Submissions
The Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award is a literary program designed for young readers in Atlantic Canada. Books nominated to to the Hackmatack shortlist will be read by thousands of children in the Atlantic region.
The shortlist will consist of 10 English fiction, 10 English non-fiction, 10 French fiction and 10 French non-fiction Canadian titles suitable for grades 4 to 6.
Books submitted to Hackmatack must:
- have been published in Canada within the last two years
- be appropriate for readers in grades 4 to 6
- be written by no more than three Canadian authors
- be in print and readily available
- all authors, illustrators, and publishers must be canadian
As part of our commitment to raise up the voices and stories of the rich racial, cultural and Indigenous history and contemporary presence in Atlantic Canada, we have pledged to an equity approach in our selection process.
As we work toward making our commitment a reality, we have set a goal: To present shortlists where at least 15% of the titles are created by BIPOC authors, with a minimum of one title in each of our four categories. We are asking publishers to join us in this endeavor.
Submissions are open for the 2025-26 award year.
Please refer to the 2025-26 Selection Criteria for information on eligibility and the submission process.