Hackmatack News
Register now for Hackmatack!
Hackmatack empowers children by giving them a say in choosing their favourite books in English fiction and nonfiction, and French fiction and nonfiction.
Register: $25 for one club, and $10 for each additional club in the same school or library.- Get your books through an independent bookseller, online, or your public library.
- Read at least five of our 40 shortlisted books to qualify to vote. Voting deadline: April 30, 2025.
Get exclusive access to program materials:
- Author and illustrator bios
- Reading and activity guides
- Reading logs
- Ballots for voting
- And more!
And a chance to meet your favourite authors and illustrators
We hope to offer both virtual and in-person visits in the spring of 2025, as well as an awards ceremony at the end of May.
Opportunity – Treasurer of the Board
Hackmatack is seeking a treasurer to join our volunteer board of directors.
The term is two years, with the ability to re-offer, and is open to residents of the Atlantic Provinces. Learn more on our Opportunities page.
2024-25 Nominated Books
Here are the 2024-25 Hackmatack books!
Our exciting reading program for children in grades 4, 5, and 6 introduces thousands of young readers to great Canadian books, authors, and illustrators.
Hackmatack is a terrific way to get children reading. It empowers them by giving them a say in choosing their favourite books.
Centre for Equitable Library Access
You don’t have to be in a Hackmatack reading group to enjoy the books. And you don’t have to be a conventional reader.
The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) is an accessible library service, providing books and other materials to Canadians of all ages with print disabilities.
We’re happy to tell you that many of the 2023/24 Hackmatack titles are available for free in accessible formats for kids with print disabilities.
You can get these titles from your public library, or through the CELA website.
Accessible Hackmatack books 2023/24
We’d like to thank CELA for the wonderful work they do. Their collection has more than 700,000 professionally produced titles, with an emphasis on Canadian authors and stories, and favourites for kids and teens.
Hackmatack 2024 Awards Ceremony
2024 Hackmatack Award Winners
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)
FRENCH NONFICTION (a tie)
Raconte-moi : Nick Suzuki par Joanie Godin (Boomerang, 2022)
AND
L’histoire du cinéma en BD : L’apogée du mime par Philippe Lemieux; illustré par Garry (Éditions Michel Quintin, 2021)
ENGLISH FICTION
AWOL by Marla Lesage (Orca Book Publisher, 2022)
FRENCH FICTION (a tie)
La fin du monde est pour demain par André Marois (Bayard Canada, 2022)
AND
Un bisou coquelicot par Marie-France Comeau; illustré par Jean-Luc Trudel (Bouton d’or Acadie, 2022)
AND
Le mystère de la tarte aux pommes par Laïla Heloua et Corinne De Vailly; illustré par Sabrina Gendron (Boomerang, 2021)
The Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Awards ceremony was held at the Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library on Friday, May 31, 2024. Watch the video right here on our website!
Visit our 2024 Award Ceremony Photo Gallery
