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Longlist & Shortlist | Finalists & Winners


Winners and finalists for 2023 Writing for Children Competition

November 2, 2023: CANSCAIP congratulates the winners and finalists of the 2023 Writing for Children Competition. Each of the winners receives $500. CANSCAIP sends the winners and finalists to Annick Press, Kids Can Press, and Scholastic Canada.

The 2023 Writing for Children Competition received more than 600 entries.  Every entry receives written feedback from the first round of evaluations. Entries that advance to the second round receive additional written feedback, and selected entries advance to the longlist. Longlist readers select entries for the shortlist, and juries select the finalists and winners. All the entries are evaluated anonymously, so that readers and juries don't know the names of the writers.

In November, everyone who entered will receive the written evaluations for their entries. The next Writing for Children Competition will open in March 2024.

PICTURE BOOK

WINNER:  Don't Mind if I Do Cynthia Ford

WINNER:  The Mango Princess Kalinda Link

FINALIST:  Can We Be Friends? Donna Chastko

FINALIST:  The King's Court Beth Elliott


MIDDLE GRADE

WINNER:  A Drop in the Ocean – Catherine McKenzie

FINALIST:  On the Same Boat – Christine Chang-Gardecki

FINALIST:  Kiko and the Dream Eater – Shawne Yukimi MacIntyre


YOUNG ADULT 

WINNER:  The Deepers – Carmen Wittmeier

FINALIST:  My Accidental Life – Simone Garneau

FINALIST:  Hydra – Dallas Nicholls

A huge thank you to the CANSCAIP Members who volunteered as WFCC readers and jurors: Evangelene Alaraj, Karen Autio, Jen Bailey, Lea Beddia, Dorothy Bentley, Louise Bradford, Lana Button, Jodi Carmichael, Tziporah Cohen, Peggy Collins, Natasha Deen, Anne Dublin, Heather Gale, Loretta Garbutt, Joyce Grant, Stella Partheniou Grasso, Jennifer Harris, Theo Heras, Sharon Jennings, Etta Kaner, Shachi Kaushik, Tanya Kyi, Ilima Loomis, Carol MacKay, Jennifer Maruno, Patricia McCowan, Jennifer McGrath, Sharon McKay, Gina McMurchy-Barber, Jean Mills, Jennifer Mook-Sang, Melanie Mosher, Monica Nawrocki, Heather O'Connor, Monique Polak, Deborah Patz, Jeff Pinkney, Karen Rankin, Aimee Reid, Anne Renaud, Gillian Richardson, Raquel Rivera, Judy-Ann Sadler, Lorna Schultz Nicholson, Lana Shupe, Karen Spafford-Fitz, Kathy Stinson, Kevin Sylvester, Linda Trinh, Chieri Uegaki, Jane Warren, Christine Welldon, Susan White, Tim Wynne-Jones. Volunteers Joanne Levy and Jean E. Pendziwol manage the logistics of tracking and allocating entries to readers.


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Shortlist for 2023 Writing for Children Competition

September 28, 2023: CANSCAIP is pleased to announce the entries on the shortlist for the 2023 Writing for Children Competition. More than 600 entries were received.  Every WFCC entry receives written feedback from the first round of evaluations. Entries that advance to the second round receive additional written feedback, and entries are selected to advance to the longlist. Juries evaluate the shortlist entries to select winners and finalists, which will be announced in October.  All entries are evaluated anonymously, and readers and juries don’t know the names of the writers. The feedback will be sent to writers in November.

PICTURE BOOK SHORTLIST
Underground Symphony Rita Bates

Ninang's Here Analene Belanger

Can We Be Friends? Donna Chastko

Hide-and-Go-Sheep Susanne Connolly

Little Dragon Wants to Read – Laurie Crookell 

Not a Book Tanya Elchuk

The King's Court Beth Elliott

Don't Mind if I Do Cynthia Ford

Finding Footprints Jody Jones

Carols for Mansi Pawan Kaur Singh

I Remember for Her Sarah Ker-Hornell

Stay Away from This Book Eva Klassen

The Journey Home Christine J. Lee

The Mango Princess Kalinda Link

Nadia and Lili: The Brilliant Boulangers Heather McLennan

One-Night Bike Kamilla Milligan

Together Tea Kamilla Milligan 

Orange Truck, Blue Truck Sheryl Niebergall

Wildflower Waltz Laura Polasek

Tameeka's Race Michale Raske

Kimone's Music Sashoya Simpson

The Instrument Maker Sashoya Simpson


MIDDLE GRADE SHORTLIST

On the Same Boat – Christine Chang-Gardecki

Professional Pirate – Beth Elliott

The Time Eater – Andy Haynes

Aliens, and Other Teenage Troubles – Margaret Lafreniere

Kiko and the Dream Eater – Shawne Yukimi MacIntyre

A Drop in the Ocean – Catherine McKenzie

The Secrets of Spondulick Manor – Christine Michaud

Divinely Human – Christine Michaud

Riches – Penny Thompson


YOUNG ADULT SHORTLIST

Consumed – Elena Bentley

My Accidental Life – Simone Garneau

Hydra – Dallas Nicholls

Last and Only Chance – Rina Nichols

Dirt Magic – D.M. Wagner

The Deepers – Carmen Wittmeier



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Longlist for 2023 Writing for Children Competition

August 21, 2023: CANSCAIP is pleased to announce the entries on the longlist for the 2023 Writing for Children Competition. More than 600 entries were received and evaluated by a volunteer team of CANSCAIP Members.

Every WFCC entry receives written feedback from the first round of evaluations. Entries that advance to the second round receive additional written feedback, and entries are selected to advance to the longlist. The shortlist will be selected following further evaluation, and announced in September. Juries evaluate the shortlist entries to select winners and finalists, announced in October.  All entries are evaluated anonymously, and readers and juries don’t know the names of the writers. The feedback will be sent to writers in November.

PICTURE BOOK LONGLIST
For the Love of Chouquettes  Jennifer Bartoli

Underground Symphony  Rita Bates

A Chipmunk Rescue  Rita Bates

Ninang's Here – Analene Belanger  

Can We Be Friends?  Donna Chastko

Rosso!  Melina Ciaccia

Fox on The Farm  Susanne Connolly

Hide-and-Go-Sheep  Susanne Connolly

Little Dragon Wants to Read  Laurie Crookell

Bowie's Lost Temper  Kimberly Dunne-Robbins

Sticks  Ann-Marie Duwyn-Zylstra

Strike a Pose, Hognose  Ann-Marie Duwyn-Zylstra

Not a Book  Tanya Elchuk

The King's Court  Beth Elliott

Don't Mind if I Do  Cynthia Ford

Too Fast  Rachel Greening

The Flowers in the Outfield  Christine Henderson

Finding Footprints  Jody Jones

Carols for Mansi  Pawan Kaur Singh

I Remember for Her  Sarah Ker-Hornell

When Agny Went to School  Ken Kilback

Stay Away from This Book  Eva Klassen

Fox in a Box  Eva Klassen

Rrr-ip!  Dianne Koebel-Pede

Oriane  Denise Landry

A Beary Merry Music Lesson  Charmaine Langlois

The Journey Home  Christine J. Lee

From Seed to Dream  Jennifer Li

Planting a Dream  Jennifer Li

The Mango Princess  Kalinda Link

Squirrel Survives Autumn  Janna MacLean

Let's Blow This Popsicle Stand!  Janna MacLean

Christmas Tree Day  Craig Macnaughton

Find Lulah!  Jennifer McAfee

Nadia and Lili: The Brilliant Boulangers  Heather McLennan

One-Night Bike  Kamilla Milligan

Together Tea  Kamilla Milligan 

You're the Best, Uncle  Sambriddhi Nepal

Orange Truck, Blue Truck  Sheryl Niebergall

Green Garbage Truck  Andrew Osborne

I Wish Mommy Would Come Home  Latoya Patterson

Just One Rabbit  Lizabeth Pirstl

Wildflower Waltz  Laura Polasek

The Little Fish Who Lost Its Rock  J.W. Price

Tameeka's Race  Michale Raske

Moose Moves to the City  Lisa Robson

Wolf Moon  Soozi Schlanger

Kimone's Music  Sashoya Simpson

The Instrument Maker  Sashoya Simpson

Lester Paints the Sky  James Steeves

Be Careful  Anna Thorsen

Hockey Nana  Tanya Trafford

Grandpa's Garage  Savannah Tries

Kyla Vieweger  Hello Garden

Charlie's Nose Knows  Natasha Wells

A Day at Ms. Carla's Hair Studio  Charmaine Wright

The Sad Dog  Gwen Yoshiki

MIDDLE GRADE LONGLIST
On the Same Boat – Christine Chang-Gardecki

Professional Pirate – Beth Elliott

The Time Eater – Andy Haynes

Aliens, and Other Teenage Troubles – Margaret Lafreniere

Kiko and the Dream Eater – Shawne Yukimi MacIntyre

A Drop in the Ocean – Catherine McKenzie

The Secrets of Spondulick Manor – Christine Michaud

Divinely Human – Christine Michaud

Death Wears a Ponytail – Jane Parker

Riches – Penny Thompson

The Mission – Sally Wylie

YOUNG ADULT LONGLIST
The Olympians – Miriam Benarroch-Altman

Consumed – Elena Bentley

My Accidental Life – Simone Garneau

North on Bay – Justine Howard

Hydra – Dallas Nicholls

Last and Only Chance – Rina Nichols

Dirt Magic – D.M. Wagner

The Deepers – Carmen Wittmeier


The following CANSCAIP Members volunteered as WFCC 2023 readers and jurors: Evangelene Alaraj, Karen Autio, Jen Bailey, Lea Beddia, Dorothy Bentley, Louise Bradford, Lana Button, Jodi Carmichael, Tziporah Cohen, Peggy Collins, Natasha Deen, Anne Dublin, Heather Gale, Loretta Garbutt, Joyce Grant, Stella Partheniou Grasso, Jennifer Harris, Theo Heras, Sharon Jennings, Etta Kaner, Shachi Kaushik, Tanya Kyi, Ilima Loomis, Carol MacKay, Jennifer Maruno, Patricia McCowan, Jennifer McGrath, Sharon McKay, Gina McMurchy-Barber, Jean Mills, Jennifer Mook-Sang, Melanie Mosher, Monica Nawrocki, Heather O'Connor, Monique Polak, Deborah Patz, Jeff Pinkney, Karen Rankin, Aimee Reid, Anne Renaud, Gillian Richardson, Raquel Rivera, Judy-Ann Sadler, Lorna Schultz Nicholson, Lana Shupe, Karen Spafford-Fitz, Kathy Stinson, Kevin Sylvester, Linda Trinh, Chieri Uegaki, Jane Warren, Christine Welldon, Susan White, Tim Wynne-Jones. Volunteers Joanne Levy and Jean E. Pendziwol manage the logistics of tracking and allocating entries to readers.


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Email: office@canscaip.org
Phone: 1-416-515-1559

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