THE SCORPION RULES wins CLA Book of the Year!

Today was a strange and wonderful day.

I was extra busy at work. I have a dayjob at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and today the Prime Minister of Canada was here to announce funding and talk up science and give the nation a quick lesson in the quantum computing.

(As one of Perimeter's science writers, I give quick lessons in quantum computing all the time, and I would like to say: JT is pretty darn good!)

Meanwhile, there was an auditorium full of 200 girls (including one of mine) hearing from women scientists on "Inspiring Future Women in Science," and I was trying to write a feature article about that on the fly.

Meanwhile meanwhile, (and this, children, is what's known as "burying the lede") the Canadian Library Association was tweeting. "Book of the Year for Young Adult Award: The Scorpion Rules! Congrats @erinbowbooks." This pushed a notification onto my laptop and made me say "oh my God!" aloud in an inappropriate setting.

I've checked it and double checked it, and despite the surreal moment it does seem to be real! The CLA has chosen The Scorpion Rules as book of the year!

Here is the citation: "Erin Bow has crafted a gripping dystopian adventure which truly explores the price of power. With its imaginative world and well-developed characters, the author enables the reader to experience Greta’s conflicts and uncertainty, allowing “what it means to be human” to unveil. With shocking twists, heart-stopping emotional moments, this novel brings you to another time and place with passion, humour, intrigue, and suspense."

Well, okay then!

The CLA also picked an Honour Book in this category: Susin Nielsen's We Are All Made Of Molecules. I loved that book, and really thought it would win this prize. Congratulations Susin! The Children's Book of the Year went to Kenneth Oppel's superlative The Nest, which I also loved, even though it gave me nightmares. It's an amazing honour to be alongside such work.

Thank you CLA!