The Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques has announced the 2015 finalists for both the Young Adult Book Award and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, sponsored by the Library Services Centre.

The shortlist for the YA Book Award, recognizing an exceptional work of Canadian English-language fiction for young adults published the year prior, is as follows:

• Maggie de Vries, Rabbit Ears (HarperCollins Canada)
• Deborah Ellis, Moon at Nine (Pajama Press)
• Marthe Jocelyn, What We Hide (Tundra Books)
• Lisa Harrington, Twisted, (Dancing Cat Books)
• Alice Kuipers, The Death of Us (HarperCollins Canada)
• S. J. Laidlaw, The Voice Inside My Head (Tundra)
• Laura Langston, The Art of Getting Stared At (Penguin Canada)
• Caroline Pignat, The Gospel Truth (Red Deer Press)
• Caroline Pignat, Unspeakable (Razorbill Canada)
• Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, This One Summer (Groundwood Books)

The shortlist for the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award, honouring an illustrator of a “noteworthy” Canadian book appealing to children under 12 and published the year prior, is as follows:

• Geneviève Côté, Bob’s Hungry Ghost (Tundra)
• Scott Chantler, Pirates of the Silver Coast (Kids Can Press)
• Marie-Louise Gay, Any Questions? (Groundwood)
• Monica Kulling; Marie Lafrance, illus., The Tweedles Go Electric (Groundwood)
• Kyo Maclear; Julie Morstad, illus., Julia, Child (Tundra)
• Roy Miki and Slavia Miki; Julie Flett, illus., Dolphin SOS (Tradewind Books)
• Rémy Simard; Pierre Pratt, illus., Gustave (Groundwood)
• David J. Smith; Steve Adams, illus., If… (Kids Can Press)
• Ashley Spires, The Most Magnificent Thing (Kids Can Press)
• Cybèle Young, Nancy Knows (Tundra)

The awards will be presented during the CLA National Conference and Trade Show at Ottawa’s Shaw Centre June 4.