Little Red River School Hosts Launch of the Willow Book Awards

This Grade 2 class at Little Red River particularly liked Georgia Graham’s A Team Like No Other, a book in the Shining Willow category.

The “Willows” are a product of the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Awards (SYRCA), a non-profit group established in 2001 by a volunteer group of school and public librarians. The mission of The Willow Awards is to promote reading by granting a “Willow Award” to the Canadian and/or Saskatchewan book(s) voted by Saskatchewan students to be the best of those nominated in designated categories for a specific year.

Each year, there are 10 books or titles in each category that are nominated by a SYRCA selection committee. Students must read a minimum number of books in each of the categories before they can vote on their favourite book.

Three awards in three categories are given each year to authors of books that the students vote on after reading them:

The Shining Willow Award category is determined by beginning readers, generally from Kindergarten-Grade 3 who either read them, or have them read to them by their teachers;

The Diamond Willow Award category is voted on by competent readers in the upper elementary years—Grades 4-6; and

The Snow Willow Award category is voted on by accomplished readers from Grades 7-9.

Readers in the Shining Willow category must read a minimum of five titles before they can vote, while those in the Diamond Willow and Snow Willow categories must read a minimum of four titles. Students can either vote online, or mail a printable group tally to the SYRCA. In 2005, over 7500 children in 63 Saskatchewan communities voted on the Willow Awards. Each spring the call to host the launch of the Willow Awards is made, and is usually awarded to a rural school.

Last year, Jean Anderson’s Kindergarten to Grade 3 students at Little Red River School read five books and voted on them for the Willow Awards. “They just thought that was great,” she said, “voting and deciding and arguing about which book was the best.”

Anderson, a teacher/librarian, made a bid to host the awards and was accepted. Prior to the October 27 launch, the students made preparations to introduce their favourite books to the public. Individual classrooms created murals of their favourite books and hung them in the gymnasium.

On the afternoon of October 27, Principal, Darren Solomon, and Masters of Ceremony, Brittany Morin and Elisa Halkett, welcomed students from St. Louis and Sturgeon Lake Schools as well as parents and guests from Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and North Battleford.

After “O Canada,” Elder Judy Bear from Sweetgrass First Nation provided the opening prayer in Cree and English. Entertainer, Ted Longbottom sang songs based on his Métis heritage and growing up on a reserve in Manitoba.

Students paraded large reproductions of the covers of all the 2006 Willow Awards’ nominated books around the gym to the front where they were attached to the wall (see photos of some of them). Elder Daniels then blessed the books and the readers. Following the Honour Song, student powwow pancers entertained.

Lynn Gilbert and Liz Roberts, founding members of Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice (SYRCA) Willow Awards, were honoured with SYRCA Distinguished Service Awards. Books, and bookmarks were presented to St. Louis and Sturgeon Lake Schools.

The celebration concluded with everyone participating in a Round Dance, followed by a Victory Song and a closing prayer by Elder Judy Bear. Tea and bannock with jam followed.

The students have until February 28, 2007 to vote on their favourite books. A Willow Awards gala will be held in Swift Current in May 2007 to present the awards, at which the authors will be present.

Anderson suggested that they would maybe like to host the Willow Awards gala in a couple of years.

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