2025 Winner

The results are in! 301 votes were cast and the winner is The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson. Described as a “meticulously crafted thriller,” Jackson’s novel received 67 votes.

The full list of nominees, ordered by number of votes received, is:

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (67)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (55)
The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh (35)
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow (33)
Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks (25)
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (24)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (20)
Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (18)
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (16)
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (8)

Thirty-two staff also cast a vote for their favourite, with The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters emerging as the winner. The Berry Pickers, described as a novel that “beautifully explores loss, grief, hope, and the invisible tether that keeps families intact even when they are ripped apart,” is a debut novel written by a Nova Scotian author.

The full list of nominees, ordered by number of votes received, is:

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (8)
The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh (7)
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow (4)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4)
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (4)
Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (3)
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (1)
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (1)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (0)
Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks (0)

2023 Winner

The results are in! 435 student votes were cast and the winner is The Girl from the Sea: A Graphic Novel by Molly Knox Ostertag

The Girl from the Sea is a fantasy-based graphic novel about family, romance, and first love.

The full list of nominees, ordered by number of votes received, is:

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag (80)
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (60)
In The Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (50)
Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus (49)
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (38)
Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon (38)
Two Degrees by Alan Gratz (38)
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir(32)
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill (25)
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, et al. (25)

Thirty staff also cast a vote for their favourite, with I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys emerging as the winner. I Must Betray You is a startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation.

Ruta Sepetys is an internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of numerous works of historical fiction. Sepetys is considered a “crossover” novelist as her books are read by both students and adults worldwide.

The full list of nominees, ordered by number of votes received, is:

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (8)
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (7)
In The Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (7)
Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon (2)
Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus (2)
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (1)
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag (1)
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill (1)
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, et al. (1)
Two Degrees by Alan Gratz (0)

2022 Winner

The results are in! 428 student votes were cast and the winner is Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang.

In this YA graphic novel, set in1946, the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman.

The full list of nominees, ordered by number of votes received, is:

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang (149)
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (104)
Gone to the Woods, Surviving a Lost Childhood by Gary Paulsen (80)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (69)
Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith (26)

Twenty-eight staff also cast a vote for their favourite, with Barry Squires, Full Tilt emerging as the winner with eleven votes. This was followed by Gone to the Woods (6), These Violent Delights (5) Concrete Rose (4), and Superman Smashes the Klan (2).

CCRCE Library Services would like to extend a huge thank you to all participating students and staff. It couldn’t have happened without you!

2021 TRCA Winner

The results are in! 288 votes were cast and the winner is I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick. Described as “an atmospheric and creepy page-turner’” Frick’s novel received 30 percent of the vote. Frick is also the author of All Eyes on Us and See All the Stars.

Voting ended on Friday, June 4th, and CCRCE library staff is pleased to announce the following results.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick (89)
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (69)
Burn by Patrick Ness (65)
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (39)
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams (26)

2020 Winner

The results are in! 145 votes were cast and the winner is Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. In this YA thriller, author Jackson spins a tale of murder, neglect, and systemic racism, all told through the lens of a middle school aged girl. Jackson is also the author of Allegedly and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. Her fourth title, Grown, will be released on September 15, 2020.

As a result of Covid-19, we had to switch things up regarding the 2020 Teen Reader’s Choice Award. Because we understand the importance of literacy and the joy of reading, it was decided to continue with this year’s award program although in a different format. All five of the TRCA titles were available through various locations as ebooks or audiobooks and this information was relayed to CCRCE staff and students. The voting period was also extended this year and made available online at our blog.

Voting ended on Saturday, June 6th, and CCRCE library staff is pleased to report that 145 students cast their votes. The results are as follows.

  • Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson (45)
  • Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier (43)
  • Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks (26)
  • The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe (18)
  • The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown (13)

CCRCE Library Services would like to extend a huge thank you to all participating students for making this program a great success regardless of the coronavirus epidemic. It couldn’t have happened without you!