Today was the final day of the official closing ceremonies for the Ontario Forest of Reading Program at Harbourfront, and as always, it was a day full-of excitement, and surprises. When the nominees are first announced in each category, we supposed "experts" make our predictions as to which books will win, and most of the time, we're completely wrong!
This year, I was off on most counts, and I'm delighted! Children's choice awards are the truest reflection of a book's success with its intended audience. In my years of bookselling, I've learned that adults very seldom read a children's books with an eye purely towards enjoyment. They are looking for a teachable moment, a moral lesson, literary quality, etc...
Children on the other hand are primarily interested in one thing- did they enjoy it. A highly recognizable name or a visually appealing cover, or the genre might draw the kids to pick it up, but in the end, the kids know what excites them, and the votes reflect their choices, not ours.
So congratulations to all of the Forest winners, and to all of the winners and nominees, thank you for writing books that get kids excited about books.
For a full list of winners, visit the OLA website at http://www.accessola.com/
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