PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Canadian Library Association Announces 2010 Book of the Year for Children Award Shortlist

(Ottawa, March 2, 2010) The Canadian Association of Children’s Librarians, Section of the Canadian Association of Public Libraries, a Division of the CLA, is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2010 Book of the Year for Children Award.

This notable award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2009, which appeals to children up to and including age 12.

This year, the committee was presented with 162 books, of which 49 were ultimately long-listed for thorough reading and review.  The wealth of extraordinary children’s writers in Canada made this a phenomenal task.  On behalf of the children of Canada, we salute the efforts and accomplishments of these writers, and we thank them and their publishers for providing our children with an inspired collection of new titles.

The finalists for the 2010 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, in alphabetical order by author, are:

• Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter, Book 1 by R. J. Anderson (HarperCollins)
• Walking Backward by Catherine Austen (Orca)
• Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry (Tundra)
• Zoobreak by Gordon Korman (Scholastic)
• Dragon Seer by Janet McNaughton (HarperCollins)
• Blue Mountain Trouble by Martin Mordecai (Scholastic)
• Vanishing Girl by Shane Peacock (Tundra)
• The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade (HarperCollins)
• Puppet by Eva Weisman (Tundra)
• Rex Zero, The Great Pretender by Tim Wynne-Jones (Groundwood)

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the 2009-2010 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award Committee:

Helen Kubiw, Teacher-librarian, Guelph - Chair
Myra Junyk, Literacy Advocate and Author, Toronto
Kathryn Weisman, Teacher-librarian (retired), Vancouver
Alexandra Yarrow, Librarian, Ottawa

The Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques is Canada’s largest national and broad-based library association, representing the interests of public, academic, school and special libraries, professional librarians and library workers, and all those concerned about enhancing the quality of life of Canadians through information and literacy. 

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For more information contact: Helen Kubiw at (519) 763-7040 x 409