Marianne Dubuc and Susan Nielsen Win 40th Anniversary Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards

On June 22, the Ontario Arts Council and Ontario Arts Foundation announced the winners of the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards. 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of the awards, which honour excellence in English-language writing for young readers.

At an event at Toronto’s Scarborough Village Alternative Public School, Marianne Dubuc and Susin Nielsen were honoured as the Children's Picture Book Award and Young Adult/Middle Reader Award winners, respectively.

The prizes are unique in that the winners are selected by juries of young readers, in grades three and four for the Children's Picture Book Award, and in grades seven and eight for the Young Adult/Middle Reader Award.

Dubuc was honoured for her acclaimed picture book Mr. Postmouse's Rounds (Kids Can Press), while Nielsen prize was in recognition of We Are All Made of Molecules (Tundra Books), about which one young juror enthused: “I can imagine myself reading this book a million more times. It has the best ending ever!”

Each award comes with a $6,000 prize purse. The prizes were original established in 1976 by Sylvia Schwartz in memory of her sister, Ruth, a popular Toronto bookseller. In 2004, the Schwartz family re-named the award to honour both sisters. The Ruth Schwartz Foundation funds the awards, which are administered through the Ontario Arts Foundation with the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

For more from Marianne Dubuc, check out our In Character interview with her, where Dubuc tells us all about creating the character of Mr. Postmouse.