www.canlitawards.com

The Blue Spruce is a provincial primary reading program developed by the Ontario Library Association. Originally designed for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, in 2007 the Blue Spruce Award and the Silver Birch Award were realigned. The Blue Spruce Award is now geared for students in Kindergarten to Grade 2, while the Silver Birch Award expanded to include students in Grade 3. Students read 10 nominated Canadian picture books and then vote for their favourite book. Based on the student voting across the province, the best picture book is then selected and the author/illustrator is honoured with the Blue Spruce Award. The official sponsor of the Blue Spruce Award reading program is S & B Books. The award was previously sponsored by National Book Service (NBS). TORONTO, ON --(May 14, 2010) Each year, thousands of children and young adults of all different ages and grades from across Ontario come together for the province’s largest annual children literary festival, the Festival of Trees ™, which took place this year on May 12th and 13th 2010 at Harbourfront Centre.

2010 BLUE SPRUCE

Blue Spruce Award (Kindergarten–Grade 2):
Jeremy Tankard, Boo Hoo Bird (Scholastic Canada Ltd.)

Blue Spruce
Honour Book #1 - Crocodiles Play! by Robert Heidbreder illustrated by Rae Maté
(Tradewind Books)
Honour Book #2 - The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (HarperCollinsCanada)

Le Prix Tamarack (French Language Initiative Program):
Sylviane Thibault, Haut les pattes, Twister! (Pierre Tisseyre)

Le Prix Tamarack (French Language Initiative Program):
Honour Book #1 - Le vrai de vrai journal de ma vie by Gilles Tibo (Imagine)
Honour Book #2 - Kila et le gerfaut blesse by Louise Simard (Trécarré)

Winners Blue Spruce 2002 to present

2009		Mélanie Watt, Chester. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2007.
2008		Mélanie Watt, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2007.
2007		Mélanie Watt, Scaredy Squirrel. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2006.
2006		George Elliott, The Boy Who Loved Bananas. Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2005.
2005		Robert Heidbreder, Drumheller Dinosaur Dance. Illustrated by Bill Slavin and Esperança Melo. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2004.
2004		Linda Bailey, Stanley’s Party. Illustrated by Bill Slavin. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2003.
2003		Matthew Napier, Z is for Zamboni. Illustrated by Melanie Rose. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2002.
2002		Valerie Coulman, When Pigs Fly. Illustrated by Rogé. Montreal: Lobster Press, 2001.

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