Book about a boy looking for a fresh start wins $50K children’s literature award

TORONTO – A free-verse novel about an 11-year-old dealing with peer pressure and bullying has won the TD Children’s Literature Award.

Heather Smith’s “Ebb and Flow” won the $50,000 prize for its story about a boy looking for a fresh start after a series of bad decisions.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based writer’s book from Kids Can Press has been praised for its lyrical flow and poignant imagery.

Smith was named the winner at a gala Tuesday night in Toronto, where seven awards were handed out by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Other honourees include “Africville” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Eva Campbell, which won the $20,000 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.

“Turtle Pond” by James Gladstone, illustrated by Karen Reczuch, took home the $10,000 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2019.