St. John's writer Janet McNaughton received the 12th annual Mr. Christie's Book Award for the best Canadian work of fiction for readers age 13 to 16 at a ceremony here yesterday. McNaughton won the $7,500 prize for The Secret Under My Skin,published last year.
She was one of four winners of Christie's book awards, generally regarded as the "Giller Prize for children's authors." Stephanie McLellan of Newmarket, Ont., and her illustrator, Sean Cassidy of Orangeville, Ont., split the $7,500 prize for The Chicken Cat,deemed the best Canadian book for readers seven years of age and under.
Taking the $7,500 prize in the intermediate category (writing for an audience 8-12 years) was veteran Toronto writer Jean Little for Willow and Tag. Staff