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Sarah Ellis
Born (1952-05-19) May 19, 1952 (age 72)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Occupation Writer, librarian, teacher
Alma mater
Genre Children's literature

Sarah Ellis (born 19 May 1952 in Vancouver) is a Canadian children's writer and librarian. She has been a librarian in Toronto and Vancouver. She has also written reviews for Quill and Quire. She taught writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a masthead reviewer for The Horn Book.

Ellis has said that she gets her ideas from "memories, anecdotes people tell me, radio interviews, dreams, newspaper articles, family stories, being curious, observing the world, paying attention." She is a strong advocate for children's literature and she belongs to many different clubs and unions such as the Writers' Union of Canada, the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable, Children's Writers and Illustrators and many more.

Biography

Ellis was born 19 May 1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia to Joseph Walter and Ruth Elizabeth Ellis and has two older brothers.

She attended the University of British Columbia where she received her Bachelor of Arts honours in 1973 and a Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1975. After receiving her MLS, Ellis began working as a librarian in Vancouver before attending Simmons College, where she graduated with a Master of Arts degree in children's literature in 1980.

Ellis published her first book, The Baby Project, in 1986.

In 1999, she was a writer-in-residence at Massey College at the University of Toronto.

Ellis retired from library work in 2007 but shortly after began teaching at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has also written reviews for Quill and Quire and is a masthead reviewer for The Horn Book.

She is an out lesbian.

Awards and honours

In 1995, Ellis won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, and in 2013, she received the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence. She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award four times.

In 2012, Ellis was chair of the judges for the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

Awards for Ellis's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
1987 The Baby Project Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner
1990 Next Door Neighbours Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
1991 Pick-Up Sticks Governor General's Award for English-Language Children's Literature Winner
1992 Next Door Neighbours Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee
Pick Up Sticks Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
1994 Out of the Blue Governor General's Award for English-Language Children's Literature Finalist
Pick Up Sticks Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee
1995 Out of the Blue Mr. Christie's Book Award: English, Ages 12 and up Winner
National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award Winner
1997 Back of Beyond Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner
Out of the Blue Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee
2000 The Young Writer's Companion Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction Finalist
2002 Dear Canada: A Prairie as Wide as the Sea Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
2003 Salmon Forest Science in Society Book Award Winner
The Several Lives of Orphan Jack Governor General's Award for English-Language Children's Literature Finalist
2004 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Shortlist
Mr. Christie's Book Award: English, Ages 8–11 Winner
National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award Winner
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
2007 The Queen's Feet Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize Finalist
Odd Man Out Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Shortlist
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award Winner
2008 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee
2016 Outside In Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee
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