
Selection Committee
FRANÇAIS
Mandate:
The Forest of Reading has ten individual selection committees that are tasked with selecting the annual nominated lists for children and adults. After reviewing all applications, the Forest of Reading Staff appoints the committees to read, review and recommend Canadian books that meet the selection criteria and are deemed to be the best available titles for a given year, in a given program.
- Terms of Reference – Selection Committee
- Terms of Reference – Selection Committee Chairs
- Selection Committee Timeline & Reading Requirements Chart
- Forest of Reading Selection Policy
Note: OLA strives to ensure that its staff, committees, and councils are diverse and inclusive in order to best serve the Ontario library community. There is immense value in bringing together various perspectives and ideas. OLA seeks out participation from members with different library experience; members from all regions of Ontario; Indigenous Peoples; and members with diverse backgrounds including but not limited to age, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ability. If you have any questions about getting involved, please contact the OLA staff liaison for the committee/council.
Reading Timelines
The timeline for each Award varies due to the reading demands for each program. Below is the schedule of reading:
- Blue Spruce – April to June
- Silver Birch – January to August
- Yellow Cedar – December to July
- Red Maple – October to August
- White Pine – October to August
- Le prix Peuplier – July
- Le prix Mélèze – February to August
- Le prix Tamarac – February to August
- Evergreen – October to September
Application Deadlines
Applications are accepted all year round; however, Chairs will try to select the committees based on applications up until the dates below. These are just guidelines.
- Blue Spruce – February 1
- Silver Birch – November 1
- Yellow Cedar – November 1
- Red Maple – October 1
- White Pine – October 1
- Le prix Peuplier – January 1
- Le prix Mélèze – January 1
- Le prix Tamarac – January 1
- Evergreen – September 1
2027 Selection Committees
Co-Chairs of the Forest of Reading®
Co-Chair: Karen Devonish-Mazzotta, Teacher-Librarian, TDSB
Co-Chair: Amy Johnston, Library Technician

Blue Spruce Award™
Rabia Khokhar & Angie Wurster (Co-Chairs)
Lena Cybulskie, Michelle Collins, Anthea Bailie, Geetha Padassery, Tamara Kakish, Melissa Money, Daphne Tran, Sam McPherson, Holly Brown, Kelly Iggers, Christine Julien-Sullivan, Nisha Prajapati, Maria Ferreira, David Hoang

Silver Birch Express Award®
Fiction Portion:
Ruth Gretsinger, Lillian Gretsinger & Amy Johnston (Co-Chairs)
Erin Beacom, Brittany Shantz, Elaine Young, Julie Najjar, Katie Sinclair, Katelyn Stoddart, Stephanie Dafoe, Christie Schemmer Glenn, Rachel Tam, Victoria Payson, Crystal Smith, Kawmadie Karunanayake, Neelum Mughal, Cheryl Smith, Fiona Somerville, Brandy Spencer, Jordan Chiappetta
Non-Fiction Portion:
Melanie Mulcaster & Wendy Burch-Jones (Co-Chairs)
Anne Marie Sisti, Carolyn von Hasselbach, Karen Clarkson, Klara Redford, Crystal Smith, Genevieve Jones-Edman, Selena Horrell, Sandra Lewis, Natalie Chong Tai, Sarah Alberts, Alisha Rotstein, Meaghan Nichol

Silver Birch Fiction Award®
Ruth Gretsinger, Lillian Gretsinger & Amy Johnston (Co-Chairs)
Erin Beacom, Brittany Shantz, Elaine Young, Julie Najjar, Katie Sinclair, Katelyn Stoddart, Stephanie Dafoe, Christie Schemmer Glenn, Rachel Tam, Victoria Payson, Crystal Smith, Kawmadie Karunanayake, Neelum Mughal, Cheryl Smith, Fiona Somerville, Brandy Spencer, Jordan Chiappetta

Yellow Cedar Award
Melanie Mulcaster & Wendy Burch-Jones (Co-Chairs)
Anne Marie Sisti, Carolyn von Hasselbach, Karen Clarkson, Klara Redford, Crystal Smith, Genevieve Jones-Edman, Selena Horrell, Sandra Lewis, Natalie Chong Tai, Sarah Alberts, Alisha Rotstein, Meaghan Nichols

Red Maple Award™
Patricia MacPhail & Alison Yntema (Co-Chairs)
Candace Ramshaw, Laurie Orford, Mallory McMahon, Myra Junyk, Aileen Allore, Sue Prestwich, Megan Venner, Miranda Richer, Meagan McNaney, Heather Thomson, Tess MacLennan

White Pine Award™
Serena McGovern & Leigh Ingram (Co-Chairs)
Arathy Sivasubramaniam, Corrina McGill, Diana Williams, Jennifer Clapp, Vanessa Vila, Rebecca Roach, Olivia Slykhuis, Keirstin Gajadhar, Dana Pugh, Sarah Wheatley, Harman Banga, Margarita Cifuentes, Meghan Stewart

Le prix Peuplier
Claudine Blanchard & Nancy Dion (Chairs)
Jennifer Aston, Marie-Ève Henri, Selena Horrell, Luisa Esposito-Karantakis, Nathalie Soini, Tanya Woodward, Mireille Cleroux, Myriam Lévis, Lynn MacDonald, Emilie Gauthier, Madison Cumbaa, Lindsay Mitchell, Asha Nagpal, Karen Devonish-Mazzotta, Mamadou Oury Diallo, Elizabeth St-Charles, Lena Cybulskie.

Le prix Mélèze
Claudine Blanchard & Nancy Dion (Chairs)

Le prix Tamarac
Claudine Blanchard & Nancy Dion (Chairs)
Chanelle Clément, Luisa Esposito-Karantakis, Julie Charbonneau, Suzanne Lalonde, Makelah Gay-Labbé, Geneviève Laurence, Mireille Cleroux, Alexandra Shaw, Myriam Lévis.

Evergreen Award™
Enid Wray & Julie Wendland (Co-Chairs)
Shannan Sword, Adrienne Hubbard, Michael Broderick, Kathryn Drury, Kaley Stewart, Theresa Power, Jessica Casas, Stephanie Harnden, Susan Ewing, Anna Rowe.
