Each year, the district’s teacher-librarians organize the Surrey Book Awards, inviting students from across the district to read and vote for their favourites from a list of nominated titles. This year’s winners span five categories: Book of the Year, Picture Book of the Year, Narrative Non-Fiction Book of the Year, Surrey Teen Reads and Livre de L’Ann\u00e9e.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here are this year’s winning titles:<\/p>\n
![\"liondancers.b8c6e3206978.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/liondancers.b8c6e3206978.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Book of the Year: Lion Dancers by Cai Tse\u00a0<\/p>\n
After his dad’s sudden passing, young Wei walks away from lion dancing and from his best friend Hung. Years later, a chance encounter with a junior lion dance team reignites his passion, but there’s a catch: Hung is the self-proclaimed star, and he is not happy to see Wei back. As the two compete to be considered the top lion dancer, they are forced to confront old mistakes and rediscover what it really means to be part of a team. This heartfelt graphic novel is a great pick for students who love sports stories, themes of friendship and rivalry, and a window into Chinese cultural traditions.<\/p>\n
2026 Book of the Year Nominees:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan\u00a0The Deadlands: Hunted by Skye Melki-Wegner\u00a0Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley\u00a0Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi\u00a0Lost at Windy River by Trina Rathgeber\u00a0Oliver’s Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham\u00a0Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman\u00a0Valor Wings by Sam Subity\u00a0We Are Big Time by Hena Khan\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"thequacken.cad44e206979.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/thequacken.cad44e206979.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Picture Book of the Year: The Quacken by Justin Colon\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Cucumonga Campground, legend has it that a terrifying creature lurks in the lake, one that swallows kids, canoes and even whales whole. But all Hector sees when he looks out at the water are cute, cuddly, quacking ducks. When he breaks the campground’s most important rule and feeds them anyway, he finds out the legend might be more real than he thought. This hilarious, lightly spooky picture book is perfect for young readers who love a good laugh with just a little bit of a scare.<\/p>\n
2026 Picture Book of the Year Nominees:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Artificial Intelligence by David Biedrzycki\u00a0The Book that Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed\u00a0Down the Hole by Scott Slater\u00a0A Friend for Eddy by Ann Kim\u00a0Knight Owl and the Early Bird by Christopher Denise\u00a0Let’s\u00a0Go haw\u00a0ekwa! by Julie Flett\u00a0Masala Chai Fast and Slow by Rajani LaRocca\u00a0The\u00a0Weedflower by Elizabeth Davaze\u00a0The Yellow Bus by Loren Long\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"thisisnotmylunchbox.6e8d75206980.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/thisisnotmylunchbox.6e8d75206980.jpg\")
Narrative Non-Fiction Book of the Year: This Is Not My Lunch Box! by Jennifer Dupuis\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ever wonder what’s really inside a forest creature’s lunch box? This book takes young readers on a surprising camping trip to discover the favourite meals of animals like the wood frog and the moose. Rich illustrations capture the biodiversity of the forest while playful, repetitive text introduces the concepts of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores in an accessible way. It is a wonderful read for curious, nature-loving kids who enjoy learning about the world around them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2026 Narrative Non-Fiction Book of the Year Nominees:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bears are Best! by Joan Holub\u00a0Flamingos Are Pretty Funky: A (Not So) Serious Guide by Abi Cushman\u00a0The Heartbeat Drum: The Story of Carol Powder, Cree\u00a0Drummer\u00a0and Activist by Deirdre Havrelock\u00a0Henna Is … by Marzieh Abbas\u00a0How to Train Your Amygdala by Anna Housley Juster\u00a0I Am Connected by Kung Jaadee\u00a0Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right by Mo Willems\u00a0Partly Cloudy by Deborah Freedman\u00a0Soy Sauce! by Laura G. Lee\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"lookingforsmoke.1f935e206981.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lookingforsmoke.1f935e206981.jpg\")
Surrey Teen Reads: Looking For Smoke by K.A. Cobell\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Mara is included in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway honouring a local girl’s missing sister, she hopes it will help her find her footing on the reservation. But when another member of the group is found murdered, all four participants become persons of interest, and each of them has a complicated history with the victim. With suspicion closing in from all sides, the group must work together to clear their names, even as they wonder whether one of their own might be responsible. This gripping mystery is a great fit for teen readers who love suspenseful plots and stories grounded in Indigenous culture and community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2026 Surrey Teen Reads Nominees:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Better Than Revenge by Kassie West\u00a0The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson\u00a0The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow\u00a0Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli\u00a0Homebody: A Graphic Memoir of Gender Identity Exploration by Theo Parish\u00a0The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra\u00a0Wander In the Dark by Jumata Emill\u00a0Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"cestquoica.e345cc206982.png\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cestquoica.e345cc206982.png\")
<\/p>\n
Livre de L’Ann\u00e9e: C’est\u00a0quoi,\u00a0\u00e7a? by Coralie Saudo\u00a0<\/p>\n
When a garbage bin appears at the foot of his tree, a curious little squirrel named Na\u00eff is full of questions: what is waste, where does it go, and what happens when it all overflows? The questions keep piling up until Na\u00eff lands on a clever solution to protect the nature he loves. Simple, thoughtful storytelling makes this book a gentle and engaging introduction to environmental themes for young readers. It is a great choice for students in French immersion programs who enjoy stories with heart and a positive message about caring for the planet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2026\u00a0Livre de\u00a0L’Ann\u00e9e Nominees:\u00a0<\/p>\n
ABCDevine\u00a0qui est\u00a0cach\u00e9! by Patrick George\u00a0Boule-de-poils by Micha\u00ebl Escoffier\u00a0C’est\u00a0mon\u00a0cerveau! by Elise Gravel\u00a0Dans les\u00a0souliers\u00a0d’Am\u00e9d\u00e9e by V\u00e9ronique Lambert\u00a0Le dessin trop mignon by Roxane Brouillard\u00a0Grande by Vashti Harrison\u00a0Lucien\u00a0supersensible by Marie-Eve Leclerc-Dion\u00a0Nous\u00a0sommes\u00a0M\u00e9tis by Tasha Hilderman\u00a0Ntangu by Malika Tirolien\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Looking for even more summer reading inspiration? Check out the summer reading clubs available at Surrey Libraries<\/a> and the White Rock branch of the Fraser Valley Regional Library<\/a>. These annual programs encourage students to keep reading over the summer by unlocking awards and milestones as they go. Happy reading!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"June 30, 2026 The votes are in! Surrey students have spoken and the winners of the 2026 Surrey…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":771445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194299],"tags":[49,48,87674],"class_list":["post-771444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-surrey","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-surrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/771445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}