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 1try
2025 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, Kendra Cutting, Michelle Collins, Natasha Rankin, Anthea Bailie, Geetha Padassery, Tamara Kakish, Melissa Bruno, Erin Willson, Daphne Tran
Silver Birch Express Award®
Fiction Portion:
Ruth Gretsinger & Amy Johnston (Co-Chairs)
Aileen Allore, Brittany Shantz, Elaine Young, Serena Winegarden, Amanda Bossuyt, Julie Najjar, Katie Sinclair, Katelyn Stoddart, Kiran Punjani, Lillian Gretsinger
Non-Fiction Portion:
Melanie Mulcaster & Wendy Burch-Jones (Co-Chairs)
Jennifer Lynch, Anne Marie Sisti, Carolyn von Hasselbach, Karen Clarkson, Renée Shah Singh, Dani Laver, Mishelle Pitter-Adlam, Klara Redford, Crystal Smith, Sasha Saron, Genevieve Jones-Edman, Selena Horrell
Silver Birch Fiction Award®
Ruth Gretsinger & Amy Johnston (Co-Chairs)
Aileen Allore, Brittany Shantz, Elaine Young, Serena Winegarden, Amanda Bossuyt, Julie Najjar, Katie Sinclair, Katelyn Stoddart, Kiran Punjani, Lillian Gretsinger
Yellow Cedar Award
Melanie Mulcaster & Wendy Burch-Jones (Co-Chairs)
Jennifer Lynch, Anne Marie Sisti, Carolyn von Hasselbach, Karen Clarkson, Renée Shah Singh, Dani Laver, Mishelle Pitter-Adlam, Klara Redford, Crystal Smith, Sasha Saron, Genevieve Jones-Edman, Selena Horrell
Red Maple Award™
Patricia MacPhail & Alison Yntema (Co-Chairs)
Bonnie Moffat, Candace Ramshaw, Casey MacDonald, Karen Upper, Laurie Orford, Mallory McMahon, Melissa Bogaert, Myra Junyk, Shelby Moffatt
White Pine Award™
Serena McGovern & Angela Thompson (Co-Chairs)
Alanna King, Anastasia Lainas, Anne Marie Miki, Arathy Sivasubramaniam, Corrina McGill, Diana Williams, Jason Himsl, Jennifer Clapp, Linda Gagatsis Kemp, Lisa Unger, Vanessa Vila, Grace Day-Hodson, Kelly Marcella
Le prix Peuplier
Evy Gambin, Eugenia Doval, Claudine Blanchard (Chairs)
Madison Cumbaa, Karen Devonish-Mazzotta, Nadine Draper, Magali Enrico, Selena Horrell, Christine Labelle, Lynn MacDonald, Kristina Roudiy, Nathalie Soini
Le prix Mélèze
Evy Gambin, Eugenia Doval, Claudine Blanchard (Chairs)
Natacha Akineza, Chanelle Clément, Sonia Doyon, Magali Enrico, Makelah Gay-Labbé, Adrienne Hubbard, Anna Romain
Le prix Tamarac
Eugenia Doval, Eugenia Doval, Claudine Blanchard (Chairs)
Janet Beauchamp Wilson, Véronique Habel, Julie Charbonneau, Luisa Esposito-Karantakis
Evergreen Award™
Enid Wray & Julie Wendland (Co-Chairs)
Colleen Kelly, Ellen Rabie, Maggie Curry, Mary Burbidge, Lindsay MacFarlane, Julia Campbell, Victoria Levang, Shannan Sword, Adrienne Hubbard