Yellow Cedar Award

Too Young To Escape published by Pajama Press won the inaugural Yellow Cedar award last year. This is the newest Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading readers’ choice award, where the kids do the voting. Usually the award itself is framed student artwork and is presented on stage with all the nominees on the stage. Last year it was all done virtually. Isn’t it awesome that we’re on the verge of doing this sort of thing in person again? Thanks,Meredith Gilbert Tutching for your dedication and flexibility in daunting times!

Two awards in one week!

My favourite awards are readers’ choice awards because it means actual kids are enjoying one’s books. This was a humbling week when Too Young to Escape won TWO of these awards, voted by the kids themselves. The Red Cedar is an BC information book award. Here’s a video about my wonderful fellow nominees’ books.

The Yellow Cedar Award is part of the Ontario Library Association’s hugely popular Forest of Reading program. This is the first year for the Yellow Cedar and it combines two previous awards: the Silver Birch for non-fiction and the Red Maple for non-fiction. Watch the award ceremony here.