Past Winners and Finalists

Skating Wild on an Inland Sea
Written by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrated by Todd Stewart
Groundwood Books
 

Do You Remember?
Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books

Green Papayas
Written by Nhung N. Tran-Davies
Illustrated by Gillian Newland
Red Deer Press
 

Simon Sort of Says
Written by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada

The Umbrella House
Written by Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press
 

Weird Rules to Follow
Written by Kim Spencer
Orca Book Publishers, 2022

Berani
Written by Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press, 2022
 

Kunoichi Bunny
Written by Sara Cassidy
Illustrated by Brady Sato
Orca Book Publishers, 2022
 

Sitting Shiva
Written by Erin Silver
Illustrated by Michelle Theodore 
Orca Book Publishers, 2022
 

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

On the Trapline
Written by David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Julie Flett
Tundra Books, 2021
 

Borders
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan
HarperCollins Publishers, 2021
 

The Fabulous Zed Watson!
Written by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester
Illustrated by Kevin Sylvester
HarperCollins Publishers, 2021
 

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

A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid
Written by Sara O'Leary
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Groundwood Books, 2021
 

The Barnabus Project
Written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers
Tundra Books, 2020

Bloom
(The Bloom Trilogy)
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins Publishers, 2022
 

The Barren Grounds
(The Misewa Saga)
Written by David A. Robertson
Puffin Canada, 2020

A Beginner's Guide to Goodbye
Written by Melanie Mosher
Nimbus Publishing, 2020

When Emily Was Small
Written and illustrated by Lauren Soloy
Tundra Books, 2020

Birdsong
Written and illustrated by Julie Flett
Greystone Kids, 2019
 

Broken Strings
Written by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer
Puffin Canada, 2019

It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Tundra Books, 2019
 

Small in the City
Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books, 2019

Stand on the Sky
Written by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada, 2019

Ebb & Flow
Written by Heather Smith
Kids Can Press, 2018
 

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

Mustafa
Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books, 2018
 

Sweep: A Story About a Girl and Her Monster
Written by Jonathan Auxier
Puffin Canada, 2018
 

They Say Blue
Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Groundwood Books, 2018
 

Town Is by the Sea
Written by Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books, 2017
 

Dragonfly Song
Written by Wendy Orr
Pajama Press, 2017

Picture the Sky
Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid
North Winds Press, 2017

Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation
Written by Monique Gray Smith
Orca Book Publishers, 2017
 

When the Moon Comes
Written by Paul Harbridge
Illustrated by Matt James
Tundra Books, 2017

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

A Day of Signs and Wonders
Written by Kit Pearson
HarperTrophy Canada, 2016

The Skeleton Tree
Written by Iain Lawrence
Tundra Books, 2016

Tokyo Digs a Garden
Written by Jon-Erik Lappano
Illustrated by Kellen Hatanaka
Groundwood Books, 2016
 

When We Were Alone
Written by David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Juie Flett
HighWater Press, 2016
 

Missing Nimâmâ
Written by Melanie Florence
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Clockwise Press, 2015
 

The Nest
Written by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
HarperCollins Publishers, 2015

That Squeak
Written by Carolyn Beck
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2015

The Wolf-Birds
Written and illustrated by Willow Dawson
Owlkids Books, 2015

A Year of Borrowed Men
Written by Michelle Barker
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
Pajama Press, 2015
 

The Night Gardener
Written by Jonathan Auxier
Puffin Canada, 2014

Any Questions?
Written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books, 2014
 

A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison
Written by Margriet Ruurs and Katherine Gibson
Pajama Press, 2014
 

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

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
Written by Christine Baldacchino
Illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant
Groundwood Books, 2014
 

The Man with the Violin
Written by Kathy Stinson
Illustrated by Dušan Petricic
Annick Press, 2013
 

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

In the Tree House
Written by Andrew Larsen
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Kids Can Press, 2013
 

Once Upon a Northern Night
Written by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Groundwood Books, 2013
 

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
Written by Teresa Toten
Doubleday Canada, 2013

One Year in Coal Harbour
Written by Polly Horvath
Groundwood Books, 2012
 

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

The Stamp Collector
Written by Jennifer Lanthier
Illustrated by François Thisdale
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012
 

Virginia Wolf
Written by Kyo Maclear
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Kids Can Press, 2012
 

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen
Written by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books, 2012

Stones for My Father
Written by Trilby Kent
Tundra Books, 2011

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

Seal Song
Written by Andrea Spalding
Illustrated by Pascal Milelli
Orca Book Publishers, 2011
 

The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Tundra Books, 2011
 

No Ordinary Day
Written by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books, 2011

Plain Kate
Written by Erin Bow
Scholastic Canada, 2010

The Know Here
Written by Laural Croza
Illustrated by Matt James
Groundwood Books, 2010
 

Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Written by Gordon Lightfoot
Illustrated by Ian Wallace
Groundwood Books, 2010
 

Burn
Written by Alma Fullerton
Dancing Cat Books, 2010

The Glory Wind
Written by Valerie Sherrard
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2010

The Hunchback Assignments
Written by Arthur Slade
HarperCollins Publishers, 2009
 

Dragon Seer
Written by Janet McNaughton
HarperCollins Publishers, 2009

Home Free
(A Gutsy Girl Book)
Written by Sharon Jennings
Second Story Press, 2009
 

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

Watching Jimmy
Written by Nancy Hartry
Tundra Books, 2009

Shin-chi's Canoe
Written by Nicola I. Campbell
Illustrated by Kim LaFave
Groundwood Books, 2008
 

Death in the Air: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, This Second Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Tundra Books, 2008
 

Libertad
Written by Alma Fullerton
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008

Thing-Thing
Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Nicolas Debon
Tundra Books, 2008
 

Word Nerd
Written by Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books, 2008
 

Elijah of Buxton
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic Canada, 2007
 

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting
Written by Hugh Brewster
Illustrated by John Singer Sargent
Kids Can Press, 2007
 

Darkwing
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins Publishers, 2007

Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Tundra Books, 2007
 

Please, Louise
Written by Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books, 2007
 

Odd Man Out
Written by Sarah Ellis
Groundwood Books, 2006

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

Johnny Kellock Died Today
Written by Hadley Dyer
HarperCollins Canada, 2006

Rex Zero and the End of the World
Written by Tim Wynne-Jones
Groundwood Books, 2006
 

Stanley's Wild Ride
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press, 2006
 

The Crazy Man
Written by Pamela Porter
Groundwood Books, 2005

Earth to Audrey
Written by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Stéphane Poulin
Kids Can Press, 2005
 

Mella and the N’anga: An African Tale
Written by Gail Nyoka
Sumach Press, 2005

Shi-shi-etko
Written by Nicola I. Campbell
Illustrated by Kim LaFave
Groundwood Books, 2005
 

Mabel Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Tundra Books, 2004
 

After Sylvia
Written by Alan Cumyn
Groundwood Books, 2004

Airborn
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins Publishers, 2004

Peg and the Yeti
Written by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Barbara Reid
HarperCollins Canada, 2004
 

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