L.E. Carmichael and the Forest of Reading program

by Paula Johanson

The Forest of Reading is a Canadian reading program by the Ontario Library Association -- the largest recreational reading program in Canada. Most participants hear about it through their libraries. Across the country, kids register in the Forest of Reading program to read books nominated for awards and then vote for their favourites.

This year, Sci/Why's own L.E. Carmichael has a book nominated for the Yellow Cedar Award! Her book is The Boreal Forest, a science book you can read about on her website at this link. You can also click on this link to see a number of resources she has shared about the book here on Sci/Why, including fun videos, lesson plans, activities and projects, and links to traditional indigenous knowledge websites.

L.E. Carmichael talks all about the Yellow Cedar Award and her book's fellow nominees at this link to her website. Many of the nominees this year are books on science topics. If you're looking for some great ideas for science reading, that's a great place to start! And the other nominees are interesting, too. If you're looking for books that are more age-appropriate, the Forest of Reading program has nominees for ten awards at this link. 

Book Awards for Helaine Becker!

One of our own authors on Sci/Why blog, Helaine Becker, announced today (June 16) on Facebook good news about two of her books. She reports:

Forest of Reading awards are being given out today. Thrilled that SLOTH AT THE ZOOM was chosen as a Blue Spruce Honour Book, and COUNTING ON KATHERINE as a Silver Birch Express Honour Book. Thanks , OLA!!!

Glad to hear the Ontario Library Association moved their Forest of Reading awards to an online event, when the pandemic made it impossible to gather in person to celebrate these and other fine books. Ask at your library and local bookstore for books on science and more by Canadian author Helaine Becker.

Congratulations, Helaine!

Hooray for the Forest of Reading!

Post by Helaine Becker

I'm gearing up this week for the thrilling  celebration of children's books that is Ontario's Forest of Reading. This incredible program, organized by the Ontario Library Association, gives kids from primary school and up the chance to read great contemporary books and vote for their favorites.

More than 250,000 readers from all across the province participate annually. Think about it - a quarter of a million kids are reading both voluntarily, and voraciously. 

So don't tell me kids don't like to read! 

More than 700 kids attended this Niagara area
Silver Birch celebration a few years ago.

The luckiest get to attend mammoth award ceremonies - more like rock concerts, complete with screaming fans, paparazzi and authors being swarmed by fans requesting autographs - that are held in Toronto, Thunder Bay, London, and more. As many as 4,000 readaholics can attend one of these events.

At this Mississauga area event, more than 4000
screaming kids rocked the Hershey Arena!

The Mississauga event featured a full day of
entertainment for the lucky attendees

There was cake too. :) 

This year, I'm over the moon that my latest science-related title, Zoobots,  is a nominee on the Silver Birch nonfiction list, geared for students in grades 4-6.

This means that in addition to winding up with a pretty heavy schedule of school presentations, I get to be on stage during each of these award ceremony/celebrations. 

For authors like me, who are used to sitting at home, alone,  most of the year, this onslaught of attention is both overwhelming and exhilarating! It is literally the highlight of my calendar. This is my fifth time lucky enough to participate in the Festival. And lemme tell ya, it never gets old. 

Be sure to check out all the Forest of Reading lists - they are chock-full of fabulous books! 

You can find the Silver Birch nonfiction list here and the fiction list here.

If you are a parent, teacher or librarian anywhere in Ontario, get the kids you know involved in the Forest of Reading! If you live outside of Ontario, get involved in your own region's children's choice award program. BC, for example, boasts the Red Cedar Awards,  and the Atlantic Provinces have the Hackmatack. Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba each have their own programs, as do many American states. 

If your area does not yet have a children's choice program, contact the OLA and find out how they operate Forest of Reading so you can start a similar program. Because children's choice award programs like this one are one of the best ways I know to stimulate a love of reading, build literacy, and encourage engagement with learning.

And please wish me luck! I'll need it, if only to survive the crazy, euphoric pace of Silver Birch Season.