Nominees for 2001 - Children's Literature - Text

Brian Doyle, Chelsea, Quebec, for Mary Ann Alice (Groundwood Books / Douglas & McIntyre; distributed by General Distribution Services) (ISBN 0-88899-453-2 (bound);
ISBN 0-88899-454-0 (paperback))

Mary Ann Alice McCrank, Eddie Lamarr, Patchy Drizzle - all the characters in the village of Martindale on the Gatineau River - vibrate with life in Brian Doyle's novel. It is not a single story so much as a weaving of stories about a community in the 1920s about to experience monumental change. Doyle's prose flows, leaps and dances like the water over the dam that is at the heart of the story.

Beth Goobie, Saskatoon, for Before Wings (Orca Book Publishers; distributed by Raincoast Books) (ISBN 1-55143-161-0 (bound); ISBN 1-55143-163-7 (paperback))

Fifteen-year-old Adrien, recovering from a brain aneurysm, is caught between her summer camp existence on the shores of Lake Winnipeg and the spirit world her condition has opened up to her. Goobie's writing is intense, vivid and poetic. Before Wings is an intricately layered love story, ghost story and mystery.

Julie Johnston, Peterborough, Ontario, for In Spite of Killer Bees (Tundra Books / McClelland & Stewart Young Readers; distributed by Random House of Canada) (ISBN 0-88776-537-8)

When the three teenage Quade sisters swing into small-town Ontario to inherit their grandfather's old house, the impact upon the community is immediate, sometimes startling and often hilarious. Julie Johnston's novel is stylishly written, witty and affectionate.

Arthur Slade, Saskatoon, for Dust (HarperCollins Canada; distributed by the publisher)
(ISBN 0-00-648593-6)

Dust is the story of a boy working against a mysterious and evil force to find his brother. There is allegory here, and magic and heroism. But Dust is firmly rooted in its time and place - Depression-era Saskatchewan. Strikingly original in voice, story and style, this novel is an altogether compelling read.

Teresa Toten, Toronto, for The Game (Red Deer Press; distributed by Raincoast Books)
(ISBN 0-88995-232-9)

Teresa Toten writes with humour, grit and real insight about a young girl in psychiatric recovery. The Game is a story of heartache and the healing power of friendship. It is written in strong, straightforward prose and, despite its subject matter, is unfailingly hopeful.