The spring is always an exciting season for children's booksłwe'll be hearing lots of news of the major Canadian children's literature awards including the Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award, the Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children and their Young Adult Book Award, the Silver Birch Award and the Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. The prestigious Hans Christian Anderson Awards were both won this year by the Britsłauthor Aidan Chambers and illustrator Quentin Blake. Philip Pullman won the Whitbread Book Prize, the first children's book writer to do so. As well, we're seeing the release of some fabulous new books. We'll be showcasing some of the best and the brightest in the next two issues of Books in Canada so watch for great reading for your young readers.
Jeffrey Canton, Editor, Children's Book section
