Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smith win $50K TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for Town Is by the Sea

Prizes celebrating the best of Canadian children's literature were handed out at the 2018 Canadian Children's Literature Awards on Oct. 29, 2018.

Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smith won the top prize of the evening, the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, for their illustrated look at one boy's experience of East Coast mining culture, Town Is by the Sea.

• How East Coast mining culture inspired Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smith's beautiful picture book

The $50,000prize is awarded annually to the best book written for children under the age of 12.

According to the jury for the prize,Town Is by the Seaasks readers "to see the contrasts of freedom and restriction, childhood and adulthood, choice and fate as the main character embraces who he is and who he longs to become."

The other 2018 finalists were Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr, Picture the Sky by Barbara Reid, Speaking Our Truth by Monique Gray SmithandWhen the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge and Matt James.

• 12 beautifully illustrated Canadian picture books for young readers

A public vote was held to determine the CBC's Fan Choice Contest winner. Students from across Canada could vote for their favourite finalist for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and the book that received the most votes was Picture the Skyby Barbara Reid. As well, 11-year-old Hamza Khan was randomly selected from among participating voters to receive a school visit from one of the finalist creators, copies of that creator's book forstudents in their class, a two-thousand dollar donation to their school library and five hundred dollars spending money.

Five other awards were given out at the Oct. 29 gala, honouring Canadian children's books in a range of genres. Those winners were:

• The $5,000Amy Mathers Teen Book Award: The Marrow Thievesby Cherie Dimaline
• The $5,000Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People: The Assassin's Curseby Kevin Sands
• The $5,000John Spray Mystery Award: The Hanging Girlby Eileen Cook
• The $20,000 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award: When the Moon Comes, written by Paul Harbridge and illustrated by Matt James
• The $10,000 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction:#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women, edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

You can learn more about each of these books below.

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award:The Marrow Thievesby Cherie Dimaline

Told from the perspective of a young boy on the run from so-called "recruiters," the young adult novel The Marrow Thieves is a harrowing look at a near-future where only Indigenous peoples have retained the ability to dream. With dreamlessness plaguing the rest of the population, Indigenous people are now on the run hunted for their bone marrow, which is rumoured to restore hold the key to dreaming.

The jury said: "In The Marrow Thieves, Dimaline has woven a complex, timely and poignant story about survival, the will to continue to be, and the power of love and family Dimaline's characters are drawn with depth and nuance and her exquisitely lyrical prose is captivating drawing readers into a dystopian world that is too close to reality for comfort."

• The message YA novelist Cherie Dimaline has for young Indigenous readers

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People: The Assassin's Curseby Kevin Sands

The third instalment in Kevin Sands's Blackthorn Key series,The Assassin's Curse returns to the adventures of Christopher Rowe. This time, the young code-breaker must solve a series of puzzles to determine who is behind a murder, before they can strike again.

The jury said: "An enduring and entertaining addition to a compelling historical series The mystery adventure is plotted beautifully and leaves readers with questions, and constantly in search of answers to the mystery presented Sands is a skilled and talented author whose writing style succeeds in engaging readers Mystery, suspense, murder and codes is a recipe for an entertaining, engaging and intriguing read."

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John Spray Mystery Award:The Hanging Girlby Eileen Cook

In Eileen Cook's novel The Hanging Girl, a fake psychic named Skye Thorn gets caught up investigating a kidnapping she happens to know was fake too. Now, Thorn is in over her head, and will need to use the powers of observation that have long fuelled her phony tarot card readings to determine the true identity of the people she's involved with.

The jury said: "When the most popular girl in school goes missing, the class psychic, Skye, conveniently starts to have visions about what might have happened to her The Hanging Girl is a quick paced thriller with amazing plot twists from beginning to end It was hard to decide who to root for and who to blame A great page turner and psychological thriller."

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award: When the Moon Comes, written by Paul Harbridge and illustrated by Matt James

Inspired by Paul Harbridge's own childhood memories of playing pond hockey on frozen backyard rinks, When the Moon Comes is an evocative look at the magic of time spent outdoors, and celebrates a sense of adventure that all readers will appreciate whether they're hockey fans or not.

The jury said: "A remarkable book in every respectThe quietly told tale is beautifully enhanced by James' stunning artwork. Even the wordless spreads speak volumes... This nostalgia filled adventure with friends will resonate with those who love the moon, nature and hockey There's a bit of mystery and magic, too, captured on these pages... An outstanding book worthy of many readings."

• How Paul Harbridge and Matt James captured the magic of moonlight

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction: #NotYourPrincess, edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

This eclectic collection of poetry, essays, interviews and art brings together work from a variety of Indigenous women to explore the past, present and future of the Indigenous experience in North America. Edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale, #NotYourPrincess is a provocative and creative look at what it means to be Indigenous and a woman in the world today.

The jury said: "#NotYourPrincess celebrates the talents and accomplishments of Indigenous women and dispels stereotypes... A rich collection that acknowledges the Indigenous experiences as we move towards recognition and positive change It empowers individuals to be proud of who they are and to demand change so that all voices are heard."

• 6 books that inspired Lisa Charleyboy