Kevin Sands

Kevin Sands is a Canadian children's author from Ontario.

Sands began his career teaching math and physics to high school students. He published his debut novel, The Blackthorn Key, with Simon & Schuster in 2015. This began a series followed by a Mark of the Plague (2016), The Assassin's Curse (2017), Call of the Wraith (2018), The Traitor's Blade (2022), and The Raven's Revenge (2024). This book series takes place in 17th-century England/Europe. The main character is Christopher Rowe, and his friends are Tom Bailey and Sally Deschamps. Together, they solve mysteries and stop malicious plots against their king, King Charles II.

Following The Blackthorn Key series, Sands began the Thieves of Shadow series, including Children of the Fox (2021), Seekers of the Fox (2022), and Champions of the Fox (2023). The Chicago Public Library and CBC Books included Children of the Fox on their lists of the best books of 2021.

Awards

The Blackthorn Key (2015), Mark of the Plague (2016), The Assassin's Curse (2017), and Call of the Wraith (2018) are Junior Library Guild books. The Chicago Public Library, and Kirkus Reviews named The Blackthorn Key among the best middle grade books of 2015. The following year, Bank Street College of Education included it on their list of the best historical fiction for children ages 9 to 12, and the Association for Library Service to Children included on their list of Notable Children's Books for Middle Readers. Bank Street College of Education also included Mark of the Plague on their 2017 list of the best historical fiction for children ages 9 to 12.

The Chicago Public Library and CBC Books included Children of the Fox on their lists of the best books of 2021.

Awards for Sands's writing
Year Work Award Result Ref.
2015 The Blackthorn Key Cybils Award for Middle Grade Fiction Winner
2016 Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence: Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book Finalist
E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Middle Readers Honor
Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Finalist
John Spray Mystery Award Winner
Violet Downey Book Award Finalist
2017 Silver Birch Award Finalist
Mark of the Plague Geoffrey Bilson Award Winner
2018 The Assassin’s Curse Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Finalist
Geoffrey Bilson Award Winner
John Spray Mystery Award Finalist
2019 Call of the Wraith Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence: Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book Finalist
John Spray Mystery Award Finalist
2020 Forest of Reading Red Maple Award Finalist
2022 Children of the Fox Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Young Adult/Middle Readers Finalist
The Traitor's Blade Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence: Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book Winner
2024 Seekers of the Fox Forest of Reading Red Maple Award Finalist
The Raven's Revenge Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Young Adult/Middle Readers Winner
Champions of the Fox Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence: Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book Finalist

Publications

The Blackthorn Key series

  1. The Blackthorn Key. New York: Aladdin. 2015. ISBN 978-1-4814-4651-8.
  2. Mark of the Plague. New York: Aladdin. 2016. ISBN 978-1-4814-4674-7.
  3. The Assassin's Curse. New York: Aladdin. 2017. ISBN 978-1-5344-0523-3.
  4. Call of the Wraith. New York: Aladdin. 2018. ISBN 978-1-534-42848-5.
  5. The Traitor's Blade. New York: Aladdin. 2022. ISBN 978-1-534-48457-3.
  6. The Raven's Revenge. New York: Aladdin. 2024. ISBN 978-1-534-48460-3.

Thieves of Shadow series

  1. Children of the Fox. Viking. 2021. ISBN 978-0-593-32751-7.
  2. Seekers of the Fox. Viking. 2022. ISBN 978-0-593-32754-8.
  3. Champions of the Fox. Viking. 2023. ISBN 978-0-593-62095-3.

References

  1. ↑ van Koeverden, Jane (October 17, 2018). "Bestselling YA writer Kevin Sands reveals the toughest literary rejection he ever received". CBC Books. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  2. ↑ Maughan, Shannon (December 11, 2015). "Fall 2015 Flying Starts: Kevin Sands". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Eisenhart, Mary. "The Assassin's Curse: Blackthorn Key, Book 3". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Call of the Wraith". CBC Books. August 21, 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Raven's Revenge by Kevin Sands". CBC Books. May 19, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "Seekers of the Fox". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on March 14, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  10. ↑ Eisenhart, Mary. "Seekers of the Fox: Thieves of Shadow, Book 2". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  11. ↑
  12. 1 2 "Best of 2021: Fiction for Older Kids — a staff-created list from Mid-Continent Public Library". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Best Canadian Middle-Grade And YA 2021". Locus. December 23, 2021. Archived from the original on February 10, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  14. ↑ "The Blackthorn Key". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Mark of the Plague: A Blackthorn Key Adventure". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  16. ↑ "The Assassin's Curse: The Blackthorn Key". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Call of the Wraith: A Blackthorn Key Adventure". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on March 16, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2015 — a staff-created list from Chicago Public Library". Chicago Public Library. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Best of 2015". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Best Children's Books of the Year, Nine to Twelve, 2016 Edition" (PDF). Bank Street College of Education. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  21. ↑ "ALSC names 2016 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on March 13, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Notable Children's Books: 2016". Booklist. March 1, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Best Children's Books of the Year, Nine to Twelve, 2017 Edition" (PDF). Bank Street College of Education. 2017. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  24. ↑ "2015 Cybils Winners". Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  25. ↑ Carter, Sue (April 25, 2016). "Awards: Arthur Ellis nominees revealed". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  26. ↑ Hawkins, Rosemary (March 16, 2016). "ABA Announces 2016 Indies Choice/E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Finalists". American Booksellers Association. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2016". Bookreporter.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  28. ↑ Robertson, Becky (January 21, 2016). "Kevin Sands nominated for a 2016 Edgar Award". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  29. ↑ Cerny, Dory (November 18, 2016). "Florence, Thisdale win TD Canadian Children's Literature Award". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on June 23, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  30. ↑ Robertson, Becky (March 31, 2016). "Allan Stratton, Frieda Wishinsky make 2016 IODE Violet Downey Book Award shortlist". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on April 22, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  31. ↑ Robertson, Becky (October 20, 2016). "OLA announces 2017 Forest of Reading nominees". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on September 12, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  32. ↑ Deziel, Shanda (November 23, 2017). "Jan Thornhill wins TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on August 7, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  33. ↑ Godfrey, Laura (November 22, 2017). "'Great Auk' Wins TD Canadian Children's Literature Award". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  34. ↑ Toromoreno, Rodrigo (November 21, 2017). "Jan Thornhill wins $30K award for best Canadian children's book". CBC Books. Archived from the original on January 3, 2026. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  35. ↑ "2018 Edgar Awards Nominations". Locus. January 19, 2018. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  36. ↑ Deziel, Shanda (October 30, 2018). "Town is by the Sea, The Marrow Thieves, When the Moon Comes honoured at TD Canadian Children's Literature Awards". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  37. ↑ Deziel, Shanda (September 6, 2018). "Wendy Orr, Cherie Demaline, and Monique Gray Smith among CCBC Award finalists". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  38. ↑ Porter, Ryan (April 18, 2019). "Crime writers Louise Penny, Sam Wiebe, Sarah Weinman among finalists for 2019 Arthur Ellis Awards". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  39. ↑ van Koeverden, Jane (September 5, 2019). "Jillian Tamaki, Kelley Armstrong, Janice Lynn Mather among Canadian Children's Book Centre finalists". CBC Books. Archived from the original on May 28, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
  40. ↑ Deziel, Shanda (September 5, 2019). "Jillian Tamaki, Jonathan Auxier, and Marie-Louise Gay among CCBC Award finalists". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  41. ↑ "2020 Forest of Reading Award Nominees". Locus. June 15, 2020. Archived from the original on July 24, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  42. ↑ Deogun, Inderjit (April 26, 2022). "2022 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award shortlists announced". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Toronto author Ashley Audrain among the winners of 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Awards". CBC Books. May 26, 2022. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Awards of Excellence - Past Winners and Shortlists". Crime Writers of Canada. Archived from the original on July 1, 2026. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  45. ↑ "2024 Forest of Reading Award Nominees". Locus. October 18, 2023. Archived from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  46. ↑ "The awards highlight authors and illustrators of English-language Canadian children's literature". CBC Books. June 17, 2024. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  47. ↑ Drudi, Cassandra (April 26, 2024). "Shortlists announced for Crime Writers of Canada awards". Quill & Quire. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2026.