Prior to 2004, this award was known as the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award. It was established in 1976 by Sylvia Schwartz in honour of the late Ruth Schwartz, a respected Toronto bookseller. In 2004, the Schwartz family decided to rename the awards – the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards to honour Sylvia, a well-known photographer in Toronto from 1940s to the early 1960s, who specialized in children’s portraiture. This prize recognizes authors and illustrators who demonstrate artistic excellence in Canadian children’s literature.
Winning books are selected by juries of children from a public school in Ontario (juries alternate yearly between one public school in Toronto and a public school outside Toronto). In 2004 the prize money was doubled from $5,000 to $10,000. Students in grade 6 judge the young adult/middle reader book category. The winning author will receive a $5,000 prize. Students in grade 4 award the $5,000 children's picture book prize, which is shared between the author and illustrator. The winning book must have been published in Canada during the previous year and the author must be a Canadian citizen. The award is administered by the Ontario Arts Council Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canadian Booksellers' Association.
2010 Winners
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK |
YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE READER |
Chester's Back! |
Vanishing Girl: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Third Case |
| 2009 | Picture Book | Mélanie Watt, Chester's Back. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2008. |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | YA-Middle Reader | Alma Fullerton, Libertad. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008. |
| 2008 | Picture Book | Duncan Weller The Boy from the Sun. Vancouver: Simply Read Books, 2006. |
| 2008 | YA-Middle Reader | Kenneth Oppel Darkwing. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007. |
| 2007 | Picture Book | Mélanie Watt Scaredy Squirrel. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2006. |
| 2007 | YA-Middle Reader | Deborah Ellis I Am a Taxi. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2006. |
| 2006 | Picture Book | Marie-Louise Gay Caramba. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2005. |
| 2006 | YA-Middle Reader | Kenneth Oppel Skybreaker. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. |
| 2005 | Picture Book | Wallace Edwards Monkey Business. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2004. |
| 2005 | YA-Middle Reader | Kenneth Oppel Airborn. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 2004. |
| 2004 | Picture Book | Barbara Reid The Subway Mouse. Markham, ON: North Winds Press/Scholastic Canada, 2003. |
| 2004 | YA-Middle Reader | Brian Doyle Boy O’ Boy. Toronto: Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, 2003. |
| 2003 | Picture Book | Richard Thompson (Author) and Martin Springett (Illustrator) The Night Walker. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2002. |
| 2003 | YA-Middle Reader | Deborah Ellis Parvana’s Journey. Toronto: Groundwood, 2002. |
| 2002 | Picture Book | Paulette Bourgeois (Author) and Stéphane Jorisch (Illustrator) Oma’s Quilt. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2001. |
| 2002 | YA-Middle Reader | Mary C. Sheppard Seven for a Secret. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2001. |
| 2001 | Picture Book | Stephanie McLennan (Author) and Sean Cassidy (Illustrator) The Chicken Cat. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2000. |
| 2001 | YA-Middle Reader | Janet McNaughton The Secret Under My Skin. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000. |
| 2000 | Picture Book | Marie-Louise Gay Stella Star of the Sea. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1999. |
| 2000 | YA-Middle Reader | Kenneth Oppel Sunwing. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. |
| 1999 | Picture Book | Celia Barker Lottridge (Author) and Harvey Chan (Illustrator) Music for the Tsar of the Sea. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1998. |
| 1999 | YA-Middle Reader | Eric Walters War of the Eagles. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 1998. |
| 1998 | Picture Book | Jo Ellen Bogart (Author) and Laura Fernandez & Rick Jacobson (Illustrators) Jeremiah Learns to Read. Richmond Hill, ON: North Winds Press, 1997. |
| 1998 | YA-Middle Reader | Martha Brooks Bone Dance. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1997. |
| 1997 | Picture Book | Paul Yee (Author) and Harvey Chan (Illustrator) Ghost Train. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1996. |
| 1997 | YA-Middle Reader | Kit Pearson Awake and Dreaming. Toronto: Viking, 1996 |
| 1996 | Picture Book | Geoff Butler The Killick: A Newfoundland Story. Montreal: Tundra Books, 1995. |
| 1996 | YA-Middle Reader | Welwyn Wilton Katz Out of the Dark. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1995. |
| 1995 | Picture Book | Barbara Greenwood (Author) & Heather Collins (Illustrator) A Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a Canadian Family in 1840. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1994. |
| 1995 | YA-Middle Reader | Julie Johnston Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me. Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1994. |
| 1994 | Picture Book | Michael Kusugak (Author) and Vladyana Krykorka (Illustrator) Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails. Toronto: Annick Press, 1993. |
| 1994 | YA-Middle Reader | O. R. Melling The Hunter's Moon. Toronto: HarperCollins, 1993. |
| 1993 | Phoebe Gilman Something from Nothing. Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1992. | |
| 1992 | Paul Yee (author) and Harvey Chan (illustrator) Roses Sing on New Snow. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1991. | |
| 1991 | William Bell Forbidden City. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1990. | |
| 1990 | Diana Wieler Bad Boy. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1989. | |
| 1989 | Janet Lunn Amos's Sweater. Illustrated by Kim LaFave. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1988. | |
| 1988 | Cora Taylor The Doll. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1987. | |
| 1987 | Barbara Reid Have You Seen Birds? by Joanne Oppenheim. Richmond Hill, ON: North Winds Press, 1986. | |
| 1986 | Robert Munsch Thomas' Snowsuit. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko. Toronto: Annick Press, 1985. | |
| 1985 | Jean Little Mama's Going to Buy You a Mockingbird. Toronto: Penguin Books, 1984. | |
| 1984 | Tim Wynne-Jones Zoom at Sea. Illustrated by Ken Nutt. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1983. | |
| 1983 | Jan Truss Jasmin. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1982. | |
| 1982 | Marsha Hewitt and Claire Mackay One Proud Summer. Toronto: Women's Press, 1981. | |
| 1981 | Suzanne Martel The King's Daughter. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 1980. | |
| 1980 | Barbara Smucker Days of Terror. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1979. | |
| 1979 | Kevin Major Hold Fast. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1978. | |
| 1978 | Dennis Lee Garbage Delight. Illustrated by Frank Newfeld. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1977. | |
| 1977 | Robert Thomas Allen The Violin. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1976. | |
| 1976 | Mordecai Richler Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. Illustrated by Fritz Wegner. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1975. |
