Forest of Reading reveals chosen books for 2021/22 program students across Canada will choose the winners

The Forest of Reading has announced the nominated titles for 2022.

Students from kindergarten to high school are encouraged to read from a selection of shortlisted books and vote for their favourites.

A total of ninecategories sixEnglish and three French reflecting different reading levels and genres are recognized. Each category has 10 nominated titles.

Forest of Reading is the largest reading award program in Canada. In 2020, more than 270,000readers across the country participated in the program, with over 110,000 readers casting votes.

The 10 finalists in each category are chosen by a committee of library practitioners.

Details about voting will be announced later. The winners will be revealed in spring 2022.

The Forest of Reading program is organized by the Ontario Library Association. The program began in 1995.

There is also an adult program, the Evergreen Award, which is run by libraries in the summer. The nominees for the Evergreen Award will be announced in February.

You can see all the finalists in the six English-language categories below.

Blue Spruce Award

The Blue Spruce Award is for picture books for readers in kindergarten to Grade 2.

The 2022 nominees are:

• 48 Grasshopper Estatesby Sara de Waal, illustrated by Erika Medina
• Beep Beep Bubbieby Bonnie Sherr Klein, illustrated by lisabeth Eudes-Pascal
• The Dollby Nhung N. Tran-Davies, llustrated by Ravy Puth
• Harley the Heroby Peggy Collins
• The Library Busby Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
• Malaika's Surpriseby Nadia L. Hohn, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
• No More Plasticby Alma Fullerton
• The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoeby Stephanie Simpson McLellan, illustrated by Zoe Si
• Thunder and the Noise Stormsby Jeffrey Ansloos&Shezza Ansloos, ilustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
• When We Are Kindby Monique Gray Smith, llustrated by Nicole Neidhardt

The 2021 winner wasBad Dogby Mike Boldt.

Silver Birch Express Award

The Silver Birch Express Award is for fiction or nonfiction for readers in Grades 3-4.

The 2022 nominees are:

• Duck Daysby Sara Leach, illustrated by Rebecca Bender
• Hockey Night in Kenyaby Danson Mutinda&Eric Walters, illustrated by Claudia Dvila
• How I Survived: Four Nights on the Iceby Serapio Ittusardjuat, llustrated by Matthew K. Hoddy
• Mellybean and the Giant Monsterby Mike White
• Race With Me!by Andre De Grasse &Robert Budd, illustrated by Joseph Osei Bonsu
• Raymond the Buffaloby Lou Beauchesne, translated by Susan Ouriou&Christelle Morelli, illustrated by Kate Chappell
• Snooze-O-Ramaby Maria Birmingham, illustrated by Kyle Reed
• That's No Dino!: Or Is It? by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Marie-ve Tremblay
• Walking For Waterby Susan Hughes, illustrated by Nicole Miles
• Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Businessby Bree Galbraith, illustrated by Morgan Goble

The 2021 winner wasPeter & Ernesto: Sloths in the Nightby Graham Annable.

Silver Birch FictionAward

The Silver Birch Fiction Award is for fiction for readers from Grades 3-6.

The 2022 nominees are:

• Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disasterby Rachelle Delaney
• Deadman's Castleby Iain Lawrence
• Elvis, Me and the Lemonade Stand Summerby Leslie Gentile
• The Fabulous Zed Watson!by Kevin Sylvester &Basil Sylvester
• The Great Bearby David A. Robertson
• Harvey Holds His Ownby Colleen Nelson, illustrated by Tara Anderson
• The Language of Ghostsby Heather Fawcett
• No Vacancyby Tziporah Cohen
• ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypseby Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Mari Costa
• Peter Lee's Notes from the Fieldby Angela Ahn, illustrated by Julie Kwon

The 2021 winner wasThe Jigsaw Puzzle King by Gina McMurchy-Barber.

Yellow CedarAward

The Yellow Cedar Award is for nonfiction for readers in Grades 4-8.

The 2022 nominees are:

• 111 Treesby Rina Singh, illustrated by Marianne Ferrer
• Chasing Bats and Tracking Ratsby Cylita Guy, illustrated by Cornelia Li
• Finding Homeby Jen Sookfong Lee, illustrated by Drew Shannon
• In the Darkby Lisa Deresti Betik, illustrated by Josh Holinaty
• The International Day of the Girlby Jessica Dee Humphreys& Rona Ambrose, illustrated by Simone Shin
• It Takes Gutsby Dr. Jennifer Gardy, illustrated by Belle Wuthrich
• Mad for Adsby Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Ian Turner
• The Power of Styleby Christian Allaire
• This is Your Brain on Stereotypesby Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Drew Shannon
• Wild Outsideby Les Stroud, illustrated by Andrew P. Barr

The 2021 winner wasTrending: How and Why Stuff Gets Popularby Kira Vermond, illustrated byClayton Hanmer.

Red Maple Award

The Red Maple Award is for fiction for readers in Grades 7-8.

The 2022 nominees are:

• Birdspellby Valerie Sherrard
• The Coming Stormby Regina M. Hansen
• Fireflyby Philippa Dowding
• The King of Jam Sandwichesby Eric Walters
• Linkedby Gordon Korman
• Sisters of the Snakeby Sarena & Sasha Nanua
• Sisters of the Wolfby Patricia Miller-Schroeder
• From The Roots Upby Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
• Tremendous Thingsby Susin Nielsen
• Under Amelia's Wingby Heather Stemp

The 2021 winner wasBloomby Kenneth Oppel.

White Pine Award

The White Pine Award is for fiction for readers in high school.

The 2022 nominees are:

• Blood Like Magicby Liselle Sambury
• Bruisedby Tanja Boteju
• Don't Breathe a Wordby Jordyn Taylor
• Fight Like a Girlby Sheena Kamal
• The Forest of Stolen Girlsby June Hur
• Gutter Childby Jael Richardson
• The Montague Twins: The Witch's Handby Nathan Page, illustrated by Drew Shannon
• Nothing But Lifeby Brent van Staalduinen
• What Unbreakable Looks Likeby Kate McLaughlin
• The Wildby Owen Laukkanen

The 2021 winner wasHunted by the Skyby Tanaz Bhathena.