Grade 4 students awarded the children’s picture book prize to The Night Walker written by Richard Thompson, illustrated by Martin Springett. The author and illustrator each received $3,000. Author Deborah Ellis received $4,000 for her book Parvana’s Journey, the winner of the young adult/middle reader book category.
This national award ó one for a children’s picture book and one for a young adult/middle reader book ó recognizes authors and illustrators from across Canada who demonstrate artistic excellence in children’s literature.
Five students in grade 4 chose The Night Walker as the best picture book because it was ìpartly a mystery and partly funny.î One student said of the illustrations that it was ìas though the illustrator had read the author’s mind.î Five students in grades 6 chose Parvana’s Journey, the sequel to The Breadwinner, as the best young adult/middle reader book, saying that it ìshows compassionî and ìmade us think we should be happy with what we have.î
At the Rose Avenue Public School event, The Ruth Schwartz Foundation also presented complete sets of the 38 winning Ruth Schwartz books to the principals of nine downtown Toronto schools and Bobcaygeon Public School.
The Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award was established in 1976 by Sylvia Schwartz in honour of her sister, the late Ruth Schwartz, a respected Toronto bookseller. Each year, the Ontario Arts Council selects an Ontario school to provide the juries for the prizes. The administration of this award is shared by the Ontario Arts Council, which selects the juries, the Ontario Arts Council Foundation, and the Canadian Booksellers Association, whose members select the short list of books.
OAC Media Contact: Kirsten Gunter, Manager of Communications
Tel: (416) 969-7403. Toll-free outside of Toronto: 1-800-387-0058, ext. 7403.
E-mail: kgunter@arts.on.ca