And the winner is...

It's official, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre has just announced the winners...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Toronto (November 10, 2010) ― The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is thrilled to announce the winners of the four major children’s book awards it administers. The winners were announced last night at a gala event at The Carlu in Toronto.

This year’s winning titles will captivate the hearts and imaginations of children and adults everywhere. Readers will be introduced to a hunchback child who has the ability to transform himself and who is a trained secret agent; to an alluring story of mystery, perception and friendship with a surprise ending; to an exquisite, informative and delightful account of the history of China’s famed Silk Road; and to a young Sherlock Holmes on the sinister streets of Victorian London.

These books exemplify some of the best work by Canadian authors and illustrators. The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is proud to share these titles with you. For a list of the honour books for each award, please click here.

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TD CANADIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AWARD ($25,000)Sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group

The Hunchback Assignments

Written by Arthur Slade (Saskatoon, SK)

HarperCollins Publishers

for ages 11 and up

Here's the jury description...“Arthur Slade’s foray into the steampunk genre is of world-class quality and makes The Hunchback Assignments a fresh and unexpected addition to Canadian children’s literature… A mystery thriller, the novel’s tone is grippingly suspenseful… Literary allusions to characters and plots, from the Hunchback of Notre Dame to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, enrich the subtext of reality and illusion.”

MARILYN BAILLIE PICTURE BOOK AWARD ($20,000)Sponsored by A. Charles Baillie

Timmerman Was Here

Written by Colleen Sydor (Winnipeg, MB)

Illustrated by Nicolas Debon (Saint-Denis, France)

Tundra Books

for ages 4 – 8

This is what the jury said of Timmerman Was Here...“This is a sublimely humanistic and memorable story about the way we discover the difference between truth and appearances… Dramatic pictures equally involve the reader, while the artistic use of dark and light further affect our emotional response… This intriguing tale with a twist delves exceptionally well into values and perceptions, the rational and the irrational, achieving a conclusion that is profoundly self-affirming for the child… This emotionally rich and suspenseful story is capped by an uplifting ending that will stir hearts from 8 to 80… A perfect pairing of text and illustration.”

NORMA FLECK AWARD FOR CANADIAN CHILDREN’S NON-FICTION ($10,000)Sponsored by the Fleck Family Foundation

Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road

Written by Priscilla Galloway (Penetanguishene, ON) with Dawn Hunter (Toronto, ON)

Annick Press

for ages 10 and up

The jury called Galloway's work “A gripping account of three remarkable historic journeys; cultural, spiritual and commercial, enable the reader to imagine this fabled ancient route taken by the adventurous of long, long ago. Galloway’s excellent research, clear text, stunning photographs, art and maps updates this history for our times. A wonderful resource for research and reports."

GEOFFREY BILSON AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ($5,000) Sponsored by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Bilson Endowment Fund 

Vanishing Girl

(The Boy Sherlock Holmes, Book 3)

Written by Shane Peacock (Baltimore, ON)

Tundra Books

for ages 9 and up

The jury describes  how “Peacock delves into the young mind of one of the best-known characters in literature, creating a story that is well-plotted, with plenty of action, adventure and plot twists… Beautifully written and fast-paced… Peacock’s writing has a distinctive voice and tone that is perfectly suited to the story being told.”

For more information on how you can help support these awards visit www.bookcentre.ca.