# Polly Horvath

Polly Horvath (born January 30, 1957 in Kalamazoo, Michigan) is an American-Canadian author of novels for children and young adults. She won the 2003 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Canning Season, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. In 2010, Horvath received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People.

## Biography

Horvath was born 30 January 1957 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to John Anthony and Betty Ann Horvath. Horvath began writing at the age of eight.
She attended the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She lived in New York City and Montreal before settling on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
Horvath once declared, "I don't have that much fun writing them. I have the most fun when I'm on the last page."
She is married to Arnold Keller, a professor, with whom she has two daughters: Emily Willa and Rebecca Avery Keller.

## Awards and honors

In 2010, Horvath received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, which is considered a top honour for Canadian children's book writers and illustrators.
Six of Horvath's books are Junior Library Guild selections: My One Hundred Adventures (2009), Northward to the Moon (2010), One Year in Coal Harbor (2013), The Night Garden (2017), Very Rich (2018), and Pine Island Home (2020).
Her books have also landed on many lists of the best books of the year:
* In 1999, The Horn Book Magazine named The Trolls one of the best children's fiction books of the year.
* In 2003, Horn Book Magazine named The Canning Season one of the best children's fiction books of the year.
* In 2004, Horn Book Magazine named The Pepins and Their Problems one of the best children's fiction books of the year.
* In 2008, Booklist and School Library Journal named My One Hundred Adventures one of the best children's books of the year.
* In 2013, School Library Journal named One Year in Coal Harbor one of the best children's books of the year.
Awards for Horvath's writing :
| Year | Title | Award | Result |
| 1999 | The Trolls | ALSC Notable Children's Book | Selection |
| 1999 | The Trolls | Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Fiction | Honor |
| 1999 | The Trolls | National Book Award for Young People's Literature | Finalist |
| 2001 | Everything on a Waffle | Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry | Honor |
| 2001 | Everything on a Waffle | Mr. Christie's Book Award: English, Ages 8 to 11 | Winner |
| 2002 | Everything on a Waffle | ALSC Notable Children's Book | Selection |
| 2002 | Everything on a Waffle | Newbery Medal | Honor |
| 2002 | Everything on a Waffle | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Winner |
| 2003 | The Canning Season | National Book Award for Young People's Literature | Winner |
| 2004 | The Canning Season | ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults | Selection |
| 2004 | The Canning Season | Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults | Selection |
| 2004 | The Canning Season | Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award | Winner |
| 2004 | The Canning Season | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Finalist |
| 2006 | The Vacation | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Finalist |
| 2007 | The Vacation | Chocolate Lily Young Readers’ Choice Award | Winner |
| 2008 | The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Winner |
| 2009 | My One Hundred Adventures | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Winner |
| 2011 | Northward to the Moon | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Finalist |
| 2013 | One Year in Coal Harbor | Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize | Winner |
| 2013 | One Year in Coal Harbor | TD Canadian Children's Literature Award | Winner |
| 2019 | Very Rich | Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize | Finalist |

## Publications

* An Occasional Cow (1989)
* No More Cornflakes (1990)
* The Happy Yellow Car (1994)
* When the Circus Came to Town (1996)
* The Trolls (1999)
* Everything on a Waffle (2001)
* The Canning Season (2003)
* The Pepins and their Problems (2004)
* The Vacation (2005)
* The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane (2007)
* My One Hundred Adventures (2008)
* Northward to the Moon (2010)
* Mr. and Mrs. Bunny—Detectives Extraordinaire! (2012)
* One Year in Coal Harbor (2012)
* Lord and Lady Bunny—Almost Royalty! (2014)