The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has announced the shortlists for their 2021 awards. This is the first year for the Jean Little First-Novel Award. Here are the shortlisted titles in each of the English-language categories:

TD CANADIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AWARD

The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson

A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye by Melanie Mosher

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel

When Emily Was Small by Lauren Soloy

MARILYN BAILLIE PICTURE BOOK AWARD

The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers

Golden Threads by Suzanne Del Rizzo, illustrated by Miki Sato

Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki

Swift Fox All Along by Rebecca Thomas, illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Weekend Dad by Naseem Hrab, illustrated by Frank Viva

NORMA FLECK AWARD FOR CANADIAN CHILDREN’S NONFICTION

111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl by Rina Singh, illustrated by Marianne Ferrer

Crows: Genius Birds (Science Comics) by Kyla Vanderklugt

The Eagle Mother by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson), illustrated by Natasha Donovan

Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane

This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science Is Tackling Unconscious Bias by Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Drew Shannon

GEOFFREY BILSON AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith

The Brushmaker’s Daughter by Kathy Kacer

Journal of a Travelling Girl by Nadine Neema, illustrated by Archie Beaverho

The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor

Under Amelia’s Wing by Heather Stemp

AMY MATHERS TEEN BOOK AWARD

Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe

Facing the Sun by Janice Lynn Mather

Followers by Raziel Reid

He Must Like You by Danielle Young-Ullman

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

JEAN LITTLE FIRST-NOVEL AWARD

Journal of a Travelling Girl by Nadine Neema, illustrated by Archie Beaverho

My Name Is Konisola by Alisa Siegel

No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen