Here are the 2022 Red Maple Award finalists: 10 great Canadian books for readers in Grades 7-8
CBC Books | | Posted: October 22, 2021 4:39 PM | Last Updated: May 17, 2022
Ten Canadian books are finalists for the 2022 Red Maple Award, which celebrates fiction for readers in Grades 7-8.
The Red Maple Award is part of the Forest of Reading program, in which students from kindergarten to high school are encouraged to read from a selection of shortlisted books and vote for their favourites over several months.
The Forest of Reading program is organized by the Ontario Library Association. The 10 finalists in each category are chosen by a committee of library practitioners.
More than 270,000 students across Canada participate each year through their schools, public libraries, literacy centres and at home. Those with a subscription can tune in through Curio, CBC's educational service. The awards will also be available at CBC Books.
On Day One of the festival (May 17, 2022), the Blue Spruce Award (10 a.m. ET), Red Maple Award (11:30 a.m. ET) and the White Pine Award (1:00 p.m. ET) are announced. You can see the complete schedule here.
Birdspell by Valerie Sherrard
In the middle-grade novel Birdspell, Corbin is a boy who suffers from loneliness — but when a talking bird enters his life, he is overjoyed. When his home life goes from bad to worse, Corbin is faced with a decision that he just might regret.
Valerie Sherrard is a children's book author from New Brunswick. She has written more than a dozen books for young people, including the Shelby Belgarden mystery series, The Glory Wind, Kate and Speechless.
The Coming Storm by Regina M. Hansen
The middle-grade novel The Coming Storm is about Beet MacNeill, her cousin Gerry and a mystery unfolding in their Prince Edward Island home. When Gerry comes home one day dripping wet and playing a haunting tune on his fiddle, Beet knows something is wrong. A woman named Marina, who seems to be connected to local folk tale about a vicious shape-shifting sea creature, comes to town and it's up to Beet to figure out what's going on.
Regina M. Hansen is an editor, author and teacher at Boston University. The Coming Storm is her first middle-grade novel.
Firefly by Philippa Dowding
The middle-grade novel Firefly is 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.
Firefly is also a finalist for the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text.
Philippa Dowding is a Canadian children's author, a poet, musician and copywriter based in Toronto. Her book Myles and the Monster Outside was a nominee for the 2017 Silver Birch Express Award and her chapter book Oculum was a finalist for the 2020 Silver Birch Fiction Award.
The King of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters
The King of Jam Sandwiches is about a unique father-son relationship. Rob is 13 and his father isn't like the other kid's dads. Robbie's dad sometimes wakes him up in the middle of the night to talk about dying. Other times, his dad disappears for days, even a week at a time. When Robbie encounters Harmony, the new girl at school, he comes to realize the value of truth and friendship.
The King of Jam Sandwiches won the 2020 Governor General's Literary Prize for young people's literature — text.
Eric Walters has penned over 100 books and is one of Canada's most prolific writers for young people. He's won the Red Maple Award for his books Rebound, Safe as Houses, We All Fall Down and The Rule of Three.
Linked by Gordon Korman
Linked, a middle-grade novel, follows three young friends in a sleepy town. One evening, Michael rushes back to school to find his forgotten phone and is shocked to discover a swastika painted on the wall. Students put pressure on Link, the most popular guy in school, to find the real culprit. Meanwhile, Dana, the only Jewish kid in town, feels more like an outcast than ever.
Gordon Korman is a New York Times bestselling author of over 70 middle-grade and young adult books. His books have sold 16 million copies worldwide and been translated into 25 languages. Some of his other books include the 39 Clues mysteries, The Hypnotists adventure series and Macdonald Hall books.
Sisters of the Snake by Sarena & Sasha Nanua
Sisters of the Snake is a YA novel about a lost princess, a street urchin and dark prophecies. When Princess Rani and Ria encounter each other and discover they look identical, the princess and the thief switch places but soon find themselves involved in a dangerous mystery involving magic and a hidden temple.
Sarena and Sasha Nanua are YA authors and twin sisters based in Ontario. Born minutes apart from each other, they grew up loving stories about twins and magic, and began writing books together at a young age.
Sisters of the Wolf by Patricia Miller-Schroeder
Sisters of the Wolf is the story of two teens living in the Ice Age and fighting for survival. Keena is a from a band of Neanderthal and Shinoni is the daughter of a Cro-Magnon shaman. When the girls are stolen from their families by a ruthless hunter named Haken, they must put their differences aside to make it out. Joined by a powerful she-wolf named Tewa, who becomes their spirit guide and guardian, they attempt to make the treacherous journey home.
Patricia Miller-Schroeder is a writer, researcher and author of children's books about science, nature and the environment. Sisters of the Wolf is her first fiction book.
From The Roots Up by Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
From the Roots Up is the sequel to Surviving the City and continues the stories of characters Dez and Miikwan. Dez is grieving the death of her grandmother and, with nowhere else to go, she stays in a group home. Dez is also navigating a new relationship and learning to embrace her two-spirit identity. Meanwhile, Miikwan has a crush on the school's new kid, Riel, but doesn't understand what Dez is going through. Elder Linda is doing her best to be supportive, but finds it challenging when the gendered protocols she grew up with are put into question.
Tasha Spillett-Sumner is an educator, poet and scholar of Nehiyaw and Trinidadian descent. She is also the author of graphic novel Surviving the City, which won the $2,000 Indigenous Voices Award for works in an alternative format in 2019.
Natasha Donovan is a Métis illustrator originally from Vancouver. She's illustrated several graphic novels, including Borders by Thomas King and her work appears in the anthology This Place: 150 Years Retold.
Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen
The YA novel Tremendous Things is about a teen named Wilbur. Wilbur is in Grade 9, and he still can't escape the embarrassing thing that happened to him back in middle school. But an adventure involving his school music band and a trip to Paris just might mean Wilbur can overcome his past and also find true love in the process.
Susin Nielsen is an author from Vancouver. She started her career by writing episodes for the Canadian teen drama Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. In 2008, she published her first YA novel, Word Nerd. Her most recent books include We Are All Made of Molecules, which was longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and Optimists Die First.
Under Amelia's Wing by Heather Stemp
In Under Amelia's Wing Ginny Ross has made it to Purdue University and is pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot. While dealing with the pressure of being the only girl in some of her classes, her friend Amelia Earhart disappears during an attempt to fly around the world. Now Ginny must find the courage and to forge ahead without her mentor.
Heather Stemp is a retired teacher children's author based in North Bay, Ont. Under Amelia's Wing is her second book in the Ginny Ross series and a follow-up to Amelia and Me.