Canadian YA author Nafiza Azad among winners of the 2023 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards
Author Jen Lynn Bailey and illustrator Maggie Zeng won the Children’s Picture Book Award category.
Nafiza Azad's young adult fantasy Road of the Lost and the picture book This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey and illustrator Maggie Zeng are the 2023 winners of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards.
Annually, the awards have recognized excellence in writing and illustration in English-language Canadian children's literature. The winners in both categories will each receive $6,000.
Road of the Lost won the Young Adult/Middle Reader Award.
The novel follows Croi who has spent most of her life believing she is a brownie from the Wilde Forest. When she learns about the Otherworld and the mythical beings there, she is suddenly summoned on a journey of self-discovery. As she ventures deeper into the world of the Higher Fae, Croi is faced with her inner magic and the challenges which inevitably come with them.
"The main character, Croi, is just like us. She is at a time in her life when everything is changing and she starts to feel insecure," said the student jurors in a statement to the Ontario Arts Council, "Then, she learns to be strong and to stand up for what she believes in."
Nafiza Azad is a writer from Lautoka, Fiji, living in British Columbia. She is the author of The Candle and the Flame, which was nominated for the William C. Morris Award and The Wild Ones.
This is the Boat that Ben Built received the Children's Picture Book Award.
This debut picture book talks about ecology and diverse river species through the lighthearted journey of Ben. Written in-verse, the book follows Ben as he explores a river and meets animals like bears, birds and fish. The author also included fun facts about each animals after Ben's adventure.
"It inspires me to know that we share a common playfulness, sense of wonder, and desire to explore interconnections in our natural world, and encourages me to keep exploring these things in my writing," said author Jen Lynn Bailey in a statement to the Ontario Arts Council.
Jen Lynn Bailey is a writer and has worked as a wildlife researcher and elementary school teacher. She is currently based in Ottawa.
Maggie Zeng is an illustrator and animator from Montreal. This is the Boat that Ben Built was her first picture book.
The winners were selected by student juries from Jesse Ketchum Junior and Senior Public School in Toronto. The picture book winner was selected by five students in Grade 4, and the winner of the young adult and middle-grade award was selected by five Grade 7 and 8 students.
Sylvia Schwartz established the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards in 1976 in memory of her sister, Ruth, a respected Toronto bookseller. In 2004, the family renamed the awards to honour both sisters.
Last year's winners were Nicole Testa and illustrator Annie Boulanger for Lili Macaroni and Kelley Armstrong for A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying.
Past winners also include Kenneth Oppel, Susin Nielsen and Kathy Kacer.
