Forest of Reading Awards Get New Websites

The Ontario Library Association has created new interactive websites for each of its Forest of Reading awards:

• Blue Spruce Online (primary school to grade 2, picture books)
• Silver Birch Online (grades 3 to 6, fiction and non-fiction)
• Red Maple Online (grades 7 to 8, fiction and non-fiction)
• White Pine Online (high school fiction)

There are two types of accounts: student and teacher/librarian. After making an account, users can read excerpts from the nominated books, watch videos of the authors and illustrators, make their own videos, rate and comment on the nominated books, build their own collections, post top-ten lists, and more. I encourage teachers and librarians (and parents!) to get their kids to try out the websites and see what they think!

We have two books nominated for the Silver Birch this year: Pharaohs and Foot Soliders (by Kristin Butcher, with illustrations by Martha Newbigging) and Animal Aha! (by Diane Swanson). You can read samples of both on the Silver Birch Online website, plus you can watch videos of the authors talking about the books! As a sneak peek, here's Kristin Butcher, introducing us to one of the stars of Pharaohs and Foot Soliders.