Toronto International Festival of Authors, TFO, Prologue to the Performing Arts, Access Copyright, SkyWords Media, and our media partner CHOQ FM.
The Ontario Library Association (OLA) is a centre of excellence for the library and information sector, with 5,000 members who work in public, school, academic and special libraries. OLA enables members to advocate for the right of individuals to have free and equitable access to information. Our members research, develop and participate in educational programs designed to provide exemplary library services. Signature OLA events include the annual Super Conference and the Forest of Reading® program.
Tinlids is the official wholesaler for the 2019 Forest of Reading program.
Media and program contacts:
Meredith Tutching
Director, Forest of Reading
Ontario Library Association
mtutching@accessola.com
Lauren Hummel
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Ontario Library Association
communications@accessola.com