Home / Arts and Entertainment / Book Warrior Amy Mathers Dies at 43
Book Warrior Amy Mathers Dies at 43
29 May
Summary
- Amy Mathers, namesake of a teen book award, passed away at 43.
- She read 365 YA books in a year to fund a Canadian children's award.
- Mathers overcame significant health challenges throughout her life.
Amy Mathers, the namesake of the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, passed away on May 21 at the age of 43 in Kitchener, Ontario. Mathers's life was marked by significant health challenges, including muscular dystrophy and multiple organ transplants.
Inspired by Canadian athletes, Mathers launched a "Marathon of Books" in 2014, reading 365 young adult books in 365 days. This ambitious endeavor aimed to raise money for the Canadian Children's Book Centre to establish the award named in her honor. Her goal was to promote Canadian teen literature and demonstrate that individuals with physical limitations could achieve athletic feats through creative means.
The Canadian Children's Book Centre, a non-profit organization, supports and fosters a love of reading among Canadian children and teens. It champions equity, diversity, and inclusion in children's literature, having distributed millions of books and provided substantial awards to Canadian creators. The Amy Mathers Teen Book Award annually grants $5,000 to a Canadian English-language book for readers aged 13-18.
