Submitted by Jenny White-Elementary students in island schools are gearing up to participate in this year's Red Cedar Book Awards. The purpose of the program is to encourage children to read, to develop children's ability to judge the quality of published works, and to create an awareness of the works of Canadian authors and illustrators.
The four island elementary schools are registered in this year's contest. Each school library has a set of the fiction titles and will encourage students to participate. The Vancouver Island Regional Library is also supporting the Red Cedar Book Awards and suggests students either request the books or look for the books to be available on site.
Students from Grade 4 to 7 have from now until Canada Book Day (April 23) to read as many of the nominated fiction or non-fiction books as possible. The goal is to read at least five of the nominated books before voting day. Some families and classrooms are reading aloud one or more of the selected titles.
The nominated fictions titles are as follows:
Summer of Changes by Ann Alma, The Gramma War by Kristin Butcher, Girls' Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers edited by Sarah Ellis, A Prairie as Wide as the Sea (Dear Canada) by Sarah Ellis, Flying Geese by Barbara Haworth-Attard Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath, Lord of the Nutcracker Men by Iain Lawrence Orphan at my Door (Dear Canada) by Jean Little, Of Mice and Nutcrackers by Richard Scrimger, If I Just Had Two Wings by Virginia Frances Schwartz, Dust by Arthur Slade (HarperCollins), Northern Exposures by Eric Walters, Boys' Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers edited by Tim Wynne-Jones, Wishing Star Summer by Beryl Young
After the votes are counted the society holds a ceremony to announce the winners. This year's ceremony will be held May 15 in Vancouver. Many authors will be present at we hope to send a student and librarian from Haida Gwaii to represent the readers of these islands.
Check the book list and encourage your young readers to read the Red Cedar Award nominated books.