A few days before the school break, the Prix des libraires du Québec announced the winning titles in its youth section.
At the end of two months of voting, four books from here and four books published outside Quebec were chosen by all the province’s booksellers. The prizes, accompanied by a $3,000 scholarship for the Quebec winners, were presented Wednesday at the Maison de la culture Montréal-Nord during a ceremony hosted by actress Sophie Cadieux, youth ambassador of the prize.
After the great success The end of lice? (Les 400 coups, 2021), winner of the Children’s Book Prize from the Bibliothèques de Montréal, cartoonist Orbie once again wins honors with the hilarious The drawer of stockings all by themselves (The 400 Blows, 2023). This story, in which two children tackle the unfathomable mystery of socks that disappear in the washing machine, won over the jury in the Children’s Comics — Quebec category.
As for Quebec albums intended for 0-5 year olds, booksellers have chosen In Amédée’s shoes (Fonfon, 2022). Written by Véronique Lambert and illustrated by Éléna Comte, the book features a shoemaker who, at night, returns to his workshop to put on his customers’ shoes, and share, for a few hours, their reality.
In the 6-11 year olds — Quebec category, the jury selected the touching graphic novel Mina and her beast (The short scale, 2022) by Caroline Merola, which addresses with poetry and intelligence the imprint of human life on its environment. “A captivating story, brooded by illustrations which magnify the contemplation of the forest”, indicated the critic Yannick Marcoux in the pages of the Duty.
The collective for teenagers My first time (La Bagnole, 2022), which brings together the stories of nine authors recounting the memory of their first sexual relationship — stood out in the 12-17 year olds — Quebec section.
As for foreign works, The long march of the turkeys (Rue de Sèvres, 2022) by Léonie Bischoff, in a translation by Hélène Misserly, caught the attention of booksellers in the Children’s Comics category. Among the toddlers, honors were given to Knight Owl (Kaleidoscope, 2023) by Christopher Denise, while the first volume of the series The Thirteen Witches — The Memory Thief — shone among the 6-11 year olds. Finally, in the category of novels dedicated to adolescents, the jury highlighted the quality of Black brother, black brother (Boomerang, 2022) by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
Starting March 5, an activity book featuring the children’s books that are finalists and winners of the Prix des libraires du Québec will be available in independent bookstores.