Holly Kent, Sales and Marketing Manager at The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, recently emailed and asked if we could share with our readers about a great contest open to young writers in grades 4 to 12: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s annual Book Week Writing Contest for Kids & Teens. This national contest is a much anticipated part of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week and the deadline for entries is fast approaching.
Young Canadian writers are invited to send in a sample of their best writing (stories and/or poems, fiction or non-fiction) not to exceed 1,500 words. Judging is done by noted writers from across Canada and the winner from each grade will receive a $250 gift certificate for the bookstore of his or her choice. Two honourable mentions from each grade category will also receive $50 gift certificates.
All entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2013. The winners will be announced during TD Canadian Children’s Book Week May 4 – 11, 2013.
Contest details and entry forms can be found here.
To learn more about The Canadian Children’s Book Centre and the wonderful work they do, be sure to read Holly’s Guest Blogger posts that she wrote for us in August 2012.
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre presents: TD Canadian Children’s Book Week ~ by Holly Kent, Sales and Marketing Manager, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre runs several programs that promote the reading, writing, illustrating and publishing of quality Canadian children’s books in Canada. TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is one of our most ambitious programs, and the results are overwhelming.
Each year, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre sends dozens of authors, illustrators, and storytellers on a whirlwind of tours in every Canadian province. The first Book Week took place in 1977. Eleven authors set out on the first Children’s Book Festival tour sponsored by the one-year-old Children’s Book Centre. Today, close to 35,000 children, teens and adults participate in activities held in every province and territory across the country. In 2012, 29 touring creators gave 396 readings in schools, public libraries, bookstores and community centres host events as part of this major literary festival.
The best thing, in my opinion, about TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is that so many communities who wouldn’t 
normally be included in an author tour are able host readings and presentations. Aside from the fact that authors are touring less and less, Canada is big – really big. Travel to less populated cities and towns can be prohibitively expensive. TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is sometimes a child’s first encounter with an author, and often their first experience getting excited about reading.
Willow Dawson, an author/illustrator from Ontario read at Eliot River Elementary School in Cornwall, PEI during TD Book Week 2012: “After the session, a bunch of kids stayed behind for autographs. Thankfully, I didn’t have to rush off to the next event so there was a little time to draw each of them a small picture. The next day I received a really beautiful email from a mother thanking me for inspiring her son to read for the first time in his life. He was one of the kids who stayed after for a picture! Her message really made me choke up.”
Each year, TD Book Week celebrates a specific theme for which books are chosen and 
classroom materials are created. The 2012 theme was Read a Book, Share a Story, selected in part to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lillian H. Smith becoming the first trained children’s librarian in Canada, and in the British Empire. The twenty-nine authors, illustrators, and storytellers who toured Canada were the very embodiment of this theme.
The 2013 TD Canadian Children’s Book will be held May 4 – 11 and we are excited to announce the authors, illustrators and storytellers who will be touring. Visit the TD Book Week site in September to find out what province/territory
Here in Canada we are currently in the midst of celebrating TD Canadian Children’s Book Week: the single most important national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and the importance of reading! During the week close to 35,000 children, teens and adults are participating in activities held in every province and territory across the country. The theme for TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2012 is Read a Book, Share a Story and celebrates the importance of sharing stories. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Lillian H. Smith becoming the first trained children’s librarian in the British Empire and this year’s book week theme focuses on the important role that librarians play in sharing books and creating lifelong readers (download the theme guide here). The 2012 Book Week posted (image on left) was created by illustrator Janice Nadeau.
During TD Canadian Children’s Book Week twenty-nine English-speaking and five Francophone authors, illustrators and storytellers are visiting schools, libraries, bookstores and community centres in every province and territory across the country. In addition to the tour participants’ websites and blogs be sure to check out the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Facebook page to see the latest news, press clippings and pictures from the tour.
TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is organized by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, in partnership with the Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada, and is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and funders.
Click on event name for more information
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival~ ongoing until May 2, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
International Reading Association 57th Annual Conference~ ongoing until May 2, Chicago, IL, USA
Picture This: 90 Years of Storybook Art~ ongoing until May 6, Wenham, MA, USA
Buenos Aires Book Fair~ ongoing until May 12, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Art, Children’s Literature, and the Environment: Art and Photography from Green Earth Book Awards~ ongoing until June 10, Salisbury, MD, USA
Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award 2013~ submissions accepted until Dec 31, 2012, United Kingdom
2012 South Asia Book Award~ submissions accepted until Dec 31
SingTel Asian Picture Book Award 2013~ submissions accepted until Dec 31, 1012, Singapore
National Share-a-Story Month~ United Kingdom
Get Caught Reading Month~ USA
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month~ USA
Asian Heritage Month~ Canada
National Year of Reading~ Australia
Paula Yoo’s Annual NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week)~ May 1 – 7
Follow the Reader~ May 4, Brisbane, Australia
1st Klasrum Adarna House ECE Conference~ May 4 – 5, Quezon City, Philippines
Booktopia: West Vancouver’s Children’s Literary Festival~ May 4 – 12, West Vancouver, BC, Canada
Reading into Teens: an Introspective Exhibit~ May 4 – 31, West Vancouver, BC, Canada
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This Spring, no fewer than FOUR Victoria authors have been selected for the