Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards Reveal 2020 Shortlists

Shortlists have been announced for this year's Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards.

Announced by the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Foundation via a press release yesterday, the shortlist is divided into the two categories of Children's Picture Book and Young Adult/Middle Reader. Shortlisted nominees for the Children's Picture Book category include Nicole Testa's Lili Macaroni (Pajama Press) and Darren Lebeuf's My Forest Is Green (Kids Can Press). In the Young Adult/Middle Reader category, Craig Battle's Camp Average (Owlkids) and Kyo Maclear's Operatic (Groundwood) were among the books nominated.

Winners will be selected by two student juries from Canada's National Ballet School and are expected to be announced July 2020.

Read below for a full list of nominees:

Children's Picture Book

Ashley Spires - Fairy Science (Tundra Books)

Nadia Sammurtok (illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko) - In My Anaana's Amautik (Inhabit Media, Inc.)

Nicole Testa (illustrated by Annie Boulanger) - Lili Macaroni (Pajama Press)

Darren Lebeuf (illustrated by Ashley Barron) - My Forest Is Green (Kids Can Press)

Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula (illustrated by Charlene Chua) - The Pencil (Inhabit Media, Inc.)

Young Adult/Middle Reader

Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer - Broken Strings (Puffin Canada)

Craig Battle - Camp Average (Owlkids)

Kyo Maclear (illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler) - Operatic (Groundwood)

Kelley Armstrong - A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying (Puffin Canada)

Erin Bow - Stand on the Sky (Scholastic Canada Ltd.)

Established in 1976 by Sylvia Schwartz in memory of her sister and notable Toronto bookseller, Ruth Schwartz, the family renamed the award to honour both women in 2004.

To learn more about the awards and see a list of past laureates, visit the Ontario Arts Council website.