Established in 2001, the
Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice (SYRCA) awards, the
Willow Awards,
encourage reading by nominating a variety of Canadian titles in three
categories. Young readers can participate in the reading programs
through their schools and public libraries, selecting their favourite
from one list. The
Willow Awards are truly conferred according the choices of Saskatchewan's young readers.
Just to make things complicated, these nominees are called the 2014 Willow Awards nominees because they are announced in 2014. However, young readers will actually be participating in 2014 and 2015 and voting for their favourites in
February 2015. So I call them the 2014/2015 awards since that designation covers the whole time from nomination to award.
The
nominated titles for the three
Willow Awards i.e.,
Shining Willow,
Diamond Willow and
Snow Willow are detailed below.
For those books written for youngest readers, those in Kindergarten to Gr. 3
The 2014/2015 Shining Willow nominees are:
In The Tree House
Written by Andrew Larsen
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Kids Can Press
2013
Kamik an Inuit Puppy Story
by Donald Uluadluak
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Inhabit Media
2012
Kenta and the Big Wave
by Ruth Ohi
Annick Press
2013
Larf
by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
2012
The Man with the Violin
by Kathy Stinson
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Annick Press
2013
Mr. King's Castle
by Geneviève Côté
Kids Can Press
2013
Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That
by Victoria Allenby
Illustrated by Tara Anderson
Pajama Press
2013
On a Snowy Night
by Jean Little
Illustrated by Brian Deines
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
2013
The Road to Afghanistan
by Linda Granfield
Illustrated by Brian Deines
North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada
2013
When I Get Older: The Story behind "Wavin' Flag"
by K'NAAN and Sol Guy
Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
Tundra Books
2013
For those books written for readers of Gr. 4 to 6
The 2014/2015 Diamond Willow nominees are:
Day of the Cyclone
by Penny Draper
Coteau Books
2012
Earth Friendly Buildings, Bridges and More: The Eco Journal of Corry Lapont
by Etta Kaner
Illustrated by Stephen MacEachern
Kids Can Press
2012
The Further Adventures of Jack Lime
by James Leck
Kids Can Press
2013
The Grave Robber's Apprentice
by Allan Stratton
HarperCollins Canada
2012
Mimi Power and the I-Don't-Know-What
by Victoria Miles
Tradewind Books
2012
Molly's Promise
by Sylvia Olsen
Orca Book Publishers
2013
The Path of Names
by Ari Goelman
Scholastic Canada
2013
Pieces of the Past: The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1948
by Carol Matas
Scholastic Canada
2013
A Taste of Heaven
by Meg Tilly
Puffin / Penguin Canada
2013
Ultra
by David Carroll
Scholastic Canada
2013
For those books written for readers in Gr. 7 to 9
The 2014/2015 Snow Willow nominees are:
Behind Enemy Lines: World War II, Sam Frederiksen, Nazi-Occupied Europe, 1944
by Carol Matas
Scholastic Canada
2012
Counting Back from Nine
by Valerie Sherrard
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
2013
The Gypsy King
by Maureen Fergus
Razorbill
2012
Home Ice Advantage
by Tom Earle
HarperCollins Canada
2013
An Infidel in Paradise
by S. J. Laidlaw
Tundra Books
2013
Live to Tell
by Lisa Harrington
Dancing Cat Books
2012
Night Terrors
by Sean Rodman
Orca Book Publishers
2013
Nix Minus One
by Jill MacLean
Pajama Press
2013
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
by Teresa Toten
Doubleday Canada
2013
Yesterday's Dead
by Pat Bourke
Second Story Press
2012
It
may be a long...g...g...g way off, and we still have to see who wins
this year's 2013 Willow Awards but we do look forward to the announcement of
the winners at the end of next April (2015) at the SaskEnergy Willow Awards Gala 2015. Good luck to all nominees!
