2025 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards Finalists

August 29, 2025August 28, 2025 | Tasha

The finalists for the 2025 CCBC Book Awards have been announced. The awards recognize exceptional books for young people. Winners will be announced on October 27. Here are the shortlisted titles:

Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award

Hummingbird / Aamo-binashee by Jennifer Leason (available in US)

I Wonder about Worlds: Discovering Planets and Exoplanets by James Gladstone, illustrated by Yaara Eshet (available in US)

Mighty Scared: The Amazing Ways Animals Defend Themselves by Erin Silver, illustrated by Hayden Maynard (available in US)

A Song for the Paper Children by Christopher Tse

Two Pieces of Chocolate by Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard (available in US)

Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution by S. K. Ali (available in US)

The Headmasters by Mark Morton (available in US)

Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli (available in US)

Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities by Casey Lyall (available in US)

Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek (available in US)

Jean Little First Novel Award

Alterations by Ray Xu (available in US)

Maya Plays the Part by Calyssa Erb (available in US)

Teddy vs. the Fuzzy Doom: Secrets of Ravensbarrow by Braden Hallett (available in US)

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award

Age 16 by Rosena Fung (available in US)

And Then There Was Us by Kern Carter (available in US)

A Constellation of Minor Bears by Jen Ferguson (available in US)

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution by S.K. Ali (available in US)

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga (available in US)

The Lightning Cycle by Vikki VanSickle, illustrated by Laura K. Watson

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

Age 16 by Rosena Fung (available in US)

Eyes on the Ice by Anna Rosner (available in US)

The Go-Between by Jennifer Maruno (available in US)

Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams by Shari Green (available in US)

Wings to Soar by Tina Athaide (available in US)

Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction

All Consuming: Shop Smarter for the Planet by Erin Silver, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa (available in US)

The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey by Chad Soon and George Chiang, illustrated by Amy Qi (available in US)

Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival by Trina Rathgeber, illustrated by Alina Pete, colors by Jillian Dolan (available in US)

Meet Jim Egan by Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas

You Can Be an Activist: How to Use Your Strengths & Passions to Make a Difference by Charlene Rocha and Mary Beth Leatherdale, illustrated by Drew Shannon (available in US)

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

A Face Is a Poem by Julie Morstad (available in US)

I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf by Danielle Daniel, illustrated by Matt James (available in US)

It Bears Repeating by Tanya Tagaq and Cee Pootoogook (available in US)

Mad at Dad by Janie Hao (available in US)

SOS Water by Yayo (available in US)

2025 Kirkus Prize Finalists

August 28, 2025 | Tasha

The finalists for the 2025 Kirkus Prize have been announced. Awards are given in three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction and Young Readers’ Literature. Winners receive $50,000 each. Here are the finalists in the Young Readers’ Literature category which is divided into subcategories with two finalists in each:

PICTURE BOOKS

Everybelly by Thao Lam

Island Storm by Brian Floca, illustrated by Sydney Smith

MIDDLE GRADE

The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes

John the Skeleton by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, trans. by Adam Cullen

YOUNG ADULT

Butterfly Heart by Moa Backe Åstot, trans. by Agnes Broomé

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming

Children’s Book Council of Australia 2025 Book of the Year Awards

August 20, 2025August 18, 2025 | Tasha

The winners of the 2025 Book of the Year Awards have been announced by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Here are the winners and honor books for each category:

OLDER READERS WINNER

I’m Not Really Here by Gary Lonesborough (releasing in US in March 2026)

OLDER READER HONOR BOOKS

Birdy by Sharon Kernot

Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough

YOUNGER READERS WINNER

Laughter Is the Best Ending by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks

YOUNGER READERS HONOR BOOKS

Aggie Flea Steals the Show by Tania Ingram, illustrated by A. Yi

Fluff: Mess Up! by Matt Stanton

EARLY CHILDHOOD WINNER

The Wobbly Bike by Darren McCallum, illustrated by Craig Smith

EARLY CHILDHOOD HONOR BOOKS

How to Move a Zoo by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Owen Swan (available in US)

One Little Dung Beetle by Rhiân Williams, illustrated by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson

PICTURE BOOK WINNER

The Truck Cat illustrated by Danny Snell, text by Deborah Frenkel (available in US)

PICTURE BOOK HONOR BOOKS

Afloat illustrated by Freya Blackwood, text by Kirli Saunders (available in US)

These Long-Loved Things illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh, text by Josh Pyke

WINNER OF THE EVE POWNALL AWARD FOR INFORMATION BOOKS

Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson

HONOR BOOKS

Making the Shrine: Stories from Victoria’s War Memorial by Laura J. Carroll

South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin

NEW ILLUSTRATOR AWARD WINNER

Grow Big, Little Seed illustrated by Sarah Capon, text by Bec Nanayakkara (available in US)

CBC Kids Reads 2025 Longlist

August 18, 2025August 15, 2025 | Tasha

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has announced the Kids Reads 2025 Longlist. The 15 picture books in the longlist will be shortened to five books that will compete to win. The shortlist will be announced on September 17 and the winner announced on October 4. Here are the longlisted books:

Benny and the Bananasaurus Rex by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Cone Dog by Sarah Howden, illustrated by Carmen Mok

Getting Glam at Gram’s by Sara Weed, illustrated by Erin Hawryluk

The Hockey Skates by Karl Subban, illustrated by Maggie Zeng

How to Staycation Like a Snail by Naseem Hrab, illustrated by Kelly Collier

I Am a Rock by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, illustrated by Pelin Turgut

The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Claudine Crangle

Mad at Dad by Janie Hao

The Mango Monster by Derek Mascarenhas, illustrated by Meneka Repka

Oh! Look, a Boat! by Andrew J. Ross

The Only Lonely Fairy by Lana Button, illustrated by Peggy Collins

Shark Girl by Kate Beaton

So Loud! by Sahar Golshan, illustrated by Shiva Delsooz

When You Can Swim by Jack Wong

When You Meet a Dragon by Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Udayana Lugo

2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Shortlists

August 15, 2025 | Tasha

Creative Australia has announced the shortlists for the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. The awards “acknowledge the contribution of Australian literature to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life.” Winners will be announced on September 29th. Here are the shortlists for the juvenile categories:g

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE SHORTLIST

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t) by Briony Stewart

A Leaf Called Greaf by Kelly Canby

Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas (releasing in February 2026 in US)

Raymaŋgirrbuy dhäwu When I was a little girl by Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr

We Live in a Bus by Dave Petzold (releasing in April 2026 in US)

YOUNG ADULT SHORTLIST

Anomaly by Emma Lord (available as ebook in US)

The Anti-Racism Kit by Sabina Patawaran and Jinyoung Kim (available in US)

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland (available in US)

My Family and Other Suspects by Kate Emery

Thunderhead by Sophie Beer

2025 Harvey Award Nominees

August 14, 2025 | Tasha

The nominees for the 2025 Harvey Awards have been announced. These awards recognize the best in comics in the previous year in a variety of categories. Here are the nominees in the juvenile categories:

BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud

Chickenpox by Remy Lai

Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner

Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia & Brittney Williams

Song for You and I by Kay O’Neil

Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr, Jess Wibowo, & Cin Wibowo

BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang

How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger

Navigating with You by Jeremy Whitley, Cassio Ribeiro & Nikki Foxrobot

Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries

2025 Wainwright Prize Shortlists

August 7, 2025August 6, 2025 | Tasha

The 2025 shortlists for the Wainwright Prizes have been announced. The UK awards encompass both adult and juvenile titles that celebrate nature, conservation and environmental writing. In 2025, the awards expanded, particularly in children’s publishing. Here are the shortlists for the juvenile categories:

THE CHILDREN’S WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR FICTION

Ettie and the Midnight Pool by Julie Green, illustrated by Pam Smy

Ghostlines by Katya Balen

Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit, illustrated by David Dean

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold

Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto (available in US)

Wildlands by Brogen Murphy

THE CHILDREN’S WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

Cloudspotting for Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney and William Grill (available in US)

Hamza’s Wild World by Hamza Yassin

Look What I Found by the River by Moira Butterfield and Jesus Verona

Mega: The Most Enormous Animals Ever by Jules Howard, illustrated by Gavin Scott (available in US)

Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare, illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti

Wildlife in the Balance by Dr. Sharon Wismer and Terri Po (available in US)

THE CHILDREN’S WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR PICTURE BOOKS

Bothered by Bugs by Emily Gravett (releasing in US in March 2026)

Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield, illustrated by Hoang Giang

Frog: A Story of Life on Earth by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Daniel Egneus (releasing in US in January 2026)

Herd by Stephen Hogtun

Leave the Trees Please by Benjamin Zephaniah, illustrated by Melissa Castrillon (releasing in US in February 2026)

The Wild by Yuval Zommer (available in US)

The World to Come by Robert MacFarlane and Johnny Flynn, illustrated by Emily Sutton

Lambda Literary Award Finalists

July 31, 2025July 30, 2025 | Tasha

The finalists have been announced in a wide-range of categories for these annual LGBTQIA+ awards featuring titles from 2024. You can check out the full list on the Lambda Literary site. Here are the finalists in the juvenile categories:

LGBTQ+ CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Glenn Burke, Game Changer by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien

Harper Becomes a Big Sister by Seamus Kirst

Jacob’s Missing Book by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan

Love of the Half-Eaten Peach by Lee Wind, illustrated by Jieting Chen

LGBTQ+ MIDDLE GRADE

Mallory in Full Color by Elisa Stone Leahy

Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy

Noah Frye Gets Crushed by Maggie Horn

Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp

Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans

LGBTQ+ YOUNG ADULT

The Feast Makers by H. A. Clarke

Icarus by K. Ancrum

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield

2025 Eisner Awards

July 29, 2025July 28, 2025 | Tasha

The 2025 Eisner Awards have been announced. These awards are the biggest in the comic industry and are announced every year at Comic-Con. The biggest winner this year was delightfully a teen graphic novel: Lunar New Year Love Story that won 3 of the awards, including overall Best Writer. Here are the youth finalists and winners:

BEST PUBLICATION FOR EARLY READERS

WINNER