The finalists for the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature text

Here are the finalists for the 2021Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature text.

The Governor General's Literary Awards are one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious literary prizes.

The prizes, administeredby theCanada Council for the Arts, are awarded in seven English-language categories:fiction,nonfiction,poetry,young people's literature text,young people's literature illustration,dramaandtranslation. Seven French-language awards arealsogiven outin the same categories.

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Each winner will receive$25,000.The winners will be announced on Nov. 17, 2021.

The young people's literature text category was assessed byAviaq Johnston, Karen Rivers and Ken Setterington.

You can see the finalists in all seven categories here.

Get to know the young people's literature textfinalists below.

Blood Like Magic byLiselle Sambury

The YA novelBlood Like Magic, is a dark fantasy story aboutVoya Thomas, a Black Canadianteen witch from Toronto who is tasked withsacrificing her first love to save her family's magic. But when Voyadoes eventually fallin love with her soulmate, she is forced to make the choice between hermorality and her duty to her bloodline.

Blood Like Magicis for ages 14 and up.

• Liselle Sambury's YA novelBlood Like Magicis a fantasy/sci-fi mashup about Black Canadian witches in Toronto

Liselle Sambury is a Trinidadian Canadian YA author and vloggerfrom Toronto currently residing in northern Ontario.Blood Like Magicis herdebut YA novel.

Firefly byPhilippa Dowding

The middle-grade novelFireflyis about the titular character who is looking for a place to call home. Firefly lives in the park but one day she is forced by social services to move in with her Aunt Gayle, who just happens to own a costume shop. While Firefly gets used to having a roof over her head, she suffers from PTSD and embarks on a journey to find her true identity.

Fireflyis for ages 9 to 12.

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Philippa Dowding is a Canadian children's author, a poet, musician and copywriter based in Toronto. Her bookMyles and the Monster Outsidewas a nominee for the 2017 Silver Birch Express Award and her chapter bookOculumwas a finalist for the2020 Silver Birch Fiction Award.

Peter Lee's Notes from the Field byAngela Ahn, illustrated by Julie Kwon

Peter Lee's Notes from the Fieldis a middle-grade book about an 11-year-oldwho dreams of a paleontologist. But when he embarks on areal-life dinosaur expedition that endsup in failure, he discovers that making his dream a reality just might be harder than he first thought. On top of it all, his grandmother falls ill and no one in his family will talk to him about it. Peter Lee's Notes from the Fieldis a tale of family, perseveranceand how the power of observation and experimentation can save the day.

Peter Lee's Notes from the Field is for ages 9-12.

Angela Ahn is a writer and former teacher and librarian who lives in Vancouver. She is also the author of the children's book Krista Kim-Bap.

Julie Kwon is an artist, animator andillustrator based inPhiladelphia.

The Fabulous Zed Watson! byBasil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester

The Fabulous Zed Watson!features a non-binary lead character who embarks on "the literary scavenger hunt and road trip of a lifetime."

When lead character Zed discovers a mystery surrounding an unpublished novel calledThe Monster's Castle, they becomea member of a small but dedicated legion devoted to finding the long-buried text. When a breakthrough discovery leads Zed to the route that they are sure will take them to the treasure, they embark on a road trip with their shy, flora-loving neighbour, Gabe, and his sister, Sam, a geologist who is driving back to college in Arizona.

The Fabulous Zed Watson!is for ages 9 to 12.

• Read an excerpt of Basil and Kevin Sylvester's middle-grade novel, The Fabulous Zed Watson!

Basil Sylvester is a non-binary writer based in Toronto. Their father, Kevin Sylvester, is a broadcaster and the award-winning illustrator and writer of middle-grade books such as the Neil Flamb Capers series and the MiNRS space adventure series.

Unravel bySharon Jennings

Unravelis a YA novel abouta 12-year-old home-schooled young girl named Rebecca. She hasno friends, no photos, no possessions and lives alone with her father Joe. When she meets an eccentric woman namedPhoebe in her new apartment building, Rebecca gains a new perspective on her lifeas Phoebe helps Rebeccarealizethat her father mightbe hiding his own secrets.

Unravelis for ages 12 and up.

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Sharon Jennings is a Canadian author whohas written over 60books for young people.Jennings is also afreelance editor and manuscript reviewer and currently lives in Toronto.