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THE NEST wins TD Fan Choice Award

The Nest has won the 2016 TD Children's Book Fan Choice Award. Voters aged 8-13 across Canada voted on their favouirite book from the shortlisted titles on this year's TD Canadian Children's Literature Award.


THE NEST shortlisted for TD Award

The Nest has been nominated for this year's TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Oppel's book is one of five shortlisted for this year's prize. The winner is announced in Toronto November 17th.


THE NEST up for Monica Hughes Award

The Nest has been nominated for this year's Monica Hughes Award for Science-Fiction and Fantasy. Oppel's book is one of five shortlisted for this year's prize. The winner is announced in Toronto November 17th.


THE BOUNDLESS WINS MYRCA AWARD

The 2016 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award has gone to The Boundless. Young readers across the province of Manitoba voted for their favourite titles. The award is presented in September in Winnipeg. Oppel has won previously for Silverwing, Sunwing, and Firewing.


THE NEST WINS CLA AWARD

The Canadian Library Association (CLA) has named THE NEST its 2016 Children's Book of the Year. Oppel has won previously for Silverwing, Sunwing, and Half Brother. (April 20, 2016)

MORE HONOURS FOR THE NEST

The Nest has, so far, been named:

-An ALA Notable Book
-New York Time Editor's Choice
-2015 Booklist Editors Choice
-The Globe and Mail Top 100
-A School Library Journal Best Book of 2015
-Publishers Weekly Best of 2015
-Horn Book 2015 Fanfare Book
-Chapters Indigo Best Book of 2015
-Canadian Children's Book Centre Choice
-Wall Street Journal Best of 2015


THIS DARK ENDEAVOUR: The Movie

20th Century Fox has acquired film rights to THIS DARK ENDEAVOR, with Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield) to direct and Karen Rosenfelt (Twilight, Book Thief) to produce. (June 9, 2015)


Oppel nominated for Hans Christian Andersen Award

Kenneth Oppel is Canada's author nomination for The Hans Christian Andersen Award -- the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books. Given every other year by IBBY, the "Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are given to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature." (June 2, 2015)

Ruth Schwartz win for Oppel

Kenneth Oppel's The Boundless has won the 2015 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Book Award, in the Middle Reader/Young Adult Category. This is the sixth win for Oppel, beginning with Sunwing in 2000. (June 2, 2015)

The Boundless an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Book

The ABA has named The Boundless an 2015 E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Book in the Middle Reader category. The books of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards, reflect "the playful, well-paced language, the engaging themes, and the universal appeal embodied by E.B. White’s collection of beloved books." (June 2, 2015)

The Boundless up for CLA Award

The Boundless has been nominated for the Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children Award. The winner will be announced the week of April 20th, 2015. (March 2015)

The Boundless: 2014 Best Of lists

The Boundless has currently been named a Best Book for 9-12 year olds by:
--Booklist
--Kirkus
--Amazon.com
--Amazon.ca
--Today's Parent
--ChapterIndigo.ca
--The Canadian Children's Book Centre
--The Globe and Mail 100 List
--School Library Journal 2014 Best Books
--Quill & Quire Magazine
--Working Mother
--Kobo Books

The Boundless up for Red Maple

Kenneth Oppel's novel The Boundless has been nominated for the Ontario Library Association's 2015 Red Maple Award. This reader's choice award is chosen by tens of thousands of grade 7 and 8 students across Ontario. (November 2014)


Such Wicked Intent wins Libris

The Canadian Booksellers' Association has named Oppel's Such WIcked Intent its 2013 Young Readers' Book of the Year. The Libris awards are given annually at the CBA Libris Awards banquet. The other nominees in the category were Susin Nielsen's The Reluctant Journal of Henry K, and Jennifer Lanthier's The Stamp Collector. (June 4, 2013)


Oppel nominated for Hans Christian Andersen Award

Kenneth Oppel is Canada's nomination for The Hans Christian Andersen Award -- the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are given to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature. (April 12, 2013).


Such Wicked Intent makes CLA shortlist

Such WIcked Intent has been nominated for the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Book Award. "This award recognizes an author of an outstanding English-language Canadian work of fiction (novel, collection of short stories or graphic novel), published in 2011, that appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18." The winner will be announced April 15, 2013. (March 4, 2013).



Dark Endeavour nominated for Red Maple

The Ontario LIbrary Association's Red Maple Award is chosen by tens of thousands of grade 7 and 8 students across Ontario. Oppel has previously won for Airborn, Skybreaker, and Half Brother. The winner will be announced May 15, 2013.


Half Brother wins Red Maple

Kenneth Oppel's novel Half Brother has won the Ontario Library Association's 2012 Red Maple Award. This reader's choice award is chosen by tens of thousands of grade 7 and 8 students across Ontario. This is Oppel's third win: Airborn and Skybreaker were previous recipients. (May 15, 2012)


Dark Endeavour a CLA Honour Book

This Dark Endeavour has been named a CLA Honour Book by the Canadian Library Association. (May 15, 2012)


AIRBORN the movie: Take Two

Halifax Films and Oscar-winning producer Michael Donovan (Bowling for Columbine, Shake Hands With the Devil) have optioned Oppel's novel Airborn for film. Oppel has been hired to write the first draft of the screenplay and will act as an executive producer on the project. (March 19, 2012).


Half Brother up for UKLA Award

Half Brother has been nominated for the UK Literary Association Children's Book Award. Other nominees include Kevin Brooks (iBoy), Patrick Ness (When a Monster Calls) and Andy Mulligan (Trash). (March 12, 2012).


Dark Endeavour makes CLA shortlist

This Dark Endeavour has been nominated for the Canadian Library Associations's Young Adult Book Award. "This award recognizes an author of an outstanding English-language Canadian work of fiction (novel, collection of short stories or graphic novel), published in 2011, that appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18." The winner will be announced at the CLA annual conference in Ottawa May 31st. (March 12, 2012)


Half Brother wins Essex Book Award

"Run by Essex County Council's School Library Service, the Essex Book Award is a county-wide scheme aimed at encouraging school pupils between the ages of 11 and 14 to enjoy wider reading and foster a passion for fiction. Young Essex readers voted overwhelmingly for the book as their favourite this year." (February 29, 2012)

Dark Endeavour a 2011 Q&Q Best Book

This Dark Endeavour has been selected by Canada's publishing trade magazine Quill & Quire as one of its 15 Books of the Year. (November 2011)


Dark Endeavour nominated for GG


Oppel's latest novel, This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, has been nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award, in the Children's Text category. This is the second nomination for Oppel, who won for Airborn in 2004. Other nominees include Tim Wynne-Jones and Deborah Ellis. The winner will be announced November 15, 2011.


Fifth Ruth Schwartz win for Oppel

Kenneth Oppel's HALF BROTHER has won the 2011 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Book Award, in the Middle Reader/Young Adult Category. In the Picture Books category Melanie Watt won for her title Chester's Masterpiece. This is the fifth win for Oppel, beginning with Sunwing in 2000. (June 1, 2011)


Double win for Half Brother

Kenneth Oppel's HALF BROTHER has won both the Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children Award and the CLA Young Adult Book Award. It is the first time a book has won in both categories. Oppel is a previous recipient of the Children's Book of the Year Award for both Silverwing and Sunwing. The awards will be made at the CLA convention in Halifax in May. (April 15, 2011)

Half Brother optioned for film

By Jeff Sneider
Reprinted from Variety


Producers Christian Taylor ("Hick") and Eva Orner ("Taxi to the Dark Side") have optioned Kenneth Oppel's young adult novel "Half Brother."

Set in the 1970s, the coming-of-age story explores the bond between a teenage boy and a chimpanzee, as well as the ethical implications of animal research. Raised by the boy's family as part of a study, the chimp quickly becomes a media sensation, but when the project loses its funding the teen must risk everything to save the animal.

Producers are in the process of finding a writer and distribution partner for the project, which is said to feature a magical quality reminiscent of "E.T."

Scholastic/HarperCollins published "Half Brother." named a 2011 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Assn.

Summit Entertainment recently acquired rights to Oppel's upcoming novel "This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein," which Karen Rosenfelt ("Twilight") is on board to produce.

Taylor is producing "Hick," an indie pic that will star Chloe Moretz, Blake Lively and Eddie Redmayne.

Oppel's publishing rep is Writer's House, while Rosen Feig Golland and Lunn repped Taylor and Orner in the deal. Richard Shepherd represented film rights on the project.



Double nominations for Half Brother


Oppel's latest novel HALF BROTHER has been nominated for the CLA (Canadian Library Association) Book of the Year for Children Award, as well as the CLA Young Adult Book Award. (March 2, 2011)

Twilight Producer acquires Oppel's next novel.

By Dave McNary
Reprinted from VARIETY

Summit is looking to make a big-screen version of the Frankenstein origin story and has acquired rights to Kenneth Oppel's upcoming novel "This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein."

Projects' been set with Karen Rosenfelt, a producer on Summit 's "Twilight" franchise and Fox's " Alvin " films.

The tome's the first book of a series to be published by Simon & Schuster. Story follows Victor Frankenstein's twin brother falling ill, leading Victor to seek out a mysterious old alchemist to help him produce the Elixir of Life, a fabled serum that will bestow the drinker with perpetual health. Aided by his best friend Elizabeth, Victor sets out on a quest for the three ingredients needed to save Konrad's life.

Oppel's previously written the "Silverwing" trilogy and "Airborn."

Erik Feig, Gillian Bohrer and Ashley Schlaifer are overseeing the project for the studio.

ICM represented film rights on the project. Oppel's publishing rep is Writer's House.

HALF BROTHER named ALA Best Book

HALF BROTHER has been selected by the American Library Association as a 2011 Best Book for Young Adults.



HALF BROTHER a national besteller!

Since its publicaton in late August, Kenneth Oppel's latest novel has been on The Book Manager's bestseller lists in both the Kids Fiction and the Canadian Kids categories. The Book Manager monitors the sales at 300 independent bookstores across the country. HALF BROTHER has also spent time on the Chapters Indigo Online Top 50 Besteller list, and the Teen bestseller list. (December 7, 2010)


STARCLIMBER nominated for Red Cedar Award

The third book in Kenneth Oppel's best-selling Airborn trilogy has also been nominated for the Red Cedar Award, British Columbia's readers' choice award for students in grades four to seven. The winner will be chosen in April 2011. (December 1, 2010)


STARCLIMBER nominated for Stellar Award

The third book in Kenneth Oppel's best-selling Airborn trilogy has been nominated for the Stellar Award, British Columbia's readers' choice award for teenagers. The winner will be chosen in April 2011. (December 1, 2010)


AIRBORN on "Decade's Best Books" list

Quill & Quire magazine has given Airborn an Honourable Mention in its list of "The Decade's Best Books." Among the fourteen Canadian titles selected were Yann Martel's Life of Pi, Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes, Alice Munro's Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, and Miriam Toews' A Complicated Kindness. The only other children's title on the list is Deborah Ellis's The Breadwinner. (December 30, 2009)


STACLIMBER nominated for Red Maple Award

Starclimber has been nominated for the Ontario Library Association's Red Maple Award (decided on by grade 7-8 students across Ontario.) This is the fifth time Oppel has been nominated (Airborn and Skybreaker won in 2005 and 2006 respectively). Students will be reading all through the fall and into the spring, voting at the end of April, with the winners announced in May. (October 27, 2009)


THE KING'S TASTER nominated for Blue Spuce Award

Oppel's latest picture book The King's Taster , illustrated by the wonderful team of Steve Fancher and Lou Johnson, has been nominated for the OLA's Blue Spruce Award (chosen by children from kindergarten to Grade Two). Students will be reading all through the fall and into the spring, voting at the end of April, with the winners announced in May. (October 27, 2009)


AIRBORN in orbit

A copy of Kenneth Oppel's novel Airborn is at this very moment, in outer space aboard the International Space Station!
Canadian astronaut, Dr Robert Thirsk is part of the current crew aboard the Space Station on a six-month mission. Each astronaut is permitted a personal "official flying kit" and part of his kit is the novel Airborn. (June 28, 2009)


OPPEL interviewed in London Times

The Times (London) has run an extensive interview with Kenneth Oppel, to coincide with the UK release of Starclimber, published by Faber & Faber. Click here to read the full story. (May 23, 2009)


STARCLIMBER nominated for Ruth Schwartz Award

STARCLIMBER has been nominated for the 2009 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. The shortlist for this national award is chosen by the Canadian Booksellers Association, the Ontario Arts Foundation, and the Schwartz Award Foundation. The winning title is chosen by a jury of Ontario school children. This year's nominees include Libertad by Alma Fullerton; Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson; Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen; and The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton. (April 23, 2009)


OPPEL nominated for Children's Author of the Year

Kenneth Oppel has been nominated for the 2009 Children's Author of the Year by the Canadian Booksellers Association. The other two nominees are Budge Wilson and Melanie Watt. Oppel won the inaugural award in 2006. This year's winner will be announced June 20th in Toronto. (April 23, 2009)

STARCLIMBER wins CLA Honour Book Award

STARCLIMBER has been named an Honour Book for the 2009 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award. Both Oppel's Silverwing and Sunwing were previous recipients of the award. (April 9, 2009)

STARCLIMBER nominated for Violet Downey Award

Starclimber has been nominated  for the 2008 IODE Violet Downey Book Award. This is a national award given to the best children's book of the calendar year. Other nominees include Before Green Gables, by Budge Wilson; Death in the Air, by Shane Peacock; and Voyageur, by Eric Walters. The winner will be announced in May. (March 24, 2009)


DARKWING nominated for TD Award

Darkwing has been shortisted for this year's TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. The five-book shortlist includes Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis and Shane Peacock's Eye of the Crow. The prize, worth $20,000, will be announced November 6th in Toronto. Kenneth Oppel's Airborn was nominated for the inaugural award in 2004. (August 7, 2008)

DARKWING up for Sunburst

DARKWING has been shortlisted for the 2008 Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. This year, the award has introduced a young adult category, in which Darkwing appears with four other titles, including Choices (Deborah Lynn Jacobs), Retribution (Carrie Mac), Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet (Joanne Proulx) and The Night Wanderer (Drew Hayden Taylor). The winner will be announced in September. (June 1, 2008)


DARKWING wins Ruth Schwartz Award

DARKWING has won the 2008 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. The shortlist for this national award is chosen by the Canadian Booksellers Association, the Ontario Arts Foundation, and the Schwartz Award Foundation. The winning title is chosen by a jury of Ontario school children. This year's nominees included Christoper Paul Curtis, Jean Little, Tim-Wynne-Jones and Kit Pearson. This is the fourth time Oppel has won the award. (May 6, 2008)

Coming soon... STARCLIMBER

Kenneth Oppel has just completed work on his latest novel, STARCLIMBER, a sequel to Airborn and Skybreaker. Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries go higher than ever when they take part in the very first expedition to outer space -- and the journey turns out to be even more thrilling, perilous, and deadly, than imagined. Starclimber will be published in Canada this September; in the United States in January 2009; and in the UK May 2009. (April 11, 2008)


DARKWING nominated for CLA award

DARKWING has been shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association's Children's Book of the Year Award. This award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2007, which appeals to children up to and including age 12. The award will be presented at the CLA conference on May 22. Two of Oppel's earlier books, Silverwing, and Sunwing, won the award in 1998 and 2000. (March 24, 2008)

DARKWING nominated for Violet Downey Award

DARKWING has been nominated  for the 2007 IODE Violet Downey Book Award. This is a national award given to the best children's book of the calendar year. Other nominees include Christopher Paul Curtis's Elijah of Buxton, and Tim Wynne-Jones's Rex Zero King of Nothing. The winner will be announced May 23rd. (March 21, 2008)


DARKWING nominated for LA Times Award

DARKWING is a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes in their young adult category. The other four finalists are: The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean, A Darkling Plain by Phillip Reeve, What They Found: Love on 145th Street by Walter Dean Myers,  and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The winner is announced April 25th in Los Angeles. (March 3, 2008)

DARKWING makes Globe & Mail Top Ten

The children's reviewer for the Globe & Mail has chosen Darkwing as one of her top ten picks for 2007.
(November 24, 2007)


DARKWING a national bestseller

Darkwing has spent 11 weeks on the children's national bestseller list, compiled from over 230 independent bookstores across Canada by BookManager. It's currently at #5.
(November 22, 2007)


DARKWING a Q&Q 2007 Best Book

Kenneth Oppel's Darkwing was named a 2007 Book of the Year by Quill & Quire Magazine. Oppel was featured on the cover with fellow writers Sean Dixon and Marina Nemat. Darkwing was one of five children's books named Books of the Year for 2007. (November 20, 2007)

DARKWING nominated for Red Maple

Darkwing has been nominated for the Ontario Library Association's 2008 Red Maple Award. Students in grades 7 and 8 throughout Ontario will have the chance to read and vote on a shortlist of ten titles. The winner will be announced in May 2008. (November 20, 2007 )

Four stars for DARKWING

Darkwing has received its first four advance reviews in Kirkus, Quill & Quire, Booklist, and Kliatt:

"This is a thrilling page-turner that will captivate young and old alike. Oppel's consummate skill at inhabiting the minds of non-human creatures is on stunning display here as Dusk's story races from thrilling discoveries to heart-stopping perils. Fans of the Silverwing series will find this prequel immensely satisfying and will be clamouring for more." � starred review, Quill & Quire

"Oppel writes with keen insight and empathy about the condition of being "other " in the context of a richly plotted, fast-paced story that... is captivating reading from beginning to end." -- starred review, Booklist.

"Filled with adventures and characters both sympathetic and fearsome, this exciting fantasy convincingly brings to life a long-ago world at a time of rapid change." --starred review, Kliatt

"Rich sensory details bring to life the Paleocene epoch of 65 million years ago.... Lively prose and sheer imagination make Oppel's fourth bat story another winner." -- starred review, Kirkus Reviews


AIRBORN wins Red Cedar Award

Kenneth Oppel's Airborn has won this year's Red Cedar Award, British Columbia's readers' choice award for students in grades four to seven. The prize was announced at an award gala in Comox, B.C. with 700 students in attendance. This is Oppel's third time winning the Redar Cedar! (May 12, 2007)


OPPEL wins Metcalf Award

Kenneth Oppel has won the 2006 Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature. Administered annually by the Writers Trust of Canada, the prize "is awarded to the author of a body of work in children's literature that, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the highest literary standards." Previous winners include Tim Wynne-Jones, Brian Doyle, Kit Pearson and Jean Little. (March 7, 2007)

Oppel finishes DARKWING

Kenneth Oppel has just completed the final draft of his latest novel, DARKWING. The story takes place 65 million years ago: the last dinosaurs are dying out, mammals are beginning to take over the earth, and the very first bats are learning how to fly. The young hero is Dusk, a chiropter -- a small arboreal glider -- who discovers that he can flap. The only member of his colony capable of powered flight, Dusk quickly becomes an outcast. But after his colony is massacred by carnivorous predators, Dusk's skills prove vital to his family''s survival as they embark on a perilous journey to find a new home. Set during a dynamic evolutionary moment in earth's history, DARKWING tells the story of the very first bat. It will be published in fall 2007 in Canada and the US. (December 15, 2006)

SILVERWING opens in Vancouver

A stage production of Silverwing is playing at Carousel Theatre for the month of December. The play had its premiere last year at Winnipeg's Theatre for Young People. The theatre critic for the Vancouver Sun wrote: "I can't recall the last time I witnessed so many kids so completely absorbed in a stage play.... Kids will soar." For more information call the box office at 604-280-3311. (December 15, 2006)

AIRBORN nominated for Pacific Northwest Award

Airborn has been nominated for thePacific Northwest Library Association's 2007 Young Readers Choice Award, the oldest U.S. children's choice award (founded in 1940). Nominations are taken only from children, teachers, parents and librarians in the Pacific Northwest: Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Other shortlisted titles include Terry Pratchett's A Hat Full of Sky and Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now. (November 17, 2006)

OPPEL named Children's Author of the Year

Kenneth Oppel has won a 2006 Libris Award from the Canadian Booksellers Association for Children's Author of the Year. The winner was announced at BookExpo. (June 15, 2006)

OPPEL featured in Locus Magazine

The May issue of Locus Magazine focuses on Young Adult science fiction and fantasy and features a lengthy interview with Kenneth Oppel, talking about Airborn, Skybreaker, and the Silverwing books. Also featured in the same issue are Scott Westerfeld and Holly Black.

SKYBREAKER wins Schwartz Award

Skybreaker has won the 2006 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. The shortlist for this national award is chosen by the Canadian Booksellers Association, the Ontario Arts Foundation, and the Schwartz Award Foundation. The winning title is chosen by a jury of Ontario school children. This is the second year in a row Oppel has won the award. Airbon won in 2005. (May 9, 2005)

SKYBREAKER wins Red Maple Award

Kenneth Oppel's Skybreaker has won the Ontario Library Association's 2006 Red Maple Award. This year, over 20,000 grade 7 and 8 students across Ontario voted for their favourite book from a shortlist of ten titles. The award was announced May 4th at the St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto, in front of an audience of 750 students. Airborn was last year's winner of the Red Maple Award. (May 5, 2006)

Kenneth Oppel with the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, James Bartleman and the award jury of students from Lord Dufferin school in Toronto. (May 2006)

OPPEL nominated for Children's Author of the Year

Kenneth Oppel has been nominated for a 2006 Libris Award from the CBA (Canadian Booksellers Association). For the first time, the Libris awards include a category for "Children's Author of the Year." The two other nominees are Robert Munsch and Pamela Porter. The winner will be announced at BookExpo in June. (March 23, 2006)

SKYBREAKER nominated for CLA Young Adult award

Skybreaker has been nominated for the Canadian Library Association's 2006 Young Adult Canadian Book Award. Airborn was named an Honour Book in 2004. The winner will be announced in June. (March 23, 2006)

SKYBREAKER nominated for Carnegie

Skybreaker has been nominated (long-listed) for the 2005 Carnegie Medal in the UK. The longlist is 45 titles; the shortlist, announced in May, will narrow it down to five. Airborn was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal last year. (March 6, 2006)

AIRBORN named IBBY Honour Book

The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has named Airborn a 2006 IBBY Honour Book. The IBBY Honour List is a biennial selection of outstanding, recently published books for children, honouring writers, illustrators and translators from IBBY member countries around the world. Important considerations in selecting Honour List titles are that the books be representative of the best in children's literature from each country, and suitable for publication throughout the world. The Honour List titles selected by each country will be displayed at the IBBY Congress in Beijing, China in September 2006. (February 20, 2006)

SKYBREAKER: a New York Times bestseller

Skybreaker appeared for two weeks on the New York Times Children's Bestseller list, in the category of chapter books. It moved from # 10 up to # 5 for the week ending January 28, 2006. Click here to see the full list for that week. (February 5, 2006)

SKYBREAKER makes ALA Best Book list

Skybreaker has been named a 2006 Best Book for Young Adults by the ALA (American Library Association). Fellow Canadian writer, Tim Wynne-Jones, also made the 91-title list with his latest novel Thief in the House of Memory. The full list can be viewed here. (January 29, 2006)

SKYBREAKER: The Times (London) Children's Novel of 2005

The children's book critic for the London Times, Amanda Craig, has chosen Skybreaker as her favourite novel of the year: "If I have to choose one novel above all to recommend this year it would be Kenneth Oppel’s Skybreaker.... Funny, captivating, intelligent and stylish, this is the kind of old-fashioned Indiana Jones-style adventure that feels new minted for the next generation of young readers." Read the full article here. (December 3, 2005)

OPPEL nominated for Astrid Lindgren Award

Kenneth Oppel has been nominated for the 2006 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. In total, 55 countries are represented among the nominations. Altogether 104 candidates have been nominated in the category of author/illustrator/storyteller, and 34 candidates in the category of promoting reading (organisation/project/person). The other Canadian nominees are: Brian Doyle, Jean Little and Marie Louise-Gay.

"Astrid Lindgren is Sweden’s favourite author and one of the world’s most popular. She passed away in 2002 at the age of 94, but her stories will live forever. To honour her memory and promote children’s and youth literature around the world, the Swedish government has founded an international prize in her name: The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award."

Last year's winners were Philip Pullman and Japanese illustrator Ryoji Arai. The new winner will be announced in March 2006. (October 11, 2005)

SKYBREAKER up for Red Maple Award

Skybreaker has been nominated for the Ontario Library Association's 2006 Red Maple Award. Students in grades 7 and 8 throughout Ontario will have the chance to read and vote on a shortlist of ten titles, including Richard Scrimger's From Charlie's Point of View, Alan Cumyn's After Sylvia, The Gravesaver, by Sheree Fitch, and Convicts by Iain Lawrence. The winner will be announced in May 2006. (October 11, 2005)

SKYBREAKER soars on bestseller list.

August saw the Canadian launch of Kenneth Oppel's Skybreaker, the sequel to Airborn. The week of its release it ranked #2 in the national New Releases list across the country, and has marked ten weeks on the Quill & Quire's Children's and YA bestseller list. Airborn recently marked its 44th week on the list. (October 9, 2005)

AIRBORN, PEG nominated for TD Children's Book Award

Airborn and Peg and the Yeti, illustrated by Barbara Reid, have both been named finalists in the first-ever TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for the most distinguished book of the year, sponsored by the TD Bank and the Canadian Children's Book Centre. This annual award recognizes excellence in children's literature with a $20,000 grand prize. The English award winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Design Exchange in Toronto on November 1. The other three finalists are: After Sylvia by Alan Cumyn, Mable Riley by Marthe Jocelyn, and Red Land, Yellow River, written and illustrated by Ange Zhang. (September 28, 2005)

SILVERWING on stage

A stage adaptation of Silverwing will be mounted at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People in Winnipeg this Fall. This is the first time Silverwing has been staged, and the performance will run from December 8-24, 2005. (June 14, 2005)

AIRBORN nominated for Sunburst Award

Airborn has been nominated for the 2005 Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The other four shortlisted titles include Guy Gavriel Kay's Last Light of the Sun, and The Memory Artists by Jeffrey Moore. (June 14, 2005)

AIRBORN wins Thumbs Up! Award

Airborn is the winner of the 2005 Thumbs Up! Award, the Michigan Library Associations's award for Young Adult and Teen fiction. The award committee also selected four Honor titles: Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer, Blue Girl by Charles de Lint, Luna by Julie Anne Peters, and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt. Visit the Thumbs Up! website for more information. (June 6, 2005)

AIRBORN wins Schwartz Award

Airborn has won the 2005 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. The shortlist for this national award is chosen by the Canadian Booksellers Association, the Ontario Arts Foundation, and the Schwartz Award Foundation. The winning title is chosen by a jury of Ontario school children. (June 3, 2005)

AIRBORN on CBC RADIO

"Due to its huge popularity with the family audience, CBC's Between The Covers is offering an encore presentation of Kenneth Oppel’s novel AIRBORN." The 18 episode abridged reading will be broadcast from July 11 to August 3, 2005. Click here for more information about Airborn and Between the Covers. (May 31, 2005)

AIRBORN nominated for Rocky Mountain Book Award

Airborn has been nominated for the 2006 Rocky Mountain Book Award, Alberta's reader's choice award for students in grades four to seven. Twenty fiction titles have been shortlisted. The winner will be announced in spring 2006. (May 31, 2005)

Triple CLA Honours for Oppel titles

Kenneth Oppel's Airborn has been named a 2005 CLA Canadian Young Adult Book Award Honour Book by the Canadian Library Association.

Airborn was also named a 2005 CLA Children's Book of the Year Honour Book.

Peg and the Yeti, illustrated by Barbara Reid was named a 2005 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Honour Book for illustration. (May 25, 2005)

AIRBORN wins Red Maple

Airborn has won the 2005 Red Maple Award, administered annually by the OLA (Ontario Library Association). Across Ontario, approximately 25,000 grade 7 and 8 students voted on their favourite novel from a shortlist of ten books. The winner in the non-fiction category was Scams! by Andreas Schroeder. (May 5, 2005)

AIRBORN nominated for CLA awards

Airborn has been nominated for both the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Book Award and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award. The winner and honour books will be announced at CLA in June. (April 27, 2005)

AIRBORN and PEG AND THE YETI both nominated for Ruth Schwartz Award

Airborn has been nominated for the 2005 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. Administered by the Ontario Arts Council, the winning book is chosen from the official shortlist by a panel of Grade 7 and 8 students. Peg and the Yeti, illustrated by Barbara Reid, has also been nominated in the picture book category. The winners will be announced June 3rd. (April 27, 2005)

AIRBORN nominated for two readers' choice awards.

Airborn has been nominated for the 2006 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award; as well as the Rhode Island Teen Book Award. (April 27, 2005)

PEG AND THE YETI named a White Raven book

The International Youth Library has chosen Peg and the Yeti by Kenneth Oppel and Barbara Reid as one of the titles for The White Ravens 2005, their annual selection of outstanding international books for children and young adults, which will be presented at their stand at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. The books for this year's exhibition, 250 titles in 31 languages from 48 countries, have been selected from the thousands of books that their library received as review copies from publishers, authors, illustrators, and organisations from all over the world within the last year. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue containing bibliographical data and annotations for each of the selected books. (March 28, 2005)

AIRBORN makes NYPL list

Airborn has been named a 2005 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Other titles on the list include An Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton, Predator’s Gold by Philip Reeve, Away Laughing on a Fast Camel by Louise Rennison, and Heartbeat by Sharon Creech. (March 16, 2005)

AIRBORN and PEG make Willow shortlist

Both Airborn and Peg and the Yeti have been nominated for the 2005 Willow awards, the Saskatchewan Young Reader's Choice Awards. (March 16, 2005)

PEG AND THE YETI wins IODE Award

The Municipal Chapter of Toronto IODE has chosen Peg and the Yeti as the recipient of the 2004 Jean Throop Book Award. "Since 1974 the Municipal Chapter of Toronto IODE has presented an award intended to encourage the publication of books for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years." The award will be presented March 31st to Kenneth Oppel and illustrator Barbara Reid. (February 21, 2005)

AIRBORN named Printz Honor Book

Airborn has been named a 2005 Michael L Printz Honor Book. Awarded by the ALA (American Library Association), the Printz Award is given to a book that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature." (Jan 17, 2005)

AIRBORN makes BBYA Top Ten list

Airborn has earned a spot on the 2005 BBYA (Best Books for Young Adults) Top Ten list. The list is compiled annually by the American Library Association. Other honorees on the list include An Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton, Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett and Predator’s Gold by Philip Reeve. Click here to see the full 2005 BBYA annotated list. (January 20, 2005)

AIRBORN an ALA Notable Book

Airborn has been named a 2005 Notable Book for Children by the American Library Association, in the "older readers" category. Other Canadian titles on the list include Martine Leavitt's Heck Superhero, Brian Doyle's Boy O'Boy, Marthe Jocelyn's Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum Peril and Romance, and Christopher Paul Curtis's Bucking the Sarge. Click here for the complete 2005 ALA Notable List. (January 20, 2005)

AIRBORN a YALSA Quick Pick

Airborn has been selected as a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), a division of the American Library Association. "The Quick Picks committee seeks books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure. The list is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read. Teen input is a vital aspect in the final decision of the committee." Click here For the complete Quick Pick list.

AIRBORN a Q&Q Best Book

Airborn has been selected as a 2004 Best Book for children by Quill & Quire magazine. The list, which appears in its January 2005 issue, named four other titles, including Marie-Louise Gay's Stella Princess of the Sky, Martine Leavitt's Heck Superhero, Alan Cumyn's After Sylvia, and the illustrator's anthology, Under the Spell of the Moon. (December 20, 2004).

AIRBORN back at #1

Since its appearance in a paperback edition in early November, Airborn has spent over five weeks at #1 on the Quill & Quire Canadian bestseller list. (December 13, 2004)

AIRBORN makes "Best Of" lists

Airborn has been selected by School Library Journal as a 2004 Best Book of the Year. It was also named one of the Outstanding Books of 2004 by the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books. (December 6, 2004)

AIRBORN #1 Children's Pick at AMAZON.CA

"Justly celebrated for his Silverwing trilogy, which found epic drama in the nocturnal society of bats, Kenneth Oppel turned to a new kind of flight for his latest thrill ride, Airborn. Set in a parallel world in which luxury airships fill the skies, Airborn is an almost absurdly entertaining tale that evokes grand adventures from Treasure Island and Titanic to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, and it stands at the top of our list of the year's best children's books." -- Amazon.ca 2004 editor's choice. (December 6 2004)

FIREWING an IRA Children's Choice

FIREWING has been chosen as an International Reading Association (IRA) Children's Choice for 2004 in the "Advanced Readers" category. According to the IRA website :"Each year 10,000 schoolchildren from different regions of the United States read and vote on the newly published children's and young adults' trade books that they like best. The Children's Choices for 2004 list is the 30th in a series that first appeared as “Classroom Choices” in the November 1975 issue of The Reading Teacher (RT), a peer-reviewed journal for preschool, primary, and elementary levels published eight times a year by the International Reading Association (IRA). This list is designed for use not only by teachers, librarians, administrators, and booksellers, but also by parents, grandparents, caregivers, and everyone who wishes to encourage young people to read for pleasure." (December 9, 2004)

OPPEL wins GG

Kenneth Oppel's AIRBORN has won the 2004 Governor General's Award for Children's Text. The award was presented on November 15th at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Click here to read the official press release from the Canada Council for the Arts. Selected media coverage of the event includes articles from the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and CBC News.

SILVERWING in Russia; AIRBORN in Japan

The Silverwing trilogy has been bought by Russian publisher Azbooka, who have also recently acquired Russian rights to AIRBORN. Silverwing is now available in seventeen countries around the world, and translated into eleven different languages. In another foreign rights sale, Japanese rights to AIRBORN have been bought by Shogakukan, who started publishing the Silverwing series just this October. Airborn will be published in Japan Fall 2005. (December 6 2004)

AIRBORN on CBC RADIO

CBC's national radio program, Between the Covers, will broadcast a reading of Airborn this November. The book will be abridged and read in 18 episodes, beginning Wednesday November 17th and running til Friday Dec.10. Click here for more information about Airborn and Between the Covers. (November 12, 2004)

PEG AND THE YETI nominated for Governor's General Award for illustration

Barbara Reid's Plasticene artwork for Peg and the Yeti has been nominated for the 2004 Governor General's Award in the category of children's illustration. The winner will be announced November 15th. Click here to see the full shortlist.

PEG goes for the top!

After debuting on the Quill & Quire picture book bestseller list at # 9, Peg and the Yeti has moved up six spaces this week to occupy the # 3 position. The Quill & Quire bestseller list is based on over 210 independent bookstores across Canada. (October 5, 2004)

AIRBORN nominated for Red Maple Award

Airborn has been nominated for the Ontario Library Association's 2005 Red Maple Award. Students in grades 7 to 9 throughout Ontario will have the chance to read and vote on a shortlist of ten titles. The winner will be announced in May 2005. Other shortlisted titles include The Heaven Shop by Deborah Ellis, The Mob by Clem Martini, and A Different Kind of Beauty by Sylvia McNicoll. For more details visit the OLA website. (September 27, 2004)

AIRBORN: The Movie

Universal Pictures has acquired film rights to Kenneth Oppel's fantasy adventure novel Airborn.

Producers Albert Ruddy (The Godfather) and Andre Morgan have teamed up with director Stephen Sommers and his producing partner Bob Ducsay to adapt Airborn as a motion picture. As yet, Stephen Sommers has not decided whether or not he will direct Airborn.

Most recently, Albert Ruddy and Andre Morgan have produced "Million Dollar Baby" directed by Clint Eastwood; and have just completed shooting "Cloud Nine" starring Burt Reynolds. Currently they are filming a remake of "The Longest Yard" with Adam Sandler and and Burt Reynolds.

Stephen Sommers is the director-screenwriter of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, as well as this summer's Van Helsing. (August 10, 2004)

AIRBORN in Europe

Airborn will soon be available in French and German editions. Presse Bayard will publish their edition, titled Fils du Ciel, throughout France this Fall; Editions Scholastic will distribute it in Canada. In Germany, Beltz Verlag will be publishing their translation this fall as well. Danish rights to Airborn have recently been sold to Sesam; and Serbian rights to Narodna Knjiga. (July 25, 2004)

SILVERWING flies further

Portuguese (Brazil only) rights to Silverwing have recently been bought by Editora José Olympio, and Czech rights have been purchased by Triton s.r.o. Silverwing is now available in sixteen countries around the world, and translated into ten different languages. (July 25, 2004)

AIRBORN a #1 bestseller!

Airborn has just marked its second consecutive month as the #1 children's fiction bestseller in Canada, according to Quill & Quire magazine. The week of its publication, the novel was ranked as the #1 new release (in all categories) across Canada. Quill & Quire bases its bestseller list on over 170 independent bookstores across the country. (May 3, 2004)

SUNWING a Banco del Libro best book

The Spanish translation of Sunwing has been selected by the Banco del Libro (the Venezuelan chapter of IBBY) as one of the best books for children and young readers in 2004. You'll be able to find all the winners at the Banco del Libro website. Silverwing was also named a Banco de Libro best book in 2003. The Silverwing series is published in Spain by Siruela. (April 29, 2004)

FIREWING wins the 2004 MYRCA

Firewing, the third book in Kenneth Oppel's Silverwing Saga, has won the 2004 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award. Children in Grades 5-8 across the province of Manitoba voted for their favourite book from a shortlist of 18 titles. The Honor Books were Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis and Irish Chain by Barbara Haworth Attard. Oppel has won the MYRCA previously for both Silverwing and Sunwing. (April 26, 2004)

KENNETH OPPEL TOUR 2004

During March Kenneth Oppel travelled across Canada to promote his latest novel, AIRBORN. Highlights included the CBC's North By Northwest Bookclub in Vancouver, and a reading at Vancouver Kidsbooks; a Chapters reading in Red Deer, Alberta; an event at Calgary's Vertigo Theatre sponsored by Wordfest and Monkeyshines Bookstore; and a reading at McNally Robinson's in Winnipeg.

McNally Robinson's in Winnipeg; James Turner's Airborn illustration for the Globe & Mail

The Bookshelf in Guelph hosted a presentation by Oppel in their cinema. In Montreal, Oppel did readings for Babar Books in Pointe Claire, and Indigo Books downtown; he made a presentation for the Ottawa Public Library, and, in Halifax, he was hosted by the Halifax Grammar School (where he attended Grades 6 and 7) and Woozles bookstore.

AIRBORN WEBSITE TAKES FLIGHT!

AIRBORN, Kenneth Oppel's new novel, will be published in Spring 2004 throughout the English-speaking world. Fans eager to get a glimpse of the new book can now visit www.airborn.ca and be immersed in the fantastical world that Oppel has created for his new novel. Airborn is set in an imagined past where giant airships soar around the globe and vicious air pirates can strike at any time. On this interactive website you can take a tour of the Aurora, the grandest airship of them all; or read (with new installments every week) about an extraordinary around-the-world balloon expedition; or learn about the notorious air pirate Vikram Szpirglas. Created by film director and web designer Peter Riddihough with the collaboration of Kenneth Oppel, the website is a feast for the eyes, and filled with fabulous stories and images. It is meant to introduce readers to the world of Airborn, without giving away any of the adventures and surprises which await in the book itself. Click Here to Begin the Story...

SILVERWING in the Far East!

The Silverwing trilogy will soon be published in Japan and China! Japanese rights to Silverwing, Sunwing and Firewing have been bought by Shogakukan. Mainland Chinese rights have just been sold to Yilin Press in Nanjing. The Silverwing trilogy is now distributed in fourteen countries around the world, and translated into eight different languages.

WWW.SILVERWING.TV

Created for fans of Bardel Entertainment's animated Silverwing TV series, the official Silverwing TV and gaming site has now been launched at www.silverwing.tv. It has lots of news about the TV show and books, and thirteen levels of online games to play.

FIREWING gets starred Our Choice Selection

FIREWING is a starred selection in the 2003 Our Choice Guide. The guide, published by the Canadian Children's Book Centre is a compilation of the best children's titles for a given year.

FIREWING wins Christie Book Award

FIREWING has won the silver seal for the 2002 Mr Christie's Book Award, in the category of best children's book for 12 to 16 years. The award was presented on September 9th at Hart House at the University of Toronto. The gold seal was awarded to Joan Clark's novel The Word for Home. This is the third Christie Award for Oppel, who won the gold seal for both Silverwing and Sunwing in 1997 and 1999.

FIREWING nominated for Hackmatack Award

FIREWING has been nominated for the 2004 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award. Young readers in the four Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island) will vote on their favourite book from the ten title shortlist. The winner will be announced in the spring of 2004. Silverwing won the inaugural award in 2000.

SILVERWING awarded Banco del Libro prize

The Banco del Libro, in association with IBBY, has just selected the Spanish translation of SILVERWING as one of the winners of its Best Book 2003 Award. Other winners in the juvenile fiction category include Philip Pullman, for his Dark Materials trilogy. The Banco del Libro was founded in South America. Learn more at www.bancodellibro.org.ve Silverwing, Sunwing and Firewing are published in in Spain by Siruela.

FIREWING a Red Maple Honor Book

Firewing was voted an Honor Book in the Ontario Library Association’s Red Maple Award, chosen by readers from grades 7-9 throughout Ontario. The winner was Gayle Friesen, for her book, Losing Forever (Kids Can Press.)

FIREWING nominated for CLA Book of the Year Award

Firewing is one of ten titles nominated for the 2003 Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children Award. Winners and honour titles will be announced at the Book Awards Reception at the joint Canadian Library Association/ American Library Association Conference in Toronto, Ontario on June 21, 2003. Both Silverwing and Sunwing were previous recipients of the award. Among the other shortlisted titles for 2003 are Birdie for Now, by Jean Little; Flood, by James Heneghan; Parvana's Journey, by Deborah Ellis; and The Word for Home, by Joan Clark. www.cla.ca

FIREWING on MYRCA shortlist

Firewing has been nominated for the 2004 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. Manitoba students in grades 5-8 who have read (or had read to them) at least three of the 18 titles on the award shortlist are eligible to vote. The winner and two runners-up will be announced in April, 2004. Other nominated titles include IRISH CHAIN by Barbara Haworth-Attard, TRIBES, by Arthur Slade, and RICKY by Eric Walters.

FIREWING airborne on Air Canada!

For the the month of April 2003, you will be able to listen to Kenneth Oppel read from the first chapter of Firewing on Channel 10 of Air Canada's in-flight audio programming.

SILVERWING WINS FRENCH AWARD

Silverwing has won the Prix SNCF 2002 du Livre de Jeunesse. The award, sponsored by SNCF (the French national railway: Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais) was presented at the French Book Fair in Rouen on December 7th 2002. Silverwing won in the category of Romans Enfants (children's novels). Silverwing was published by Bayard in February 2002 and is currently in its fourth printing.

Kenneth Oppel wins Toronto Public Library Award

Kenneth Oppel is the winner of the 2002 Toronto Public Library Celebrates Reading Award. The award was presented on November 3, 2002 at A Novel Afternoon, the TPL’s third annual gala luncheon in celebration of children’s literacy and literature. Attending the event at Toronto’s Granite Club were three hundred adults and children. Ken Dryden, President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was a special guest speaker. The pre-lunch entertainment included palm reading, tarot card fortune telling, a magician, and live owls. Previous winners of the TPL award are J.K. Rowling, and Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark, creators of Franklin the Turtle.

In her program notes City Librarian Josephine Bryant wrote that this event “gives Toronto Public Library the opportunity to salute one of our greatest national treasures, Kenneth Oppel, as well as his band of merry bats who, like all of us, strive to be our best in a world where being your best isn’t always an easy task.”

OPPEL IN THE UK

This October, Kenneth Oppel spent a week in Wales, Scotland and England, promoting the UK release of Firewing. The tour included readings and overhead presentations at James Gillespie School in Edinburgh, the Birmingham Library Centre for the Child and the Rugby Public Library.

Highlights also included an interview on BBC Radio 4's Go For It, in which Kenneth was interviewed by the host as well as three local London schoolchildren; a reading to 150 students at Hawks Farm Primary school in Surrey, and a panel interview at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, with David Almond, Jamila Gavin, and chaired by Julia Eccleshare. The topic was How Childhood Has Affected Your Writing.

Photograph: Mark Raynes Roberts