Established in 1994, the Silver Birch Award is part of a reading program developed by the Ontario Library Association’s Libraries Advance Ontario Project. Originally the program was for Ontario children in grades 4, 5 and 6. However, in 2007 the Blue Spruce Award and the Silver Birch Award were realigned and the Grade category for the Silver Birch expanded to include Grade 3 students. In order to appeal to all of the readers from Grades 3 to 6, a third list was created, the Silver Birch Express. This list is a combination of fiction and non-fiction aimed at the Grade 3-4 reading level. Registered classes or groups read at least five books from the Official Selections lists of recent Canadian children’s fiction and non-fiction titles. Students cast their votes in the Spring. A non-fiction category was added in 1996. Winners are announced and honoured at an awards ceremony which program participants are invited to attend. In 2008, the official sponsor of the Silver Birch Award reading program will be S & B Books. The award was previously sponsored by National Book Service (NBS).
2010 Silver Birch Winners
Silver Birch Express (Grade 3–4):
Cyndi Sand-Eveland, Dear Toni (Tundra Books)
Silver Birch Fiction (Grade 4–6):
Robert Paul Weston, Zorgamazoo (Penguin Group Canada)
Silver Birch Non-fiction (Grade 4–6):
Larry Verstraete, At the Edge: Daring Acts in Desperate Times (Scholastic Canada Ltd.)
Silver Birch Express
Honour Book #1 – A Bear in War by Stephanie Innes and Harry Endrulat. Illustrated by Brian Deines (Key Porter Books)
Honour Book #2 - Ten Lessons for Kaspar Snit by Cary Fagan
(Tundra Books)
Silver Birch Fiction
Honour Book #1 - Libertad by Alma Fullerton (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Honour Book #2 - The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill MacLean (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Silver Birch Non-Fiction
Honour Book #1 - You are weird: Your body’s peculiar parts and funny functions by Diane Swanson Illustrated by Kathy Boake (Kids Can Press)
Honour Book #2 - Inside Hockey! The Legends, Facts and Feats that Made the Game by Keltie Thomas Illustrated by John Kicksee
(Owl Kids Books)
| 2009 | Express | Alan Cumyn, Dear Sylvia. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2008. |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Fiction | Mahtab Narsimhan, The Third Eye. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2007. |
| 2009 | Non-fiction | Kevin Sylvester, Gold Medal for Weird. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2007. |
| 2008 | Express | Dan Bar-el, Things are Looking Grimm, Jill. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2006. |
| 2008 | Fiction | Linda DeMeulemeester, The Secret of Grim Hill. Montreal: Lobster Press, 2007. |
| 2008 | Non-fiction | Helaine Becker, Secret Agent Y.O.U: The Official Guide to Secret Codes, Disguises, Surveillance and More. Illustrated by Dave Whamond. Toronto: Maple Tree Press, 2006. |
| 2007 | Express | Nancy Shouse Any Pet Will Do. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2005. |
| 2007 | Fiction | L.M. Falcone Walking with the Dead. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2006. |
| 2007 | Non-fiction | Kathy Kacer Hiding Edith. Toronto: Second Story Press, 2006. |
| 2006 | Fiction | Edo van Belkom Wolf Pack. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2004. |
| 2006 | Non-fiction | Helaine Becker Boredom Blasters: Brain Bogglers, Awesome Activities, Cool Comics, Tasty Treats, and More… |
| 2005 | Fiction | Sharon Stewart Raven Quest. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2003. |
| 2005 | Non-fiction | Marg Meikle Ask Me Anything!: Strange But True Answers to 99 Wacky Questions. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2004. |
| 2004 | Fiction | Michael McGowan Newton and the Giant. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2003. |
| 2004 | Non-fiction | Larry Verstraete Survivors! True Death-Defying Escapes. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2003. |
| 2003 | Fiction | Eric Walters Camp X. Toronto: Penguin Books Canada, 2002. |
| 2003 | Non-fiction | Karen Levine Hana’s Suitcase. Toronto: Second Story Press, 2002. |
| 2002 | Fiction | Virginia Frances Schwartz If I Just Had Two Wings. Toronto: Stoddart Kids, 2001. |
| 2002 | Non-fiction | Lyn Thomas Ha! Ha! Ha! 1000+ Jokes, Riddles, Facts, and More. Toronto: Maple Tree Press/Owl Books, 2001. |
| 2001 | Fiction | Bill Richardson After Hamelin. Toronto: Annick Press, 2000 |
| 2001 | Non-fiction | Linda Bailey Adventures in the Middle Ages. Illustrated by Bill Slavin. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2000. |
| 2000 | Fiction | Kathy Kacer The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser. Toronto: Second Story Press, 1999. |
| 2000 | Non-fiction | Sheree Fitch If You Could Wear My Sneakers! Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1997. |
| 1999 | Fiction | Eric Walters Trapped In Ice. Toronto: Penguin, 1997. |
| 1999 | Non-fiction | Marg Meikle Funny You Should Ask. Illustrated by Tina Holdcroft. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1998. |
| 1998 | Fiction | Kenneth Oppel Silverwing. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. |
| 1998 | Non-fiction | Hugh Brewster Anastasia's Album. Toronto: Madison Press/Penguin Books Canada, 1996. |
| 1997 | Fiction | Eric Walters Stars. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing 1996. |
| 1997 | Non-fiction | Shelley Tanaka On Board the Titanic. Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1996. |
| 1996 | Fiction | Sylvia McNicoll Bringing Up Beauty. Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1994. |
| 1996 | Non-fiction | Annouchka Gravel Galouchko Sho and the Demons of the Deep. Illustrated by Ken Marschall. Toronto: Annick Press, 1995. |
| 1995 | Daisy Corning Stone Spedden Polar, the Titanic Bear. Illustrated by Laurie McGaw. Toronto: Little, Brown and Co., 1994. | |
| 1994 | Carol Matas Daniel’s Story. Richmond Hill, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1993. |
