Toronto, ON (October 25, 2010). The Forest of Reading Program proudly presents this year’s 70 nominated Canadian titles for a range of reading levels and interests. The program is one of Canada’s largest recreational reading programs with more than 250,000 people participating annually at their local public or school library.
Kids who participate in the registered program and read a minimum of five of the ten books in their reading category get to cast a vote the week of April 23, 2011. “We know that a love of reading is a factor in educational achievement and so it is important to offer a program that promotes reading just for fun – no tests involved!” states Forest Chair Gail Sedgewick.
The program culminates at the award ceremonies May 11 and 12 at the Festival of Trees. The two-day event draws 8,000 kids and is co-hosted by Authors at Harbourfront Centre.
“Ontario libraries strongly support excellence in Canadian literature”, states Shelagh Paterson, executive director, OLA. “The program has had the added benefit of showcasing Canadian authors and illustrators.” According to S & B Books, OLA’s official Forest of Reading wholesaler, it is estimated that the program results in approximately $1.4 million annually in sales of nominated Canadian authored/illustrated works.
More than 100 OLA members from school and public libraries volunteer on the selection committees and determine the final 10 nominated titles in each of the following categories:
There are five Forest of Reading® categories for children and youth:
- Blue Spruce™ (Grades K – 2)
- Silver Birch® (Grades 3 – 6)
- Red Maple™ (Grades 7 – 8)
- White Pine™ (Grades 9 – 12)
- Le Prix Tamarack (French fiction grades 3-6)
Blue Spruce™ nominees
Big Bear Hug
Written and illustrated Nicholas Oldland
Kids Can Press
C’mere Boy!
Written by Sharon Jennings
Illustrated by Ashley Spires
Second Story Press
Have I Got a Book for You!
Written and illustrated Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press
The Imaginary Garden
Written by Andrew Larsen
Illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Kids Can Press
Jack the Bear
Written and illustrated Christina Leist
Simply Read Books
My Think-A-Ma-Jink
Written and illustrated Dave Whamond
Owlkids
Perfect Snow
Written and illustrated Barbara Reid
Scholastic Canada
Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion
Written by Jane Barclay
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
Tundra Books
Violet
Written by Tania Duprey Stehlik
Illustrated by Vanja Jovanovic
Second Story Press
Willow’s Whispers
Written by Lana Button
Illustrated by Tania Howells
Kids Can Press
Silver Birch® nominees
Fiction
Archaeolojesters
Written by Andreas Oertel
Lobster Press
Branded
Written by Eric Walters
Orca Book Publishers
Dunces Anonymous
Written by Kate Jaimet
Orca Book Publishers
The Giant-Slayer
Written by Iain Lawrence
Random House
Home Free
Written by Sharon Jennings
Second Story Press
The Hunchback Assignments
Written by Arthur Slade
HarperCollins Canada
Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders
Written by Kevin Sylvester
Key Porter Books
Ortega
Written by Maureen Fergus
Kids Can Press
The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy
Written by Jill MacLean
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Zoobreak
Written by Gordon Korman
Scholastic Canada
Non-Fiction
Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be
Written and illustrated by Daniel Loxton
Kids Can Press
Hoaxed! Fakes and Mistakes in the World of Science
Written by the Editors of Yes Mag
Kids Can Press
How Figure Skating Works
Written by Keltie Thomas
Owlkids Books
How to Build Your Own Country
Written by Valerie Wyatt
Illustrated by Fred Rix
Kids Can Press
Kaboom! Explosions of all Kinds
Writen by Gillian Richardson
Annick Press
Not Your Typical Book About the Environment
Written by Elin Kelsey
Illustrated by Clayton Hanmer
Owlkids Books
Remembering John McCrae
Written by Linda Granfield
Scholastic Canada
The Salmon Bears: Giants of the Great Bear Rainforest
Written by Ian McAllister and Nicholas Read
Photography by Ian McAllister
Orca Book Publishers
Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection Between People and Their Pets
Written by Ann Love and Jane Drake
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Tundra Books
What’s the Big Idea? Inventions that Changed Life on Earth Forever
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Steve Attoe
Owlkids Books
Express
100% Pure Fake: Gross Out Your Friends and Family with 25 Great Special Effects
Written by Lyn Thomas
Illustrated Boris Zaytsev
Photography by Cheryl Powers
Kids Can Press
Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws: True Hearts
Written by Chad Solomon and Christopher Meyer
Illustrated by Chad Solomon
Little Spirit Bear Productions
The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw
Written by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers
Binky the Space Cat
Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
A Coyote Solstice Tale
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Gary Clement
Groundwood Books
A Different Game
Written by Sylvia Olsen
Orca Book Publishers
It’s A Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Tundra Books
Polar Bears
Written by Norbert Rosing
Firefly Books
Thumb and the Bad Guys
Written by Ken Roberts
Groundwood Books
Vanishing Habitats
Written by Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs
Illustrated by Robert Bateman
Scholastic Canada
Red Maple™ nominees
Fiction
The Agency: A Spy in the House
Written by Y.S. Lee
Random House
Ghost Ride
Marina Cohen
Dundurn
Haunted
Barbara Haworth-Attard
HarperCollins Canada
My Name Is Henry Bibb
Afua Cooper
Kids Can Press
Nieve
Terry Griggs
Biblioasis
Not Suitable for Family Viewing
Vicki Grant
HarperCollins Canada
Only in the Movies
William Bell
Random House
POP
Gordon Korman
Scholastic Canada
The Summoning
Kelley Armstrong
Random House
Wounded
Eric Walters
Penguin Group Canada
Non-Fiction
Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road
Written by Priscilla Galloway with Dawn Hunter
Annick Press
Bite of the Mango
Written by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland
Annick Press
Charlie: A Home Child’s Life in Canada
Written by Beryl Young
Key Porter
Green Careers
Written by Jennifer Power Scott
Lobster Press
Guardian Angel House
Written by Kathy Clark
Second Story Press
Journey to Mars
Written by Jonathan Webb
Scholastic Canada
No Girls Allowed
Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Willow Dawson
Kids Can Press
Tell Me Why
Written by Eric Walters
Random House
Watch This Space
Written by Hadley Dyer
Illustrated by Marc Ngui
Kids Can Press
Whispers from the Ghettos
Written by Kathy Kacer and Sharon McKay
Penguin Group Canada
White Pine™ nominees
Borderline
Allan Stratton
HarperCollins Canada
Fear the Worst
Linwood Barclay
Random House
Fishtailing
Wendy Phillips
Coteau Books
Gravity Brings Me Down
Natale Ghent
Random House
Hearts at Stake
Alyxandra Harvey
Penguin Group Canada
The Monkeyface Chronicles
Richard Scarsbrook
Thistledown Press
The Second Trial
Rosemarie Boll
Second Story Press
Some Girls Are
Courtney Summers
HB Fenn
Swim the Fly
Don Calame
Random House
The Worst Thing She Ever Did
Alice Kuipers
HarperCollins Canada
Le Prix Tamarack
Fiction
Les Bonbons venus du ciel
Written by Marie-Andrée Boucher
Soulières Éditeurs
Connais-tu? Marco Polo
Written by Johanne Ménard
Illustrated by Pierre Berthiaume
Éditions Michel Quintin
Laflèche: Vol.2 Cobequid
Written by Mario Landry and Marcel Levasseur
Illustrated by Marcel Levasseur
Boomerang éditeur jeunesse
Mon île blessée
Written by Jacques Pasquet
Illustrated by Marion Arbona
Éditions de L’Isatis
La Prophétie de la terre creuse
Written by Denis M. Boucher
Illustrated by Michael Roy
Éditions de la Francophonie
La Quête du dernier dodo: Les Adventures de Cosmo le Dodo
Written by Pat Rac
Les Éditions Origo Inc.
Le Retour de Bruno
Written by Marc Couture
Illustrated by Sarah Chamaillard
Éditions du Phoenix
Sauve-toi, Léa
Written by Hélène Gagnier
Illustrated by Louise-Andrée Laliberté
Soulières Éditeurs
Shems et Gamar: Conte Algérien
Written by Badiåa Sekfali
Illustrated by Adeline Lamarre
Éditions de L’Isatis
Trafic au Burkina Faso
Written by Camille Bouchard
Dominique et Compagnie
Express
Le collier de la duchesse
Written by Françoise Lepage
Illustrated by Marion Arbona
Les Éditions Interligne
Les Dragouilles 2 – Les Bleues de Montréal
Written by Maxim Cyr and Karine Gottot
Éditions Michel Quintin
Flagabou l’enfantome et la bombe a bonbons
Written by Normand Renaud
Illustrated by Lesley St-Amour
Éditions Normand Renaud
Horus 1 – L’enfant à tête de faucon
Written by Johanne Matte
Éditions Les 400 Coups
Lundi, jour de peur
Written by Danielle Simard
Soulières Éditeurs
Ma soeur n’est pas un cadeau!
Written by Alain M. Bergeron
Soulières Éditeurs
La photographie numérique
Written by Sylvie Roberge and Johanne Mercier
Illustrated by Nancy Ribard
Dominique et Compagnie
Poèmes des villes / Poèmes des champs
Written by Édith Bourget
Illustrated by Geneviève Côté
Soulières Éditeurs
Prisonniers du sofa
Written by Gaël Corboz
Illustrated by Yvan Deschamps
Soulières Éditeurs
La Sonate des chatouilles
Written by Genevieve Mativat
Illustrated by Leanne Franson
Les Éditions Hurtubise
The OLA also offers two adult reading categories: Evergreen™ and Golden Oak™. The Golden Oak program provides new readers in adult literacy programs to read books chosen specifically for them. The nominees in this category are:
The Barrio Kings
Written by William Kowalski
Orca Book Publishers
The Children of Africville
Written by Christine Welldon
Nimbus Publishing
The Christmas Tree: Two Tales for the Holidays
Written by David Adams Richards
Penguin Group Canada
Courage and Compassion: Ten Canadians Who Made A Difference
Written by Rona Arato
Maple Tree Press
Imagine a Place
Written by Sarah L. Thomson
Illustated by Rob Gonsalves
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
The Middle Ground
Written by Zoe Whittall
Orca Book Publishers
Stolen Child
Written by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada
Watching Jimmy
Written by Nancy Hartry
Tundra Books
For more information, please contact:
Michelle Fortier
Program Co-ordinator
Ontario Library Association
Phone: 416-363-3388 ext. 22
Email: mfortier@accessola.com