2025 CCBC Book Awards winners

On October 27, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) announced the winners of the 2025 CCBC Book Awards at a ceremony held at DoubleTree by Hilton’s downtown Toronto location.

Presented for the first time by the CCBC, the $10,000 Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction went to Meet Jim Egan by Elizabeth MacLeod and illustrated by Mike Deas.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. It was also the first year since 2005 that the Canadian Children’s Literature Award, formerly sponsored by TD, was not awarded.

The seven English-language winners are:

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000)

• SOS Water by Yayo (Tradewind Books)

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000)

• Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams by Shari Green (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000)

• Age 16 by Rosena Fung (Annick Press)

Jean Little First-Novel Award ($5,000)

• Alterations by Ray Xu (Union Square Kids/Hachette Book Group)

Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy ($5,000)

• The Headmasters by Mark Morton (Shadowpaw Press)

Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award ($2,500)

• Hummingbird / Aamo-binashee written and illustrated by Jennifer Leason; Anishinaabemowin translation by Norman Chartrand and Jennifer Leason (Orca Book Publishers)

Sharon Fitzhenry Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction ($10,000)

• Meet Jim Egan by Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas, ill. (Scholastic Canada)

“All seven of these very different books have at their hearts, stories of hope and resilience,” said Stephanie Wells, CCBC executive director in the press release. “Readers will be inspired by the characters (some imagined, some real) as they fight for freedom, equality, rights, the environment, belonging, finding their own voice, and their place in the world. Some fights are quieter than others, some are peppered with humour, or feature beautiful art, but all show children that they can make a difference and that they are not alone.”