2024 Hackmatack Award
Winners Announced
Winners of the 25th Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award Announced at Awards Ceremony in Halifax, NS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, June 4, 2024
KJIPUKTUK (Halifax): The winners of the 2024 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award were announced on Friday, May 31 at a lively awards ceremony at the Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library. They are:
English Nonfiction
How to High Tea with a Hyena (And Not Get Eaten), written by Rachel Poliquin and illustrated by Kathryn Durst (Tundra Books, 2022)
In the second book of this hilarious and informative series, Celeste the cockroach guides us through an encounter with Ruby the hyena to get through high tea in one piece.
French Nonfiction
Raconte-moi : Nick Suzuki par Joanie Godin (Boomerang, 2022)
The life of Montréal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, what he did to reach the NHL and who he is off the ice. Author Joanie Godin spoke to him to find out all about it.
AND
L’histoire du cinéma en BD : L’apogée du mime par Philippe Lemieux; illustré par Garry (Éditions Michel Quintin, 2021)
Film buffs Philippe and Mélanie tell you all about the emergence of burlesque cinema in Hollywood from 1910 to 1930. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd – discover the important influence of this film genre on contemporary cinema, and how the films of this era made the whole world laugh.
English Fiction
AWOL by Marla Lesage (Orca Book Publisher, 2022)
Explore the realities of a military family and PTSD from the perspective of an 11-year-old girl.
French Fiction
La fin du monde est pour demain par André Marois (Bayard Canada, 2022)
Keven and Livia’s lives are turned upside down when their parents tell them that the end of the world is coming – they’re survivalists and need to be prepared.
AND
Un bisou coquelicot par Marie-France Comeau; illustré par Jean-Luc Trudel (Bouton d’or Acadie, 2022)
Aly spends Remembrance Day with her great-grandfather. The latter was dressed up, beret on his head and medals lined up neatly on his veteran’s chest. One medal at a time, the child lifted the ribbons and discovered what her grandfather had experienced from Acadia to Normandy.
AND
Le mystère de la tarte aux pommes par Laïla Heloua et Corinne De Vailly; illustré par Sabrina Gendron (Boomerang, 2021)
Cousins Lilia and Adrien want to solve real mysteries. One of their grandmother’s neighbours is in urgent need of their services: the apple pie she has just baked for the annual village competition has disappeared!
Across the Atlantic region, children in grades four to six participated in the Hackmatack program by reading from the shortlist of 40 titles (20 French and 20 English) and voting for their favourite in each category.
In the weeks leading up to the ceremony, eight authors visited schools and libraries across the Maritimes, presenting to over a thousand young readers.
Another six authors gave virtual presentations, allowing us to reach readers in all corners of Atlantic Canada. Getting the chance to meet and learn from a real author was a thrilling and memorable opportunity for students.
The author tour was made possible by generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick.
Hackmatack is also excited to announce the new shortlists for our 2024-25 reading program. Visit our website to view the 2024-25 English and French shortlists.
The Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award program is generously sponsored by the Nova Scotia Department of Education, the New Brunswick Public Library Service, Nova Scotia Provincial Library, Atlantic Provinces Library Association, Nova Scotia Library Association, and supported by our partners the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, Halifax Public Libraries, Prince Edward Island Public Library Service, and the Centre for Equitable Library Access. For more information, visit hackmatack.ca
Media Contact:
Stacey Cornelius, Executive Director, Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
hackmatack@hackmatack.ca
(902) 418-9859