Longlist & Shortlist | Finalists & Winners
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Winners and finalists for 2025 Writing for Children Competition Written evaluations for all entries will be sent in November October 2025: CANSCAIP is congratulates the winners and finalists of the 2025 Writing for Children Competition. Each of the winners receives $500. The entries of the winners and finalists are sent for consideration to Annick Press, Kids Can Press, and Scholastic Canada. More than 650 entries were submitted for the 2025 Writing for Children Competition. Every WFCC entry receives written feedback from the first round of evaluations. The entries that advance to the second round receive additional written feedback, and some of the entries are selected for the longlist. A different group of readers evaluates the longlist and select entries for the shortlist. From the shortlist, juries select the winners and finalists. Entries are evaluated anonymously, so readers and juries don’t know the names of the writers. The written evaluations for all the entries are sent to the writers in November. The next Writing for Children Competition will open in March 2026. PICTURE BOOK WINNER: I Love the Pond – Jess Woolford FINALIST: Far, Far, But Near – Sambriddhi Nepal FINALIST: Waste Not, Taste Lots! How Kids Save Food Globally – Jen Schimmens MIDDLE GRADE FINALIST: Carnival of Animals – Trevor Copp FINALIST: How to Classify a Ghost – Madelaine Wong YOUNG ADULT FINALIST: Roadkill – Jane Parker FINALIST: Dirt Magic – Derek Wagner
Thank you to the CANSCAIP Members who volunteered as readers and jurors: Jen Bailey, Antonia Banyard, Lea Beddia, Kate Blair, Kristin Blakely, Laura Bontje, Nancy Cohen, Tziporah Cohen, Peggy Collins, Marcus Cutler, Natali de Mello, Jillian Dobson, MaryLou Driedger, Loretta Garbutt, Masoud Gharehbaghi, Stephanie Gibeault, Gabriel Goldstone, Kathryn Harper, Jennifer Harris, Theo Heras, Sharon Jennings, Etta Kaner, Uma Krishnaswami, Tanya Kyi, Sidura Ludwig, Sue Macartney, Cynthia Mackey, Patricia McCowan, Sheryl McFarlane, Jean Mills, Monica Nawrocki, Kenneth Oppel, Karen Rankin, Gillian Richardson, Jessica Rose, Judy-Ann Sadler, Jocelyn Shipley, Marsha Skrypuch, Arthur Slade, Karen Spafford-Fitz, Kerry Sparrow, Michael Stewart, Susan Sweet, Pauline Thompson, Linda Trinh, Chieri Uegaki, Nadia Umadat, Rebecca Upjohn, Jessica Vitalis, Christine Welldon, Wendy Whittingham, Tamla Young, Danielle Younge-Ullman. In addition, Tracey Brown, Joanne Levy and Jean E. Pendziwol manage the logistics of allocating entries to readers, and Terry Ibele sets up the email merge that sends the written evaluations to the writers. *************** Shortlist for 2025 Writing for Children Competition Finalists and winners announced in October Written evaluations of entries sent in November September 2025: CANSCAIP congratulates the writers of the entries on the shortlist for the 2025 Writing for Children Competition. The Competition finalists and winners will be announced in October, and the written evaluations for all the entries will be sent to the writers in November. PICTURE BOOK SHORTLIST Emily's Animals – Janet Bartier Where's Pumpkin? – Catherine Carnovale Falling Asleep on a Whale's Back – Philip Dunshea The Day Everyone Was Cranky – Kellyanne Hart Wiggles – Lukasz Kornas A Bus for Placid Street – MJ Malleck Dogs Daily Alphabet – Kathryn McDonald The One and Only Antony Titus Tomaro – Marcia McDonald-Scott Counting on Ewe – Donna-Claire McLeod Far, Far, but Near – Sambriddhi Nepal Moon Races – Heather Read The Big Bad Ballerina – Angela Robertson Waste Not, Taste Lots! How Kids Save Food Globally – Jen Schimmens Welcome to the Iceberg Buffet! – Jen Schimmens The Wish Wind – Diane Taylor-Sexton I Love the Pond – Jess Woolford MIDDLE GRADE SHORTLIST Carnival of Animals – Trevor Copp The Witch of Muskeg Bog – Shauna Forsberg How to Teach a Dog to Talk – Jackie Friedman Mighdoll The Timekeeper's Apprentice – Laurie Lascos The Vortex of Time – Terry McDonald How to Classify a Ghost – Madelaine Wong YOUNG ADULT SHORTLIST Secrets and Sunsets – Laura-Lee Desautels Roadkill – Jane Parker Dirt Magic – Derek Wagner Stormbringer – Karon Young Thanks to the CANSCAIP Members who volunteer as readers and jurors: Jen Bailey, Antonia Banyard, Lea Beddia, Kate Blair, Kristin Blakely, Laura Bontje, Nancy Cohen, Tziporah Cohen, Peggy Collins, Marcus Cutler, Natali de Mello, Jillian Dobson, MaryLou Driedger, Loretta Garbutt, Masoud Gharehbaghi, Stephanie Gibeault, Gabriel Goldstone, Kathryn Harper, Jennifer Harris, Theo Heras, Sharon Jennings, Etta Kaner, Uma Krishnaswami, Tanya Kyi, Sidura Ludwig, Sue Macartney, Cynthia Mackey, Patricia McCowan, Sheryl McFarlane, Jean Mills, Monica Nawrocki, Kenneth Oppel, Karen Rankin, Gillian Richardson, Jessica Rose, Judy-Ann Sadler, Jocelyn Shipley, Marsha Skrypuch, Arthur Slade, Karen Spafford-Fitz, Kerry Sparrow, Michael Stewart, Susan Sweet, Pauline Thompson, Linda Trinh, Chieri Uegaki, Nadia Umadat, Rebecca Upjohn, Jessica Vitalis, Christine Welldon, Wendy Whittingham, Tamla Young, Danielle Younge-Ullman. In addition, Tracey Brown, Joanne Levy and Jean E. Pendziwol manage the logistics of tracking and allocating entries to readers. Longlist for 2025 Writing for Children Competition Shortlist will be announced in September Feedback on entries will be sent in November August 2025: CANSCAIP is pleased to announce the 2025 Writing for Children Competition longlist. This year’s Competition had a record number of entries—more than 650 entries were received. All the entries are evaluated anonymously, and every entry will receive written feedback in November. Thank you so much to the CANSCAIP Members who volunteer as readers and jurors: Jen Bailey, Antonia Banyard, Lea Beddia, Kate Blair, Kristin Blakely, Laura Bontje, Nancy Cohen, Tziporah Cohen, Peggy Collins, Marcus Cutler, Natali de Mello, Jillian Dobson, MaryLou Driedger, Loretta Garbutt, Masoud Gharehbaghi, Stephanie Gibeault, Gabriel Goldstone, Kathryn Harper, Jennifer Harris, Theo Heras, Sharon Jennings, Etta Kaner, Uma Krishnaswami, Tanya Kyi, Sidura Ludwig, Sue Macartney, Cynthia Mackey, Patricia McCowan, Sheryl McFarlane, Jean Mills, Monica Nawrocki, Kenneth Oppel, Karen Rankin, Gillian Richardson, Jessica Rose, Judy-Ann Sadler, Jocelyn Shipley, Marsha Skrypuch, Arthur Slade, Karen Spafford-Fitz, Kerry Sparrow, Michael Stewart, Susan Sweet, Pauline Thompson, Linda Trinh, Chieri Uegaki, Nadia Umadat, Rebecca Upjohn, Jessica Vitalis, Christine Welldon, Wendy Whittingham, Tamla Young, Danielle Younge-Ullman. In addition, Tracey Brown, Joanne Levy and Jean E. Pendziwol manage the logistics of tracking and allocating entries to readers. PICTURE BOOK LONGLIST Daniel's Pebble – Katherine Adlam Snakeskin, Spit and Spiderwebs: Unusual Nests and the Birds Who Build Them – Danielle Anderson Valentina and the No-Good Scissors – Danielle Anderson Snuggle Puggle – Kristin Andersons Emily's Animals – Janet Bartier Daisy and Rose – Stephanie Beaudin Starry Summer Wonders – Agnes Bellegris When Riley Went Wild – Pauline Berenik The Nut House – Hayley Boothe What Would a Dad Do? – Mandy Brown Go Anywhere Night – Catherine Carnovale Where's Pumpkin? – Catherine Carnovale Soccer is Everything – Melina Ciaccia Mombie – Pamela Clark Frogs in the House – Laurie Crookell The Coolest Lunch Bag Ever – Laurie Crookell Girl Boots – Matthew Dunne Mac-o-saurus – Kimberly Dunne-Robbins Falling Asleep on a Whale's Back – Philip Dunshea Grandad's Front Porch – Bethany Fisher The Horrible Howl of Wolfgang von Schnitzel – Wendy Haller The Winter Hike – Louise Hamilton The Day Everyone Was Cranky – Kellyanne Hart Luna's Pet Dinosaur – Chris Holdaway Lucky the Maple Key – Susan Kelly Wiggles – Lukasz Kornas Annika's Cosmic Adventure – Amanda Lai Fergus Flies South – Robin Larin Something Perfect – Robin Larin A Bus for Placid Street – MJ Malleck Cheryl and Steve's Sheep Can't Sleep – Lison McCullough Dogs Daily Alphabet – Kathryn McDonald The One and Only Antony Titus Tomaro – Marcia McDonald-Scott Sweet Dreams Jungle Friends – Alison McEvoy Murray A Time to Pick Apples – Heidi McFadzean Pay Attention to Peahen – Heidi McFadzean Too Wild for the Zoo – Alison McGregor Counting on Ewe – Donna-Claire McLeod You and Me and Advocacy – Goldie Millar Willow Hears a Noise – Joyce Minten What the Doctor Ordered – Bronwen Moore One of a Kind – Lindsey Morris Far, Far, but Near – Sambriddhi Nepal Canadianimals – Karen O'Byrne Marvin's Marvelous Trunk – Cansu Ostojic What Happened to Hana's Happy? – Victor George Paddy Emmet's Pick-Your-Own – Eileen Rankin Dragon Is Out of Here – Patti Ranson Leshawna's Busy Legs – Michale Raske Moon Races – Heather Read The Bedtime Airship: A Storybook Adventure – Melanie Reiffenstein Itsy Moves Out – Angela Robertson The Big Bad Ballerina – Angela Robertson MMM…Marigolds! – Veronica Saretsky Waste Not, Taste Lots! How Kids Save Food Globally – Jen Schimmens Welcome to the Iceberg Buffet! – Jen Schimmens One Path – Barbara Schlosser Hill Hazel Forgets Where She Hides Everything (Again) – Hanan Shami The Wish Wind – Diane Taylor-Sexton Titus and Edwina - Diane Taylor-Sexton Finding Red: An Interactive Valentine's Day Mystery – Susan Wollison I Shaved My Sister's Head – Jim Woodend The Sneeze Button – Jim Woodend I Love the Pond – Jess Woolford MIDDLE GRADE LONGLIST You Break It, I Fix It – Eleanor Chun Carnival of Animals – Trevor Copp Woofer and the Case of the Odd Ducks – Carolyn de Lang The Witch of Muskeg Bog – Shauna Forsberg How to Teach a Dog to Talk – Jackie Friedman Mighdoll The Timekeeper's Apprentice – Laurie Lascos Marooned! – Terry McDonald The Vortex of Time – Terry McDonald Death Wears a Ponytail – Jane Parker Riches – Penny Thompson How to Classify a Ghost – Madelaine Wong YOUNG ADULT LONGLIST Catch and Release – Laura-Lee Desautels Secrets and Sunsets – Laura-Lee Desautels No Solace in the Dark – Bree Moreau Roadkill – Jane Parker Dirt Magic – Derek Wagner Stormbringer – Karon Young |
CANSCAIP
Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers
Davisville Centre | 1920 Yonge Street, Suite 241 | Toronto, Ontario M4S 3E2
Email: office@canscaip.org
Phone: 1-416-515-1559