forest of reading header

The Forest of Reading® is Canada’s largest recreational reading program and an initiative of the Ontario Library Association. Designed to encourage a love of reading, the Forest of Reading celebrates Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators. Ages 4-100 can participate in one or more of the reading challenges for their age category. Oxford County Library is hosting the children, youth, and adult English programs beginning January 10th, 2024. We encourage patrons like you to discover as many of the books as you can in your age category and then vote on your favourite! Ages 4-18 can vote for their favourite with us at our branches or online on our website in April. Adults can vote for their favourite title in September. 

Track Your Reading and Engage with the Books

Join a Beanstack Challenge to track your reading online and gain badges!

Register you and/or your child through Beanstack or download the app*. Sign up for the Forest of Reading challenge for your age group. Log when you read nominated titles and complete activity badges!

*If signing up with the Beanstack App, be sure to choose “School, Library, or Bookstore” when asked to choose an organization type and then choose Oxford County Library.

School-Age Forest of Reading Award Winning Books:

Thank you for reading and voting for your favourite Forest of Reading books! Here are the winners for 2024:

Blue Spruce Award Winner: Benny the Bananasaurus Rex by Sarabeth Holden & illustrated by Emma Pedersen

Silver Birch Fiction Award Winner: Apartment 713 by Kevin Sylvester 

Silver Birch Express Award Winner: Rock? Plant? Animal? How Nature Keeps Us Guessing by Etta Kaner and illustrated by Brittany Lane

Yellow Cedar Award Winner: Animal Eyes: How Creatures See and How Their Eyes Have Adapted to Their World by Françoise Vulpé!

Red Maple Award Winner: The Fort by Gordon Korman

White Pine Award Winner: Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin

Vote for Your Favourite

Vote for your favourite books to support and celebrate Canadian authors, illustrators, and publishers, and give them a chance to win a Forest of Reading award! 

Voting is now closed for the Evergreen Award for nominated adult Canadian titles. The winning title will be announced later in October.

Vote for your favourite books to support and celebrate Canadian authors, illustrators, and publishers, and give them a chance to win a Forest of Reading award! 

Reading Lists

We've put together reading lists for you to easily check out the nominated books by award category. We encourage children, youth, and adults to read as many of the books from their program as possible to vote. Connect with us and share your reading journey on social media! Tag us @OxfordCountyLibrary! Happy reading! ​