2024

Recommended: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Kids’ Booklist for What If I’m Not a Cat? (List compiled by the CBC), Toronto, ON, Canada.

2023

Won: Brock University Faculty of Education Distinguished Researcher Award—St. Catharines, ON, Canada.

Recommended: Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens Booklist for What If I’m Not a Cat? (List compiled by the Canadian’s Children’s Book Centre), Toronto, ON, Canada.

2022

Notable Mention: 49th Teachers’ Top Titles for National Poetry Month for Hungry for the Arts: Poems to Chomp On. 

Recommended: Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens Booklist for On the Line (List compiled by the Canadian’s Children’s Book Centre), Toronto, ON, Canada.

2021

Won: Northern Lights Book Awards Winner—Sports Category for On the Line

2020

Nominated: St. Catharines Arts in Education Award, see brocku.ca/brock-news

2018

Won: Rainforest of Reading Caribbean Literacy Award (for St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Kitts, and Montserrat) for a

“Substantial Body of Work in the Improvement of Literacy for International Elementary Students”

Nominated: Blue Spruce Reader’s Choice award for French Toast

2017

Selected: Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s “Best Books for Kids and Teens 2017” for On My Bike

Nominated: B.C. Reader’s Choice Chocolate Lily Award for Good Pirate

Won: Skipping Stones Honor Award for Bite into Bloodsuckers

Selected: TD Canadian Children’s Book Week Tour (Quebec)

Selected: 2017 Willow Finalist List for French Toast

Nominated: 2017 Forest of Reading Red Maple for Bite Into Bloodsuckers

2016

Selected: Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids & Teens for Bite into Bloodsuckers

Nominated: B.C. Reader’s Choice Chocolate Lily Award for Bad Pirate

Selected: VPL and the CWIBC’s Reading Lights for Hungry for Math

Won: Ontario Library Association’s Rainforest of Reading Readers’ Choice Award for grades 3 and 4 for Bad Pirate

Won: Rainforest of Reading Reader’s Choice Award for Grade 5 for Hungry for Math

Won: St. Catharines Arts Awards “Emerging Artist Award”. See Kari featured Niagara This Week

Finalist: Animal Behavior Society’s “Outstanding Children’s Book Award” for Bite Into Bloodsuckers

Recommended: SCBWI Summer Reading List for Bloodsuckers

2015

Honored: article “From image to ideology: analyzing shifting identity positions of marginalized youth across the cultural sites of video production” selected among Pedagogies 10th anniversary “Top Articles”

Selected: Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year for No Matter What Friend

2014

Selected: Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, ages Nine to Twelve for Buzz about Bees; see PDF

Won: Brock University Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching

Nominated: Alberta provincial Reader’s Choice Rocky Mountain Book Award

Nominated: Canadian Science Writers’ Association’s “Outstanding Youth Book” for Buzz about Bees

Selected: Ontario Library Association’s “Best Bets” selection for Buzz about Bees

Selected: Storytelling World’s Resource Awards “Best Stories for Young Listeners” for Gift Days

2013

Selected: Resource Links magazine’s Best Books of 2013 for Buzz about Bees

Recommended: Canadian Toy Testing Council’s Toy Report 2014 Best Books for Buzz about Bees

Recommended: Canadian Toy Testing Council’s Toy Report 2014 Best Books for Gift Days

Nominated: Forest of Reading’s Silver Birch Award for Buzz about Bees

Selected: TVO Parents Book Club Best Books for your 6-8 Year Old for On My Walk

Finalist: BC Book Prize (“Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize“) for Gift Days

Nominated: BC Reader’s Choice Chocolate Lily Award for Gift Days

Finalist: Ontario Library Association’s Rainforest of Reading for Gift Days.

Recipient: SSHRC Grant

2012

Selected: Among 100 Great Books to Read Together, Edmonton Public Library, for On My Walk

2011

Won: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) award of the year

2010

Selected: among First and Best of 2010, Toronto Public Library, for On My Walk

Won: Surrey Board of Trade Special Achievement Award for Writers, selected by the Surrey International Writers Conference. See press release

Finalist: for the 2010 BC Book Prize (Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize) and sponsored tour for On My Walk

Valedictorian: UBC Graduation Speaker. See video

Nominated: BC Reader’s Choice Chocolate Lilly Award for On My Walk

2009

Won: Association of Educational Publishers “2009 Distinguished Achievement Award” in the fiction category for “Extreme Rollers”

Runner-up: BC Reader’s Choice Chocolate Lily Award for Jeffrey and Sloth

Won: EveryTales Best Tale Contest for Oh Ducky Day!

Selected: TD Canadian Children’s Book Tour (Prince Edward Island)

Selected: Resource Links’ Best Books for 2009 for aRHYTHMetic

2008

Finalist: for the 2008 BC Book Prize (Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize) and sponsored tour for Jeffrey and Sloth

Honour Book: for the Blue Spruce Award

2007

Won: Ontario Library Association’s “Best Bets” selection for Jeffrey and Sloth

Won: the ABCs of Education best books of 2006-2007 for Jeffrey and Sloth

Won: Between the Cracks magazine “Flash Fiction” winner

2006

Won: UBC Faculty of Education Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Won: a full SSHRC Scholarship

2005

Won: Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada Master’s Research Award for best master’s thesis (read it online)

Won: Lomcira Harold Covell Memorial Scholarship

2001

Won: Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, North Carolina Public Schools