Children pick winners of literary awards
More than 11,000 students in Sask. cast vote for their favourite read
Rona Arato’s name was called to roaring applause.
Hundreds of students packed into the MacNeill School gym on Friday were those making the noise.
They were celebrating their win as much as hers. Arato’s book The Last Train won the Diamond Willow Award for middle years literature.
“The cheer that went up just filled my heart to bursting; I was so happy that they were rooting for the book so hard,” said MacNeill teacher-librarian Jolie Brewer.
More than 11,000 students across the province voted in the readers’ choice Willow Awards — also known as the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Awards, established in 2001 to celebrate Canadian children’s literature.
MacNeill Grade 4 and 5 classes studied Arato’s book, a memoir of her husband Paul’s survival of the Holocaust and, 64 years later, his meeting with the American soldiers who liberated him.
“It was received very, very well,” said Brewer. “I think the fact that it’s a true story … that just spoke to the students very deeply.
“We get the stereotype that history is boring and dull, but when we get a book that’s so well-written about something that is as powerful and emotional as the Holocaust, it speaks to people.”
Hearing the children’s responses to her book was the highlight of Arato’s first visit to Saskatchewan.
The Toronto-based author heard from children who loved the book and cried while reading it, and who were inspired to learn more about the Holocaust.
One girl said this was the first book she’d ever finished reading.
“The reason I wrote the book … was because these stories need to be told and it’s these kids who can help ensure that things like this don’t happen in the future,” said Arato.
“The more we can teach them about the dangers of hatred going to such extremes … I think is time well spent.”
Friday was the culmination of months of work by Brewer and 20 student ambassadors who planned the awards gala, hosted in Regina for the first time since 2004.
Vancouver author Linda Bailey won the Shining Willow award, as voted by kids in kindergarten through Grade 3, for her book If Kids Ruled the World.
Ontario author Eric Walters won the Snow Willow award (for Grades 7-9) for his book The Rule of Three.
Neither could attend the event, but both sent videos thanking the children and encouraging them to keep reading. Arato echoed their sentiments. “I think reading is just the best thing,” said Arato. “It introduces kids to other worlds, other people, we can’t all travel all around the world but you can learn so much from reading. It’s so important.”
Brewer said the awards provided “that extra little push for kids to enjoy Canadian literature.”
The ceremony included viewing of students’ artwork made in tribute to the 30 nominated books, and the school choir’s performance of a fitting song called Books, which rhymed pages with contagious.
The school was also presented with a willow tree to plant on the school grounds, as well as a copy of each of the nominated books for its library.