Manitoba Book Award Shortlist 2015

The Manitoba Writers’ Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers have announced the Manitoba Book Awards shortlists. We would like to congratulate Eva Wiseman, The World Outside has been shortlisted for the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award!

The World OutsideThe World Outside
Written by Eva Wiseman
Hardcover | 240 Pages | Ages 12 and up
ISBN: 978-0-88776-981-8
eBook: 978-0-88776-982-5
“Wiseman is known for choosing unique time periods in Jewish history for her books. She authentically portrays a young woman torn between two worlds. Readers of all backgrounds will be able to empathize with Chanie…. Recommended for libraries looking to enhance their collections about cultural groups and self-identity.” – School Library Journal

Eva Wiseman won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award for Puppet in 2010 and My Canary Yellow Star in 2001 and was shortlisted for the award in 2013 for The Last Song. Fingers crossed for another win!

UPDATE: We are thrilled to announce that Eva was chosen as the winner! This is the first time the award has been won three times by one author. Congratulations, Eva!

CCBC Choices 2015

Congratulations to Charis Cotter and Kate De Goldi! The Swallow: A Ghost Story and The ACB with Honora Lee, are included in CCBC Choices 2015, the annual best-of-the-year list of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC).

The SwallowThe Swallow: A Ghost Story
Written by Charis Cotter
Hardcover | 320 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-591-3
“Spooky tension, friendship and compassion permeate this exquisitely plotted middle-grade ghost story. …the story structure weaves its way in and out-riveting and tumbling with tension but never obvious, leaving the readers wondering if anything is really as it seems. …readers will seesaw between chills and snorts of laughter. When Cotter delivers the final twist, it is a denouement that becomes a springboard for greater revelations that lead to even greater reader satisfaction. Middle-grade storytelling at its very best-extraordinary.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

The ACB with Honora LeeThe ACB with Honora Lee
Written by Kate De Goldi
Illustrated by Gregory O’Brien
Hardcover | 128 Pages | Ages 10+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-722-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-723-8
“De Goldi’s story of an only child’s determined efforts to know and love her grandmother deserves a place in the pantheon of quiet, word-of-mouth classics . . . Perry is funny and bewitching, and all of the other characters, even the walk-ons, are equally engaging. O’Brien’s curious diagram-illustrations pay appropriate tribute to Perry’s admiration for the unconventional.” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

2015/2016 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Awards Nominations

Hackmatack

The nominations are in for the 2015/2016 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Awards and we are happy to say that we have a shortlisted book in the English Fiction category! Congratulations to Charis Cotter!

The SwallowThe Swallow
A Ghost Story
Written by Charis Cotter
Hardcover | 320 Pages | Ages 9-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-591-3
“Spooky tension, friendship and compassion permeate this exquisitely plotted middle-grade ghost story … the story structure weaves its way in and out-riveting and tumbling with tension but never obvious, leaving the readers wondering if anything is really as it seems. …readers will seesaw between chills and snorts of laughter. When Cotter delivers the final twist, it is a denouement that becomes a springboard for greater revelations that lead to even greater reader satisfaction. Middle-grade storytelling at its very best-extraordinary.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

The Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award is an Atlantic Canadian book award which allows children to choose their favourite Canadian and Atlantic Canadian books. The children will read from a selection of forty books divided in four categories: English Fiction, English Non-fiction, French Fiction, and French Non-fiction, chosen for their literary, cultural and enjoyment factors.

Tundra Reading Club: April 2015

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re ready for this month’s book!

Just to remind you of our reading club rules:

Each month, we’ll post a book and a sign-up form for bloggers. Then we’ll randomly choose the lucky five who will receive a copy (in some cases, an advance copy) in exchange for a review on their blog!

Of course, everyone is free to participate via tweets (@TundraBooks) or in the comment section on the monthly post.

To make it easy to work into your busy schedules, we’ve chosen picture books so it shouldn’t take you too long to read the book of the month (or like me, you might pore over it for hours and be distracted by the illustrations).

TundraReadingClub

Our April pick is Outstanding in the Rain by Frank Viva. As soon as we saw it, we were reminded of the old saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” This book is absolutely gorgeous and full of oronyms. Don’t know what an oronym is? This book will teach you all about them!

Step right up! Step right up to the amusing amusement park! It’s a whole story, and the pages have holes! Watch the holes make pictures! Turn an umbrella into a cake, and balloons into ice cream! See the holes make words. Whole words! Change an ice man into an nice man! See fork handles turn into four candles! Realize the magic with your real eyes! Frank Viva’s tale of a boy spending his birthday at the amusement park will amaze readers big and small with astounding die-cuts that transform both words and pictures in delightful ways.

 

Outstanding in the Rain will be released on Tuesday April 14 and you can visit your local library or bookstore to get reading! If you’re interested, fill in the form below and we’ll randomly select five bloggers to read and review a copy of Outstanding in the Rain and join our discussion. You have until Monday April 13 at 3 pm EST to sign up, so don’t delay! Our only stipulation this month is that we can only send the book to those with Canadian mailing addresses. This title is also available in the USA by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

SIGN-UP FORM CLOSED!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Carrie, Carole, Bonnie, Suzanne and Cindy! We look forward to your reviews! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Check back in on Monday, April 27, 2015 for our reading club discussion of Outstanding in the Rain!

Tundra Reading Club: The Highest Number in the World Reviews

Hi everyone!

It’s time to share the Reading Club reviews for The Highest Number in the World!

TundraReadingClub

The Highest Number in the World

The Highest Number in the World
Written by Roy MacGregor | Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-5753

“MacGregor’s writing packs an emotional punch without relying on sentimentality…Expressive pencil drawings, brightened with color washes, perfectly capture the characters’ feelings…A memorable, intergenerational picture book perfect for sharing.”- Starred Review, Booklist

  • Adrienne at BooksandBassets likes that it’s about “girl power and historical context.”
  • Lee-Ann at Goodreads thinks the book does “a wonderful job at showing how if you look at disappointment a different way it is possible to see it as an opportunity to discover something else and just as thrilling.”
  • Mary-Esther at Sister’s Library calls it a “sweet story that warms the heart.”
  • Stephanie at The Nomadic Reader felt the story “resonated with [her] as a Canadian and of course as a lover of hockey.”
  • Ann Marie at a dainty dish calls it a “hat-trick – in its story, words and images!”

If you read the book as well, please let us know what you thought about it in the comments below! Are there any other inspirational hockey stories you love?

I’m also very excited to announce our April reading club book: Outstanding in the Rain by Frank Viva! Make sure you check back here next Monday to sign up for your chance to win a review copy.

Thanks for participating and see you next week!

Tundra Book Group