The Jean Little First-Novel Award is intended to recognize the achievements of first-time Canadian children’s novelists. 

After the beloved Jean Little died in April 2020, Sarah Ellis, Kit Pearson and Maggie de Vries came up with the idea of establishing an award in Jean’s name.  In Kit Pearson’s words, “We decided that the most appropriate honour would be a prize for a Canadian middle-grade novel by a first-time writer.  Much of Jean’s writing was for the middle grades, and Jean was always an enthusiastic supporter of beginning writers.  This award would honour her long and successful career and encourage the next generation of writers following in her footsteps.”

Please consider contributing to this exciting venture — no amount is too small! The CCBC is a registered charity and will issue charitable donation receipts.