R. ROSS ANNETT JUVENILE FICTION AWARD
(WRITERS GUILD OF ALBERTA)
FOR THE BEST BOOK BY AN ALBERTA AUTHOR.
1996 WINNER:
![BIG BOY](91/7077-v2.gif) |
BIG BOY
TOLOLWA M. MOLLEL
ILLUSTRATIONS: E.B. LEWIS
TORONTO: STODDART, 1995, 32 P.
ISBN
0773728511
AGES 3 TO 8
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When Oli, a little boy in Tanzania, sneaks out of his house at nap time,
he wishes that he could be "as big as a mountain and as strong as the wind".
Imagine his surprise when Tunukia-zawadi, the magical bird in his mother's
suppertime stories, grants his wish. Joyously he crosses hills in a single
bound and surveys great distances, but he also causes a rock slide and
he unleashes a tidal wave when he cools off in the ocean. Tired and discouraged
by his exploits, he changes his wish, then wakens beneath a baobab tree
to find himself safe in his mother's arms. As he snuggles in tight he realizes
that, sometimes, it is good to be little.
1997 WINNER:
![THE TUESDAY CAFE](91/7078-v2.gif) |
THE TUESDAY CAFE
DON TREMBATH
VICTORIA, B.C.: ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS, 1996, 121 P.
ISBN 1551430746
AGES
12 TO 16
|
Harper Winslow is not an ideal 15-year-old. He is not doing well in school.
He can't communicate with his parents. He gets caught setting a fire in
his high school. When a juvenile-court judge assigns, as partial punishment,
a 2000-word essay on how he is going to turn his life around, Harper's
mother locates a writing class called The Tuesday Cafe in the yellow pages
and enrolls him in it. Unexpectedly these weekly sessions for adults with
special needs become very important to Harper. It is among this group of
misfits that Harper finally receives the acceptance and encouragement he
has been longing for.
RUTH SCHWARTZ CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD
YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE READER CATEGORY
(CANADIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION)
FOR BEST TEXT.
1996 WINNER:
When Ben's dad decides to return to his roots in Ship Cove, Newfoundland,
the family is still reeling from the unexpected death of Ben's mother two
years earlier. Because he doesn't can't fit in, Ben retreats into the
stories of the Vinland Saga which his mom loved and spends his time carving
(another activity he shared with his mom) a model of a Viking ship. His
favourite Viking, the shipbuilder, Tor, becomes Ben's alter ego and their
two stories run parallel throughout this complex and challenging novel,
escalating to an emotionally gripping conclusion which allows Ben to bury
his grief and get on with his life.
1997 WINNER:
![AWAKE AND DREAMING](91/7080-v2.gif) |
AWAKE AND DREAMING
KIT PEARSON
TORONTO: VIKING, 1996, 228 P.
ISBN 0670869546
AGES 9 TO 12
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Theo is a nine-year-old dreamer and bookworm who reads about magic and
families to escape the drudgery of the wretched, impoverished existence
she shares with her inattentive and irresponsible mom. While she watches
a "real" family with four children and two doting parents on the ferry
to Victoria, it seems fitting that poof she magically becomes a part
of their life. She can't believe her good fortune; everything seems perfect.
Can it be real? Is she awake or dreaming? In the end, it is a ghost who
drifts quietly in and out of the story that helps Theo accept reality and
make the most of her life.
RUTH SCHWARTZ CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD
PICTURE BOOK CATEGORY
(CANADIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION)
FOR BEST TEXT.
1996 WINNER:
![THE KILLICK: A NEWFOUNDLAND STORY](91/7081-v2.gif) |
THE KILLICK:
A NEWFOUNDLAND STORY
GEOFF BUTLER
ILLUSTRATIONS: GEOFF BUTLER
MONTREAL: TUNDRA BOOKS, 1995, 32
P.
ISBN 0887763367
AGES 9 TO 12
|
Grandpa likes to shares his memories of the two world wars, of cod fishing,
and of the seal hunt with his family. And one morning early in spring
he wants to revisit another memory: the island across the bay where he
spent most of his life and where his wife, his "comrade-in-arms" and "comrade-in-life",
is buried. Twelve-year-old George takes him in the dory, but on the return
trip a late winter storm vents its fury.... Remarkable full-page illustrations
use clear, penetrating colours and strong, solid shapes to depict the power
of the elements, the resilience of the Newfoundland people, and the essence
of the story.
1997 WINNER:
On one level, Ghost Train tells the story of impoverished Chinese immigrants
who were exploited and killed during the construction of the transcontinental
railway. On another level it tells of the bond between Choon-yi, an artistic
child, and her father, one of the construction workers who lost his life.
Visiting her in dream sequences after his death, Ba encourages Choon-yi
to create a perfect painting of a fire-car to transport the souls of the
dead Chinese workers back to their homeland so that they may rest in peace.
Hauntingly beautiful oil paintings, evocative of the talent of Choon-yi,
complement the finely honed narrative perfectly.
THE SHEILA A. EGOFF CHILDREN'S PRIZE
(THE WEST COAST BOOK PRIZE SOCIETY)
FOR THE BEST BOOK BY A BRITISH COLUMBIA
AUTHOR.
![BACK OF BEYOND](91/7082-v2.gif) |
BACK OF BEYOND
|
In this collection of short stories, real experiences of sibling rivalry,
divorce, and anorexia are interwoven with seemingly impossible supernatural
encounters. Rita is miraculously rescued from a dangerous situation in
an underground parking lot by a security guard, and later learns that the
lot does not employ security guards. Katie and Ellen, after spending the
evening dancing with a pair of ethereal strangers, awaken the next morning
to find that they have been dancing for hours on the edge of a cliff. These
peculiar occurrences and others are set against the background of ordinary
teenage life in Back of Beyond. Ellis's rich narrative involves the successful
marriage of a mundane, everyday world to a mystical world of fairy lore
and magic.
SILVER BIRCH AWARD
(ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR THE BEST CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK, AS
CHOSEN BY ONTARIO STUDENTS, GRADES 4 TO 6.
1996 FICTION AWARD WINNER:
![BRINGING UP BEAUTY](91/7071-v2.gif) |
BRINGING UP BEAUTY
SYLVIA McNICOLL
DON MILLS, ONT.: MAXWELL MACMILLAN CANADA, 1994, 204 P.
ISBN
0029542561 (BOUND)
002954257X (PAPERBACK)
AGES 11 TO 14
|
When Elizabeth Kerr's mother persuades the family to foster Beauty, a puppy
going into guide-dog training, it begins as just another one of her family
projects. But after Beauty's arrival in early September, most of the responsibility
for her becomes Elizabeth's. Beauty causes lots of problems but she is
always there for Elizabeth: when her father is downsized, when her sister
Debra moves out, and when Elizabeth finds her first boyfriend and loses
her best friend. The constant support helps Elizabeth through her 13th
year, but eventually Beauty must leave.... This is a funny, fast-paced
account of contemporary family life.
1996 FICTION AWARD WINNER:
![STARS](91/7083-v2.gif) |
STARS
ERIC WALTERS
TORONTO: STODDART, 1996, 315 P.
ISBN 0773674470 (PAPERBACK)
AGES
11 TO 14
|
Stealing cars and outwitting the cops is a way of life for Joseph, a street-smart,
wisecracking 14-year-old. When a high-speed car chase lands him in the
hospital, he meets Gord, a kindly and dedicated social worker who recruits
him for a program called STARS (Striving Through Adventure to Develop Responsibility
and Success). Together with a group of boys facing similar problems, Joseph
reluctantly heads to Northern Ontario for the six-week survival program.
His first impulse is to ditch these "losers", and get back to the city.
But as he overcomes the challenges of the landscape and learns to rely
on others, Joseph's cynicism and hard edges gradually give way. A fast-paced
and exhilarating adventure story, STARS also conveys an important message
about the survival of the spirit.
SILVER BIRCH AWARD
(ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR THE BEST CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK, AS
CHOSEN BY ONTARIO STUDENTS, GRADES 4 TO 6.
1996 NON-FICTION AWARD WINNER:
A young, pure-hearted girl repeatedly outsmarts the malevolent demons which
haunt the dreams of the villagers in an ancient Japanese fishing community.
Shõ teaches the village children how to play with their bad dreams and
to expose them to the light of day. When one child draws pictures of his
dreams and attaches them to a long string, the other villagers are hypnotised
by this vision of light and colour floating in the sky. So begins a long
tradition of kites and kite festivals around the world. Pages bordered
in gold bands, an unusual typeface, and gorgeous multi-coloured illustrations
create an almost mystical feeling which adds to the book's appeal.
1997 NON-FICTION AWARD WINNER:
![ON BOARD THE TITANIC: WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN THE GREAT LINER SANK](91/7085-v2.gif) |
ON BOARD THE TITANIC: WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN THE GREAT LINER SANK
SHELLEY TANAKA
ILLUSTRATIONS: KEN MARSCHALL
RICHMOND HILL, ONT.: SCHOLASTIC CANADA, 1996, 48 P.
(I WAS THERE)
ISBN 0590248944 (BOUND)
0590248952 (PAPERBACK)
AGES
8 TO 12
|
Seen through the eyes of 17-year-old Jack Thayer and 22-year-old Harold
Bride, this book describes the excitement surrounding the maiden voyage
of the magnificent Titanic and recounts the tragic events leading to its
disastrous demise. Jack, a carefree first-class passenger, spends the first
four days exploring the ship from top to bottom. Harold, a junior wireless
operator, spends his hours in the ship's tiny radio room. Their stories
offer the reader two ways of looking at the luxurious ocean liner, but
their differences pale on that fateful night when they meet on an overturned
lifeboat in the icy Atlantic. This compelling account is brought alive
through crisp narrative, believable dialogue, and stunning illustrative
material.
VICKY METCALF AWARD
(CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION)
FOR AN AUTHOR'S BODY OF WORK (WITH APPEAL
TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS, 7 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE).
1996 WINNER:
![MARGARET BUFFIE](91/7086-v2.gif) |
MARGARET BUFFIE
|
A native of Winnipeg and former teacher, Margaret Buffie won the Young
Adult Canadian Book Award for her first book Who is Frances Rain? in 1988.
She holds a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba, has worked
as a freelance illustrator, and has always enjoyed reading and writing.
When her daughter became a teenager, Buffie was intrigued by the wonderful
material written for that age group and embarked on a writing career in
the area of children's and young-adult literature. The supernatural is
often featured in her novels. Many of her characters are searching for
a sense of place or self; she answers this quest with magic and forces
from the past. She describes herself as driven by her writing and gets
emotionally involved with the characters she creates. Among the books she
has written are: The Guardian Circle, My Mother's Ghost, and The Dark Garden.
1997 WINNER:
Tim Wynne-Jones was born in England, grew up in British Columbia and Ontario,
and studied at the University of Waterloo and York University. His writing
career began when he won the $50 000 Seal First Novel Award for Odd's End
in 1979. Since then he has written picture books, short stories, and novels
for children and adults, numerous radio dramas, a children's musical, an
opera libretto, and songs for the television program, "Fraggle Rock". He
has often been honoured with literary awards. For Some of the Kinder Planets
he received the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature
in English, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children
Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, an American award which recognizes
outstanding fiction. Other books written by Tim Wynne-Jones include The
Maestro, The Book of Changes, and the Zoom trilogy, illustrated by Eric
Beddows.
YOUNG ADULT CANADIAN BOOK AWARD
(CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION)
FOR BEST BOOK.
1996 WINNER:
On a beautiful spring day, hopeful, wary Burl Crow follows his abusive
father through the verdant undergrowth of Northern Ontario. In a scene
fraught with the potential for violence, the two characters are interrupted
by an unexpected and wondrous sight. A grand piano hanging from a low-flying
helicopter appears in the hot blue May sky and sets the tone for the rest
of the novel. Burl's flight from home, his encounters with a world-famous
pianist and others, his search for independence and self-realization are
described with lyrical, fast-paced sensibility in this novel which celebrates
the optimism and potential of youth.
1997 WINNER:
![TAKES: STORIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS](91/7089-v2.gif) |
TAKES: STORIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
EDITED BY R.P. MacINTYRE
SASKATOON: THISTLEDOWN PRESS, 1996, 150 P.
ISBN
1895449545
AGES 15 AND UP
|
Chosen mainly because of strong writing and surprising plot twists, each
of the 14 short stories in R.P. MacIntyre's collection describes the "take"
of a young protagonist on a particularly troublesome or painful experience.
In the preface, MacIntyre says that "the world is made of a billion takes.
Unlike pictures, they are never locked in space only in time, from which
they have been snatched." One of the stronger works in the collection is
"The Initiation" by Megan K. Williams, which describes a young girl's attempt
to fit into a mean-spirited school clique, and her eventual realization
that the others consider her as much of a joke as the homely girl the others
flout.
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