All the Awards | 2021 Edition

Despite ongoing impacts to book launches and live events, CWILLers had another amazing year on the awards circuit in 2021.

We hope this list of notable and award-winning children’s books by BC authors and illustrators is helpful for teachers, librarians, and book lovers. You can also browse collections of BC books for kids by new release year, awards, set-in-BC/Canada, age range, and more on our Pinterest board.

2021 nominations, shortlists, and wins are listed in alphabetical order below.

Angela Ahn

Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field (Tundra Books, 2021)

Nominated for the Silver Birch Fiction Award® (Grades 5-6, fiction) in Forest of Reading

Finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Awards

Linda Bailey

Winner of the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, given annually to the author of an exceptional body of work

Visit her website for more.

Sara Cassidy

Nevers (Orca Book Publishers, 2019)

Nominated for the 2021 Rocky Mountain Book Award.

Genius Jolene (Orca Book Publishers, 2020)

Nominated for the 2021 Silver Birch Express Award

Winner of the 2021 Sheila A. Egofff Children’s Literature Prize

Rachelle Delaney

Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster (Puffin Canada, 2021)

Nominated for the Silver Birch Express Award® (Grades 3-4, fiction, non-fiction) in Forest of Reading

Ann Erikkson

Bird’s-Eye View: Keeping Wild Birds in Flight (Orca Book Publishers, 2020)

Shortlisted for the 2021 Information Book Award

Shortlisted for the 2019/2020 Lane Anderson Award

Recommended Reading for the 2021 Green Earth Book Award

Leslie Gentile

Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer (DCB Young Readers, 2021)

Winner of the 2021 City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize

Finalist for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Book Award

Nominated in the 2022 Forest of Reading – Silver Birch Award (grade 5-6, fiction)

Eileen Holland

Sophie Trophy (Crwth Press, 2021)

Honour book finalist in the Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s Book Awards

Winner of the 2021 Chocolate Lily Book Award (chapter books)

Sarah Leach

Duck Days (Pajama Press, 2020)

Nominated for the Silver Birch Express Award® (Grades 3-4, fiction, non-fiction) in Forest of Reading

Tanya Lloyd Kyi

This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes (Kids Can Press, 2020)

Nominated for Yellow Cedar Award Nominees (Grades 5-8, non-fiction) in Forest of Reading

Mya’s Strategy to Save the World (Puffin Canada, 2020)

Honour book finalist in the Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s Book Awards

Gina McMurchy-Barber

The Jigsaw Puzzle King (Dundurn PRess, 2020)

Shortlisted for the 2022 Chocolate Lily Award

Shortlisted for the 2022 Diamond Willow Award

Nominated for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Book Award

Winner of the 2021 Silver Birch Fiction Award

Susin Nielsen

Tremendous Things (Penguin Teen, 2021)

Nominated for the 2022 Red Maple Award (Grades 7-8, fiction) in Forest of Reading

Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl (Tundra Books, 2019)

Honour book finalist in the Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s Book Awards

Cynthia Nugent

Kiddo (Tradewind Books, 2019)

Honour book finalist in the Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s Book Awards

Kari Rust

The House at the End of the Road (Owlkids, 2019)

Shortlisted for a 2020/2021 Chocolate Lily Award

Ellen Schwartz

The Princess Dolls (Tradewind Books, 2018)

Winner of the 2021 Diamond Foundation Prize for Children/Youth Literature as part of the Western Canada Jewish Book Awards

Zoe Si

The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe (Owlkids, 2021)

Nominated for Blue Spruce Award™ (JK-Grade 2, picture books) in Forest of Reading

Tiffany Stone

Knot Cannot (Dial Books, 2020)

2021 Gryphon Honor Book

K.A. Wiggins

Winner of the Literary Arts category in the Abbotsford Arts Council’s 2021 Arty Awards

Visit her website for more.