Anne Innis Dagg, author of 5 Giraffes, won the Lane Anderson Award, young readers category, at a private dinner in Toronto Monday night.  The Lane Anderson Award, created by Sharon Fitzhenry and Hollister Doll in 2010, honours the very best science writing in Canada today, both in the adult and young reader categories. The winner in each category receives $10,000.

Quoting a recent CBC article, Sharon Fitzhenry said in a speech given before the dinner “43 percent of Canadians have said that science is a ‘matter of opinion.’  Both Holly and I are crazy about science books.  We are trying to expand the reach of science and hopefully make it more available for everyday Canadians.  Thank you all for contributing such wonderful books.”

Asked about what she was planning on doing with the money, author Anne Innis Dagg stated, “I’m going to give the money to Save the Giraffes, run by three people I know personally.  I’ll send it off tomorrow.”  She also said, “It’s wonderful to win this award.  You can write books, and five people will say that they read them, and you don’t know if anyone else is going to read them.  So this way it’s lovely to know that many more people are going to read them.”

This award is unique in that it recognises both adult and young reader categories.  While explaining her love of writing books for children, shortlisted author Claire Eamer said, “Children aren’t afraid of science. Adults are afraid of science.”  She went on to explain why she writes science books for children.  “I write science because I love knowing how things work, and why they work, and where they came from. I write for kids because I don’t have to be respectable, and dignified, and quiet. I can say, (with emotion) ‘this is so cool’ and they will respond the same way.”

For more information, please visit http://laneandersonaward.ca.