Beastly Puzzles by Rachel Poliquin and illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler (Kids Can Press) and Orange for the Sunset by Tina Athaide (Katherine Tegen Books) have been included in the 2020-2021 Main Student Book Award List! The Maine Student Book Award is designed to expand literary horizons of students in grades 4-8 by encouraging them to read, evaluate, and enjoy a selection of new books and to choose a statewide favorite by written ballot each spring. It is a joint project of the Maine Library Association, the Maine Association of School Libraries, and the Maine Reading Association.
About Beastly Puzzles: This book asks children: If you’re given a list of features and characteristics, can you guess which animal they make? This might seem easy enough, but solving the puzzles in this book is deviously, outrageously, almost impossibly tricky! Once readers make a guess (or if they get stumped!), they can open the gatefold to reveal the animal, with each clue explained and lots of additional fascinating facts.
Rachel Poliquin is a writer and curator with a background in visual arts, cultural history and natural history. Rachel has also written for the Believer Magazine and the New York Times. Rachel lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rachel is represented by Amy Tompkins.
About Orange for the Sunsets, a Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2019 Selection as well as a Canadian Children’s Book Center Best Books for Kids & Teens Pick: From debut author Tina Athaide comes a soaring tale of empathy, hope, and resilience, as two best friends living under Ugandan President Amin’s divisive rule must examine where—and who—they call home.
Tina Athaide was born in Uganda and grew up in London and Canada. While her family left Entebbe just prior to the expulsion, she has memories of refugee family and friends staying with them in their London home. The stories and conversations she listened to through the years became the inspiration for her book Orange for the Sunsets. Tina now lives in California with her husband, Ron, and their daughter, Isabella. Tina is represented by Andrea Cascardi.
To see the full list of nominees, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/Maine-Student-Book-Award-225700717456776/