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PRIX DE LITTÉRATURE DE JEUNESSE DU CONSEIL DES OUTAOUAIS DE L'ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONALE POUR LA LECTURE

FOR THE BEST FRENCH CHILDREN'S BOOK BY AN OTTAWA VALLEY AUTHOR.

LA MACHINE À BULLE JEAN-PIERRE GUILLET ILLUSTRATIONS: GILLES TIBO WATERLOO, QUÉBEC: ÉDITIONS M. QUINTIN, 1994, 31 P. (AU ROYAUME CLÉMENTINE, CONTES ÉCOLOGIQUES) ISBN 289435035X (BOUND) 2894350368 (PAPERBACK) AGES 3 TO 8 AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH: THE BUBBLE MACHINE (WATERLOO, QUÉBEC: QUINTIN PUBLISHERS, 1994)

Young princess Clémentine loves to blow soap bubbles but can't catch them without bursting them, much to her dismay. Mouk Tchouk, a magician-gardener, invents a machine that makes unbreakable bubbles, and King Pépin is so enchanted by it that he asks Mouk Tchouk to build one for every household in the kingdom. Soon, thousands of bubbles are floating into the atmosphere, but it quickly becomes clear that they are not good for the environment. So, the King asks Mouk Tchouk to solve this problem, too  -  vacuum cleaners in hot-air balloons will work nicely. Mouk Tchouk even finds a way to change the bubble machines into music boxes. This is a wonderful book for raising children's awareness of pollution and environmental issues.

PRIX 12/17 (BRIVE/MONTRÉAL)

(SALON DU LIVRE DE MONTRÉAL/FOIRE DU LIVRE DE BRIVE-LA-GAILLARDE)
FOR THE BEST BOOK FOR ADOLESCENTS.

LE LONG SILENCE SYLVIE DESROSIERS MONTRÉAL: LES ÉDITIONS LA COURTE ÉCHELLE, 1996, 146 P. (ROMAN+; R+39) ISBN 2890212564 AGES 13 AND UP

The text of this book is a long monologue by Mathieu at the grave of his friend Alice, who committed suicide. Mathieu remembers all their years of friendship. He tells her that he doesn't understand why she took her own life and talks about his grief, his outrage at her suicide and his love for her. Mathieu's reflections reveal much about his character and philosophy of life. He is angered by his friend's action and he wants to live, to meet challenges and feel joy  -  in short, to experience the simple pleasures of just being alive. He accepts what Alice has refused without reservation. Why? Mathieu's thoughts touch on many subjects, often with great insight.

PRIX DU LIVRE M. CHRISTIE

(COMPAGNIE CHRISTIE BROWN)
FOR THE BEST BOOK IN FRENCH,
AGES 7 AND UNDER.

POIL DE SERPENT, DENT D'ARAIGNÉE DANIELLE MARCOTTE ILLUSTRATIONS: STÉPHANE POULIN LAVAL, QUÉBEC: LES 400 COUPS, 1996, 31 P. (BILLOCHET) ISBN 2921620049 NEW EDITION. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE: PAR LA BAVE DE MON CRAPAUD (SILLERY, QUÉBEC: OVALE, 1984) AGES 7 AND UP

Scared of being beaten again by her father, Florentine runs away from home.  Nightfall has other fears in store for her: the fear of darkness, of animals, and of Crapoussin, an ugly and ill-kept young boy with a raspy voice who asks her, from behind the trees, what she is doing in the woods.  In answer to his question, Florentine describes her father's behaviour since her mother's death.  Crapoussin calls on his warlock's powers to ensure that Florentine's father never lays a hand on her again.  And thus begins a new friendship between the two children.  Stéphane Poulin's splendid illustrations are a wonderful addition to the story.

PRIX DU LIVRE M. CHRISTIE

(COMPAGNIE CHRISTIE BROWN)
FOR THE BEST FRENCH BOOK,
AGES 8 TO 11.

JEAN-BAPTISTE, COUREUR DES BOIS, OU, RÉCIT D'UN AVENTUREUX PÉRIPLE DE MONTRÉAL À MICHILLIMAKINAC PAR LE SIEUR JEAN-BAPTISTE LÉTOURNEAU, DIT PETIT-BAPTISTE, NATIF DU VILLAGE DE LACHINE EN LA NOUVELLE-FRANCE, AUSSI VULGAIREMENT APPELÉE LE CANADA ROBERT DAVIDTS ILLUSTRATIONS: FRANCIS BACK MONTRÉAL: BORÉAL, 1996, 128 P. (LES AVENTURES DE JEAN-BAPTISTE ; 1) (BORÉAL JUNIOR ; 48) ISBN 2890527751 AGES 9 AND UP

Jean-Baptiste knew from a very young age that he didn't want to become a farmer like his father or take up shoemaking. His dream was to become a coureur des bois like his uncle, a wish spurred on by his uncle's fascinating stories. Despite Jean-Baptiste's youth,  his father agrees to let his son travel with his uncle, and he is given the nickname "Petit-Baptiste". During the long trip, the young boy learns the true meaning of hunger, injustice, friendship, and death and comes back a man. One look at the farm he has so sorely missed convinces him that becoming a coureur des bois is not his true calling. The black and white illustrations convey a true sense of the period and are faithful to the detail and rhythm of this adventure-filled story.

PRIX DU LIVRE M. CHRISTIE

(COMPAGNIE CHRISTIE BROWN)
FOR THE BEST FRENCH BOOK,
AGES 12 AND UP.

LE RÊVE COULEUR D'ORANGE JACQUES LAZURE MONTRÉAL: QUÉBEC/AMÉRIQUE JEUNESSE, 1996, 149 P. (TITAN +) ISBN 2890378055 AGES 15 AND UP

Oznael is a soldier who has been programmed from birth to destroy and kill. His upcoming mission is to exterminate an entire colony of Éclatants. However, he discovers his human feelings when he meets little Aoza, who asks him to save his people from certain extinction. The Éclatants are plagued with amnesia and this puzzles Oznael, until he discovers that the adults' staple food, rice, was poisoned. This novel asks the reader to reflect on the frequent ruthlessness of humans and on the possibility of living differently.

PRIX ELIZABETH MRAZIK-CLEAVER POUR LE MEILLEUR LIVRE D'IMAGES CANADIEN

(L'UNION INTERNATIONALE POUR LES LIVRES DE JEUNESSE  -  CANADA)
FOR THE BEST ILLUSTRATIONS.

SELINA AND THE BEAR PAW QUILT BARBARA SMUCKER ILLUSTRATIONS: JANET WILSON TORONTO: LESTER PUBLISHING, 1995, 32 P. ISBN 0773729925 (BOUND) 0773758372 (PAPERBACK) AGES 6 TO 9

When Selina's Mennonite family moves to Upper Canada to escape the death and destruction of the American Civil War, Grandmother gives Selina a Bear Paw quilt (reproduced on the book's endpapers). The scraps of cloth in Selina's quilt come from her own baby clothes, her aunt's favorite dress, and even her grandmother's wedding dress. A link across the miles and between the generations, the quilt is truly a precious memento that eases the heartache of so abrupt a move. This gorgeous picture book looks back in time to celebrate the importance of family history and traditions.

PRIX LITTÉRAIRE DU GOUVERNEUR GÉNÉRAL  -  LITTÉRATURE DE JEUNESSE

(CONSEIL DES ARTS DU CANADA)
FOR THE BEST TEXT.

NOÉMIE: LE SECRET DE MADAME LUMBAGO GILLES TIBO ILLUSTRATIONS: LOUISE-ANDRÉE LALIBERTÉ BOUCHERVILLE, QUÉBEC: QUÉBEC/AMÉRIQUE JEUNESSE, 1996, 163 P. (BILBO ; 64) (NOÉMIE ; 1) ISBN 2890376982 AGES 9 AND UP

Noémie, the seven-year-old narrator, invites the reader to discover her world, which, it turns out, is very similar to that of many little girls. The story's pace quickens when Noémie becomes obsessed with finding a hidden treasure in the apartment of her babysitter, Madame Lumbago. The death of Madame Lumbago's husband seems to bring Noémie's search to an end, but the little girl is determined to find her sitter's secret. This book is written with great sensitivity and tact, and Louise-Andrée Laliberté's illustrations bring the story to life.

PRIX LITTÉRAIRE DU GOUVERNEUR GÉNÉRAL  -  LITTÉRATURE DE JEUNESSE

(CONSEIL DES ARTS DU CANADA)
FOR THE BEST ILLUSTRATIONS.

NOT AWARDED IN 1996

PRIX LITTÉRAIRES DESJARDINS  -  LITTÉRATURE JEUNESSE

(SALON DU LIVRE DE QUÉBEC)
FOR THE BEST WORK OF CHILDREN'S FICTION  BY AN AUTHOR WHO HAS ONLY PUBLISHED ONE OR TWO BOOKS.

LE PLUS PROCHE VOISIN HÉLÈNE VACHON ILLUSTRATIONS: YAYO SAINT-LAMBERT, QUÉBEC: HÉRITAGE, 1995, 38 P. (HÉRITAGE JEUNESSE) (CARROUSEL.  MINI-ROMAN ; 6) ISBN 276257921X AGES 6 TO 8

This story is pure delight! It is imaginative, subtle and funny, even though the premise may not at first glance seem to lend itself to humour. Somerset is taken aback when he discovers, after much (hilarious) difficulty, that his closest neighbour is also his French teacher, and that the teacher's dog, called Grand Escogriffe (Great Beanpole) by Somerset's father, is causing bad feelings between the two men. Somerset works hard to solve the problem and his efforts also help him discover the power of words, even if the results are sometimes surprising. Yayo's illustrations add a touch of fantasy to the story.