Past Winners and Finalists

The Witness Blanket: Truth, Art and Reconciliation
Written by Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson
Orca Book Publishers, 2022

Better Connected: How Girls Are Using Social Media for Good
(Orca Think)
Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Julia Kyi
Illustrated by Vivian Rosas
Orca Book Publishers, 2022
 

Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids About Gender Stereotypes
Written by Elise Gravel with Mykaell Blais
Illustrated by Elise Gravel
Anne Schwartz Books, 2022

Sun in My Tummy
Written by Laura Alary
Illustrated by Andrea Blinick
Pajama Press, 2022

Why Humans Build Up: The Rise of Towers, Temples and Skyscrapers
(Orca Timeline)
Written by Gregor Craigie
Illustrated by Kathleen Fu
Orca Book Publishers, 2022
 

The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures
Written by Christian Allaire
Illustrated by Jacqueline Li
Annick Press, 2021
 

Boy from Buchenwald: The True Story of a Holocaust Survivor
Written by Robbie Waisman with Susan McClelland
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2021
 

The Girl Who Loved Giraffes and Became the World’s First Giraffologist
Written by Kathy Stinson
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2021

Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words
Edited by Dr. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry
Orca Book Publishers, 2021
 

Mad for Ads: How Advertising Gets (and Stays) in Our Heads
Written by Erica Fyvie
Illustrated by Ian Turner
Kids Can Press, 2021
 

Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance
(Orca Origins)
Written by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane. 
Orca Book Publishers, 2020
 

111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl
(CitizenKid)
Written by Rina Singh
Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer
Kids Can Press, 2020

Crows: Genius Birds
(Science Comics)
Written and illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt
First Second, 2020

The Eagle Mother
(Mothers of Xsan)
Written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan
HighWater Press, 2020
 

This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias
Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Illustrated by Drew Shannon
Kids Can Press, 2020
 

Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, & Murdered Through History
Written by Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David
Illustrated by Gillian Wilson
Owlkids Books, 2019
 

Beastly Puzzles: A Brain-Boggling Animal Guessing Game
Written by Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
Kids Can Press, 2019

Cells: An Owner's Handbook
Written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher
Beach Lane Books, 2019

Fairy Science
(Fairy Science)
Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
Tundra Books, 2019

Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket 
Written by Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson
Orca Book Publishers, 2019
 

Turtle Pond
Written by James Gladstone
Illustrated by Karen Reczuch
Groundwood Books, 2018
 

After Life: Ways We Think About Death
Written by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox
Orca Book Publishers, 2018
 

Bat Citizen: Defending the Ninjas of the Night
Written by Rob Laidlaw
Pajama Press, 2018
 

Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes
Written by Wab Kinew
Illustrated by Jor Morse
Tundra Books, 2018
 

Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle
Written by Erica Fyvie
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press, 2018

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women
Edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale
Annick Press, 2017

Meatless? A Fresh Look at What You Eat
Written by Sarah Elton
Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
Owlkids Books, 2017

Rewilding: Giving Nature a Second Chance
Written by Jane Drake and Ann Love
Annick Press, 2017

The Sockeye Mother
(Mothers of Xsan)
Written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan
HighWater Press, 2017
 

When Planet Earth Was New
Written by James Gladstone
Illustrated by Katherine Diemert
Owlkids Books, 2017
 

 Canada Year by Year
Written by Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Kids Can Press, 2016

Fight to Learn: The Struggle to Go to School
Written by Lauda Scandiffio
Annick Press, 2016

Level the Playing Field: The Past, Present, a Future of Women’s Pro Sports
Written by Kristina Rutherford
Owlkids Books, 2016

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk
Written and illustrated by Jan Thornhill
Groundwood Books, 2016

Water Wow! An Infographic Exploration
Written by Antonia Banyard and Paula Ayer
Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich
Annick Press, 2016
 

Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book About Bodies, Feelings, and You
Written by Cory Silverberg
Illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Seven Stories Press, 2015
 

The Art of the Possible: An Everyday Guide to Politics
Written by Edward Keenan
Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
Owlkids Books, 2015

A Beginner’s Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars
Written by Maria Birmingham
Illustrated by Josh Holinaty
Owlkids Books, 2015
 

Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War
(CitizenKid)
Written by Jessica Dee Humphreys and Michel Chikwanine
Illustrated by Claudia Dávila
Kids Can Press, 2015
 

Foodprints: The Story of What We Eat
Written by Paula Ayer
Annick Press, 2015

Why We Live Where We Live
Written by Kira Vermond
Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
Owlkids Books, 2014

From Vimy to Victory: Canada's Fight to the Finish in World War I
Written by Hugh Brewster
Scholastic Canada, 2014

If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers
Written by David J. Smith
Illustrated by Steve Adams
Kids Can Press, 2014

Residential Schools, With the Words and Images of Survivors: A National History
Written by Larry Loyie with Wayne K. Spear and Constance Brissenden
Indigenous Education Press, 2014
 

Starting from Scratch: What You Should Know about Food and Cooking
Written by Sarah Elton
Illustrated by Jeff Kulak
Owlkids Books, 2014
 

The Last Train: A Holocaust Story
Written by Rona Arato
Owlkids Books, 2013

Branded by the Pink Triangle
Written by Ken Setterington
Second Story Press, 2013

A History of Just About Everything: 180 Events, People and Inventions That Changed the World
Written by Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Kids Can Press, 2013
 

Looks Like Daylight: Voices of Indigenous Kids
Written by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books, 2013

My Name Is Blessing
Written by Eric Walters
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Tundra Books, 2013

Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War
Written by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books, 2012
 

Going Up! Elisha Otis's Trip to the Top
(Great Idea)
Written by Monica Culling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Tundra Books, 2012
 

Kate & Pippin: An Unlikely Love Story
Written by Martin Springett
Photographed by Isobel Springett
Puffin Canada, 2012

Real Justice: Fourteen and Sentenced to Death—The Story of Steven Truscott
Written by Bill Swan
James Lorimer, 2012
 

Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport
Written by Deborah Hodge
Tundra Books, 2012

Loon
Written by Susan Vande Griek
Illustrated by Karen Reczuch
Groundwood Books, 2011

Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal of Afghanistan
Written by Rafael Gerszak and Dawn Hunter
Photographed by Rafael Gerszak
Annick Press, 2011
 

Biomimicry: Inventions Inspired by Nature
Written by Dora Lee
Illustrated by Margot Thompson
Kids Can Press, 2011

Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World
Written by Susan Hughes
Owlkids Books, 2011

Scribbling Women: True Tales from Astonishing Lives
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Tundra Books, 2011
 

Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science
Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Michael Wandelmaier
Kids Can Press, 2010
 

Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be
Written and illustrated by Daniel Loxton
Kids Can Press, 2010

Not Your Typical Book About the Environment
Written by Elin Kelsey
Illustrated by Clayton Hanmer
Owlkids Books, 2010

Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged!
Written by Jody Nyasha Warner
Illustrated by Richard Rudnicki
Groundwood Books, 2010
 

Watch This Space: Designing, Defending and Sharing Public Spaces
Written by Hadley Dyer
Illustrated by Marc Ngui
Kids Can Press, 2010
 

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road
Written by Priscilla Galloway with Dawn Hunter
Annick Press, 2009

Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors
Written by Charis Cotter
Annick Press, 2009

Follow That Map! A First Book of Mapping Skills
(Exploring Our Community)
Written and illustrated by Scot Ritchie
Kids Can Press, 2009
 

A Thousand Years of Pirates
Written and illustrated by William Gilkerson
Tundra Books, 2009

Whispers from the Ghettos
(Whispers)
Written by Kathy Kacer and Sharon E. McKay
Puffin Canada, 2009
 

The Bite of the Mango
Written by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland
Annick Press, 2008

Inuksuk Journey: An Artist at the Top of the World
Written and illustrated by Mary Wallace
Maple Tree Press, 2008

No Girls Allowed: Tales of Daring Women Dressed As Men for Love, Freedom and Adventure
Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Willow Dawson
Annick Press, 2008

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
(CitizenKid)
Written by Katie Smith Milway
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Kids Can Press, 2008
 

Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns
Written by Elizabeth MacLeod
Annick Press, 2008
 

At Vimy Ridge: Canada's Greatest World War I Victory
Written by Hugh Brewster
Scholastic Canada, 2007

Birds of Prey: An Introduction
Written Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs
Illustrated by Robert Bateman
Scholastic Canada/Madison Press, 2007
 

The Eco-Diary of Kiran Singer
Written by Sue Ann Alderson
Illustrated by Millie Ballance
Tradewind Books, 2007
 

This Is My Planet: The Kids’ Guide to Global Warming
Written by Jan Thornhill
Maple Tree Press, 2007

Weird Weather: Everything You Didn't Want to Know About Climate Change but Probably Should Find Out
Written and illustrated by Kate Evans
Groundwood Books, 2007
 

I Found a Dead Bird: The Kids’ Guide to the Cycle of Life & Death
Writen by Jan Thornhill
Maple Tree Press, 2006
 

Factory Girl
Written by Barbara Greenwood
Kids Can Press, 2007

Fire! The Renewal of a Forest
Written and illustrated by Celia Godkin
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006

Genocide
(Groundwood Guides)
Written by Jane Springer
Groundwood Books, 2006

Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together
(CitizenKid)
Written by Herb Shoveller
Kids Can Press, 2006
 

Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made
Written by Bill Slavin with Jim Slavin
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press, 2005

Coming to Canada: Building a Life in a New Land
Written by Susan Hughes
Maple Tree Press, 2005

Hiding Edith
(A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers)
Written by Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press, 2005
 

My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary
Written by Nadja Halilbegovich
Kids Can Press, 2005
 

Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS
Written by Deborah Ellis
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005
 

In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You
Written by Shari Graydon
Annick Press, 2004

A Home for Foundlings
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Tundra Books, 2004

Red Land, Yellow River: A Story from the Cultural Revolution
Written and illustrated by Ange Zhang
Groundwood Books, 2004
 

A Second Is a Hiccup
Written by Hazel Hutchins
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
North Winds Press, 2004

The Underground Reporters
(A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers)
Written by Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press, 2004
 

The Road to There: Mapmakers and Their Stories
Written by Val Ross
Tundra Books, 2003

Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything
Written by Anne Dublin
Second Story Press, 2004

Discovering the Arctic: The Story of John Rae
(Stories of Canada)
Written by John Wilson
Illustrated by Liz Milkau
Napoleon Publishing, 2003
 

Four Pictures by Emily Carr
Written and illustrated by Nicolas Debon
Groundwood Books, 2003
 

Oscar: The Life and Music of Oscar Peterson
Written by Reva Marin
Groundwood Books, 2003
 

As Long As the Rivers Flow
Written by Larry Loyie with Constance Brissenden
Illustrated by Heather D. Holmlund
Groundwood Books, 2002
 

Beyond the Dance: A Ballerina's Life
Written by Chan Hon Goh and Cary Fagan
Tundra Books, 2002
 

Under the Ice: A Martine Biologist at Work
Written by Kathy Conlan
Kids Can Press, 2002

Wilfrid Laurier: A Pledge for Canada
(The Quest Library)
Written by Roderick Stewart
XYZ Publishing, 2002

Wizards: An Amazing Journey through the Last Great Age of Magic
Written by Candace Savage
Greystone Books, 2002
 

The Man Who Ran Faster Than Everyone: The Story of Tom Longboat
Written by Jack Batten
Tundra Books, 2002

Hana's Suitcase
Written by Karen Levine
Second Story Press, 2002

Nerves Out Loud: Critical Moments in the Lives of Seven Teen Girls
Edited by Susan Musgrave
Annick Press, 2001

Righting Wrongs: The Story of Norman Bethune
(Stories of Canada)
Written by John Wilson
Illustrated by Liz Milkau
Napoleon Publishing, 2001
 

The Sex Book: An Alphabet of Smarter Love
Written by Jane Pavanel
Lobster Press, 2001

Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale
Written by Gena K. Gorrell
Tundra Books, 2000

Born to be a Cowgirl: A Spirited Ride Through the Old West
Written by Candace Savage
Greystone Books, 2001

The Kids Book of the Far North
(Kids Book of...)
Written by Ann Love and Jane Drake
Illustrated by Jocelyne Bouchard
Kids Can Press, 2000
 

New Animal Discoveries
Written by Ronald Orenstein
Key Porter Books, 2001
 

Pier 21: Gateway of Hope
Written by Linda Granfield
Tundra Books, 2000
 

The Shaman's Nephew: A Life in the Far North
Written by Simon Tookoome with Sheldon Oberman
Stoddart Kids, 1999
 

The Dancer Who Flew: A Memoir of Rudolf Nureyev
Written by Linda Maybarduk
Tundra Books, 1999
 

Five Pennies: A Prairie Boy's Story
Written by Irene Morck
Fifth House Publishes, 1999
 

The Young Writer's Companion
Written by Sarah Ellis
Groundwood Books, 1999
 

By Truck to the North: My Arctic Adventure
Written by Andy Turnball and Debora Pearson
Annick Press, 1999
 

Accidental Discoveries: From Laughing Gas to Dynamite
Written by Larry Verstraete
Scholastic Canada, 1999 

Catching Fire: The Story of Firefighting
Written by Gena K. Gorrell
Tundra Books, 1999

The Inuksuk Book
Written by Mary Wallace
Owl Books, 1999

The Last Safehouse: A Story of the Underground Railroad
Written by Barbara Greenwood
Illustrated by Heather Collins
Kids Can Press, 1998