The Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award was a literary award given annually from 1981 to 2016 to recognize a Canadian book of

young adult fiction Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

written in English and published in Canada, written by a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The award was administered and presented by the

Canadian Library Association The Canadian Library Association (CLA) was a national, predominantly English-language association which represented 57,000 library workers across Canada. It also spoke for the interests of the 21 million Canadians who are members of libraries. C ...

, which disbanded in 2016. The award was established by the Young Adult Caucus of the Saskatchewan Library Association in 1980 and inaugurated by an award to

Kevin Major Kevin Major (born September 12, 1949) is a Canadian author who lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador with his wife. He writes for both young people and adults, including fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, and plays. Major was bor ...

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

for ''Far from Shore'', published by

Clarke, Irwin & Company Clarke, Irwin & Company was a Canadian publishing house based in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1930, it was purchased by Thomas Nelson Publishing in 2002. The company published works by prominent Canadian authors, artists, and poets, including ...

of Toronto. The companion CLA Book of the Year for Children Award was inaugurated in 1947 and was presented annually without exception from 1963. Its criteria included "appeal to children up to and including age 12" and "creative (i.e., original) writing (i.e., fiction, poetry, narrative, non-fiction, retelling of traditional literature)". Corresponding criteria for the YA Book Award are " ppealto young adults between the ages of 13 and 18" and "fiction (novel, collection of short stories, or graphic novel)". The

also administered a book award for illustrators, the

Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award was presented annually by the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques (CLA) to an outstanding illustrator of a new Canadian children's book.

Winners

Repeat winners

Martha Brooks Martha Ruth Brooks (born July 15, 1944)
Library and Archives Canada data at

is a three-time winner of the Young Adult Book Award for 1998, 2003, and 2008, William Bell (author), William Bell is a two-time winner, in 2002 and 2007.

Winners of multiple awards

Two books won both the Young Adult Book Award and the CLA Book of the Year for Children Award: ''Shadow in Hawthorn Bay'' by Janet Lunn in 1987 and ''Half Brother'' by

Kenneth Oppel Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a Canadian children's writer. Biography Oppel was born in Port Alberni, and spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, ...

in 2011. Six books won both the Young Adult Book Award and the

Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature The Governor General's Award for English-language children's writing is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian writer for a children's book written in English. It is one of four children's book awards among the Governor Ge ...

, or Canada Council Children's Literature Prize before 1987. The writers and CLA award dates were Hughes 1983, Lunn 1987, (now under the present name) Wieler 1990, Johnston 1995, Wynne-Jones 1996, and Brooks 2003. Thus ''Shadow in Hawthorn Bay'' (

Lester & Orpen Dennys Lester & Orpen Dennys was a Canadian book publishing company based in Toronto, originally as Lester & Orpen. It operated as a publisher from 1973 to 1991. Writers who published with the company included Graham Greene, P.D. James, June Callwoo ...

, 1986) by Janet Lunn won three major Canadian awards, the CLA awards for both children's and young-adult literature and the Governor General's Award in its last year as the Canada Council Children's Literature Prize. Two winners of the CLA Young Adult Book Award were also recognized by major annual book awards in the United States. Polly Horvath won the 2003

National Book Award for Young People's Literature The National Book Award for Young People's Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation (NBF) to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writer ...

for ''

The Canning Season ''The Canning Season'' is a young adult novel by American-Canadian author Polly Horvath. It was first published in 2003 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Awards and honors ''The Horn Book Magazine'', ''Publishers Weekly'', ''Chicago Tribune'' ''Sch ...

''. ''This One Summer'', a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, was one of the 2015 Honour Books, or finalists, for both the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

(ALA)

Michael L. Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by ''Booklist'' magazine; administered by the ALA's ...

as the year's best new work for young adults judged "by literary merit alone" (recognizing Mariko Tamaki) and the ALA

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

, or children's picture book illustration award (recognizing Jillian Tamaki).

References

{{reflist, 25em , refs= {{cite web , url=http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Young_Adult_Canadian_Book_Award , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905173809/http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Young_Adult_Canadian_Book_Award , archive-date=September 5, 2015 , url-status=unfit , title=CLA Young Adult Book Award , publisher=Canadian Library Association {{cite web , url=http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Young_Adult_Canadian_Book_Award&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2504 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908011543/http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Young_Adult_Canadian_Book_Award&Template=%2FCM%2FContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2504 , archive-date=September 8, 2015 , url-status=unfit , title=CLA Young Adult Book Award Winners , publisher=Canadian Library Association {{cite web , url=http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Book_of_the_Year_for_Children_Award&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=28&ContentID=11527 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907200638/http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Book_of_the_Year_for_Children_Award&Template=%2FTaggedPage%2FTaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=28&ContentID=11527, archive-date=2015-09-07 , url-status=unfit , title=Book of the Year for Children Award , publisher=Canadian Library Association "Canada Council Children's Literature Awards"
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102152411/http://www.track0.com/ogwc/resources/awardscancouncil.html , date=2011-01-02 nglish-language books

"Canada Council Children's Literature in French Awards"
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094004/http://www.track0.com/ogwc/resources/awardscancouncil_f.html , date=2016-03-04 .
''online guide to writing in canada'' (track0.com/ogwc). Retrieved 2015-08-22.
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111075428/http://www.track0.com/ogwc/resources/awardsgovgen.html , date=2019-01-11 inners ''online guide to writing in canada''. Retrieved 2015-08-22.

External links

Book Awards
at the Canadian Library Association (cla.org) Young adult literature awards 1981 establishments in Canada Awards established in 1981 2016 disestablishments in Canada Awards disestablished in 2016 English-language literary awards

Winners

Repeat winners

Winners of multiple awards

See also

References

External links