We’re excited to introduce the shortlists for the 2025 Lane Anderson Award!
Young Reader:
I Am Wind: An Autobiography
by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Rachel Wada
(Tundra Books)
In this beautifully illustrated mock-autobiography for middle-grade readers, Wind speaks directly to the reader, telling fascinating stories that show their cultural, historical and technical importance to humans.
A Planet Is a Poem
by Amanda West Lewis, illustrated by Oliver Averill
(Kids Can Press)
From a ballad of Earth and an ode to the sun to a villanelle for Venus and a sestina for Saturn, here are 14 original poems about planets and other bodies in our solar system.
Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory
by Monique Polak, illustrated by Valéry Goulet
(Orca Book Publishers)
We all make memories, and memories make us who we are. This book explores the art and science of memory, how and why we remember, and what happens when we start forgetting.
Adult:
I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine
by Daniel J. Levitin
(Allen Lane Canada)
Neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of This Is Your Brain on Music Daniel J. Levitin reveals how the deep connections between music and the human brain can be harnessed for healing.
Medicine Wheel for the Planet: A Journey toward Personal and Ecological Healing
by Dr. Jennifer Grenz
(Knopf Canada)
In Medicine Wheel for the Planet, building on sacred stories, field observation and personal experience, Dr. Grenz invites readers to share in the teachings of the four directions of the medicine wheel.
Signs of Life: Field Notes from the Frontlines of Extinction
by Sarah Cox
(Goose Lane Editions)
Through the eyes and work of individuals who are bringing species back from the precipice, Cox delivers both an urgent message and a fresh perspective on how we can protect biodiversity and begin to turn things around.