The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has announced the finalists for its annual literary awards. Authors and illustrators whose books exemplify the best in Canadian children’s literature published the previous year are nominated in eight categories.

The shortlists are as follows:

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($30,000)

• Marie-Louise Gay, Any Questions? (Groundwood Books)
• Margriet Ruurs; Katherine Gibson, illus.; A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison (Pajama Press)
• Hugh Brewster, From Vimy to Victory: Canada’s Fight to Finish in World War I (Scholastic Canada)
• Christine Baldacchino; Isabelle Malenfant, illus.; Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress (Groundwood)
• Jonathan Auxier, The Night Gardener (Puffin Canada)

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000)

• Roy and Slavia Miki; Julie Flett, illus.; Dolphin SOS (Tradewind Books)
• Laurel Croza; Matt James, illus.; From There to Here (Groundwood)
• Eric Walters; Eugenie Fernandes, illus.; Hope Springs (Tundra Books)
• Christine Baldacchino; Isabelle Malenfant, illus.; Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress (Groundwood)
• Ashley Spires, The Most Magnificent Thing (Kids Can Press)
• Cybèle Young, Nancy Knows (Tundra)

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction ($10,000)

• Hugh Brewster, From Vimy to Victory: Canada’s Fight to Finish in World War I (Scholastic Canada)
• David J. Smith; Steve Adams, illus.; If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers (Kids Can)
• Larry Loyie, Wayne K. Spear, and Constance Brissenden; Residential Schools, With the Words and Images of Survivors: A National History (Indigenous Education Press)
• Sarah Elton; Jeff Kulak, illus.; Starting from Scratch: What You Should Know about Food and Cooking (Owlkids Books)
• Kira Vermond; Julie McLaughlin, illus.; Why We Live Where We Live (Owlkids)

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000)

• Patrick Bowman, Arrow Through the Axes: Odyssey of a Slave Book Three (Ronsdale Press)
• Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Dance of the Banished (Pajama Press)
• Caroline Pignat, The Gospel Truth (Red Deer Press)
• Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Underground Soldier (Scholastic Canada)
• Caroline Pignat, Unspeakable (Razorbill Canada)

John Spray Mystery Award ($5,000)

• Norah McClintock, About That Night (Orca Book Publishers)
• Sigmund Brouwer, Dead Man’s Switch (Harvest House Publishers)
• William Bell, Julian (Doubleday Canada)
• Cary Fagan, The Show to End All Shows: Master Melville’s Medicine Show Book Two (Puffin Canada)
• S. J. Laidlaw, The Voice Inside My Head (Tundra)

Monica Hughes Award for Science-fiction and Fantasy ($5,000)

• Kenneth Oppel, The Boundless (HarperCollins Canada)
• Matthew Jobin, The Nethergrim (Philomel Books)
• Jonathan Auxier, The Night Gardener (Puffin Canada)
• Kelley Armstrong, Sea of Shadows (Doubleday Canada)
• E.K. Johnston, The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim (Carolrhoda Books)

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000)

• Laura Langston, The Art of Getting Stared At (Razorbill Canada)
• Robert Paul Weston, Blues for Zoey (Razorbill Canada)
• Jeyn Roberts, The Bodies We Wear (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
• Caroline Pignat, The Gospel Truth (Red Deer Press)
• Marthe Jocelyn, What We Hide (Tundra)

Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeaunesse ($30,000)

• Marianne Dubuc, L’autobus (Comme des géants)
• Andrée Poulin; Isabelle Malenfant, illus.; Pablo troube un trésor (Éditions Les 400 coups)
• Agnès Grimaud, Papillons de l’ombre (Dominique et compagnie)
• Mireille Levert, Quand j’écris avec mon couer (Éditions de la Bagnole)
• André Marois; Patrick Doyon, illus.; Le voleur de sandwichs (Éditions de la Pastèque)

The winners will be announced at gala events in Montreal on Nov. 10 (French-language) and Toronto on Nov. 18 (English-language). A ninth award, a fan choice award in partnership with CBC Books and Radio-Canada, will also be presented for one English-language and one French-language title. Readers can vote at CBCBooks.ca from Oct. 1—30.