Students Help Choose Best Children's Book

Students with a passion for reading will help select which Canadian authors will win the Hackmatack Children's Choice 2012 Book Awards.

The Hackmatack program provides students in grades 4 to 6 in Atlantic Canada with the opportunity to read from a selection of Canadian authors and vote for their favourites.

Education Minister Ramona Jennex delivered two sets of the 2011-12 English fiction and non-fiction nominated titles to a group of students at Coldbrook and District School today, Sept. 19.

"A great book has the ability to grow a child's imagination, take them to new and exciting places, and most importantly, help them learn about new things," said Ms. Jennex. "I am thrilled to support the Hackmatack program and see so many children excited to read and have their say in what they think is the best book."

Each year the Hackmatack selection committee nominates a list of Canadian children's books for young people to read and on April 1 they vote for their favourite. The winners are announced in May.

Every September the Department of Education provides elementary schools with two sets of the English titles selected for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Awards program. Schools in the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) and schools that offer early French Immersion also receive two sets of the French titles. More than 175 groups of Nova Scotian students participated in the program last year.

For more information on the program visit http://www.hackmatack.ca .