Category: Canada

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OLA’s Super Conference 2012

The Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference starts next week! Librarians will be gathering at the Metro Toronto Convention Center and visiting the exhibits from February 2nd to the 3rd.

Tundra Books will be at booth #720 to tell you about our new and upcoming books. You can come by to pick up catalogs, posters, and bookmarks!

We will also have author signings! Be sure to line-up early, the complimentary books will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Author signings on Thursday, February 2:

Michael Bedard will be signing ARCs of The Green Man at 10:30 AM
Hardcover | 320 page | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-1-77049-285-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-293-6
Teenaged O – never call her Ophelia – is about to spend the summer with her aunt Emily. Emily is a poet and the owner of an antiquarian book store, The Green Man. At once an exploration of poetry, a story of family relationships, and an intriguing mystery, The Green Man is Michael Bedard at his finest.

Nan Forler will be signing Winterberries and Apple Blossoms at 12:30 PM
Illustrated by Peter Etril Snyder
Hardcover | 40 pages | All ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-254-7
The poems and recipes are perfectly complemented by Peter Etril Snyder’s lovely paintings. Winterberries and Apple Blossoms is a beautifully produced book, perfect for gift-giving, or sharing with anyone who appreciates simple, enduring values.

Heather Hartt-Sussman will be signing Here Comes Hortense! at 1:45 PM

Illustrated by Georgia Graham
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 4-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-221-9
The feisty, irrepressible Nana we met in Nana’s Getting Married is back. And what could be more fun for a six-year-old than having your nana and her new husband take you to a theme park? But the fun is spoiled when Nana and Bob announce that they’ve planned a surprise: they are going to be joined by Bob’s granddaughter, Hortense. A perceptive and hilarious exploration of rivalry, there’s a gentle lesson for readers, young and old.

Karen Patkau will be signing Who Needs a Jungle?, Who Needs a Swamp?, and Who Needs an Iceberg? at 2:45 PM
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
In Who Needs a Jungle? we learn about its vital role in providing us with oxygen, food, medicinal ingredients, and raw materials we use every day. Who Needs a Swamp? explores wetlands and their importance in the food chain and in preserving our soil and clean water. Who Needs an Iceberg? talks about the shrinking Arctic Ice Cap.

Author signings on Friday, February 3:

Pam Withers will be signing First Descent at 10:30 AM
Hardcover | 272 Pages | Ages 12+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
Montana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to tackle the well-named El Furioso in southwest Colombia, he is thrilled. He anticipates the river’s challenges, but finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human.

Curtis Parkinson will be signing Man Overboard! at 11:30 AM
Paperback | 160 pages | Ages 10-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-298-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-299-8
During World War II, a German agent landed in Canada from a U-boat. Curtis Parkinson has used this true historical event to tell a fast-paced, exciting story. Sixteen-year-old Scott and his friend Adam find summer jobs as deckhands on the Rapids Prince, a ship that plies the waters between the town of Prescott, on the St. Lawrence River, and Montreal. Scott overhears convincing information that a German agent is actually on board the boat!

Marthe Jocelyn will be signing “Scribbling Women” at 12:30 PM
Hardcover | 208 Pages | Ages 14+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1
In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive.

Follow the tag #SC12 on twitter! We’ll be sending out reminders for our author signings. See you there!

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Tuesdays with Tundra 15

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

Cube Book
Six Board Books | Ages 4-7
ISBN 978-1-77049-325-4
The six board books are die cut puzzle shapes that fit together to form a sturdy, decorative cube. The books also fit together to form a flat panel montage of the creatures in their environments. A total of thirty-six beautiful portraits from the giant panda to the colorful clown fish take us to the rain forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, oceans, and polar regions of the planet.

Hockey 123: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-320-9
US ISBN 978-1-77049-347-6
Sticks, nets, pucks, and players – all are here and waiting to be counted! In Hockey 123: My First NHL® Book, children will discover numbers and be introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey ABC: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-319-3
US ISBN 978-1-77049-346-9
A is for arena, B is for banner, and C is for Captain Sidney Crosby. In Hockey ABC: My First NHL® Book, children will discover the alphabet while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Animals: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-317-9
US ISBN 978-1-77049-344-5
A shark, a panther, a whale, a bear – and even a saber-tooth tiger! In Hockey Animals: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a variety of amazing animals while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Colours: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-322-3
US ISBN 978-1-77049-349-0 (spelled Hockey Colors)
Blue and red jerseys, the silver Stanley Cup®, and tasty pink cotton candy! In Hockey Colours: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a rainbow of shades while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Opposites: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-318-6
US ISBN 978-1-77049-345-2
Big and small, left and right, over and under, long and short! In Hockey Opposites: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a diverse range of opposites while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Shapes: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-321-6
US ISBN 978-1-77049-348-3
A puck is a circle, a scoreboard a square, a goalie mask an oval. In Hockey Shapes: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a full range of shapes while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Puckster’s First Hockey Sweater
By Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Illustrated by Kelly Findley
Paperback | Ages 4-8
ISBN 978-1-77049-315-5
Introducing Puckster, Hockey Canada’s lovable new mascot and hero! There are hundreds of young children enrolled in organized hockey associations all across Canada and the United States, and nothing more exciting for these kids than getting that first hockey sweater.

Puckster’s First Hockey Game
By Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Illustrated by Kelly Findley
Paperback | Ages 4-8
ISBN 978-1-77049-316-2
Puckster and his friends now have team sweaters and are going to play their first hockey game! With loads of exciting hockey actions, great illustrations, and an entertaining story, young hockey fans everywhere will love to read – or be read – Puckster’s hockey adventures again and again.

Pub Date Giveaway: Tell us which new releases you would love to read in the comments below and one lucky reader will receive their requested books!

My First NHL® Book series count as 1 entry (6 books in total), the Puckster series count as 1 entry (2 books in total). To clarify, you will be entering to win: Cube Book, My First NHL® Book, or Puckster. For the NHL® Books, please let us know if you want the CAN or US editions.

One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, November 24, 2011!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Darlene! As requested, you will be getting the Cube Book. Please check your inbox for an e-mail from us. =) Thank you to everyone who entered, our next PubDate Giveaway will be on January 10, 2012.

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Top 10 Great Books For Children 2012

Congratulations to our authors and illustrators! The Canadian Toy Testing Council (CTTC) have listed the following Tundra books as some of the top ten “Great Books” for 2012:

Gunner: Hurricane Horse
By Judy Andrekson
illustrated by David Parkins
Trade Paperback | 104 Pages
Ages 8-11
ISBN: 978-0-88776-905-4
eBook: 978-1-77049-227-1
“…an emotional true story which educates readers about horses and reminds readers to be resilient during periods of hardship. Telling black and white illustrations decorate chapter headings, and a striking cover complements this well researched story. This newest book in the “True Horse Stories” series is a quick read and contains more humor than the first five books in the series. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to a girl or a boy who is looking for the latest book about horses….” – Recommended, CM Magazine

Merci Mr. Dash!
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Esperança Melo
Hardcover | 32 Pages
Ages 3-6
ISBN: 978-0-88776-964-1
“…Brightly colored acrylic paintings show Mr. Dash at his best…. Generously sprinkled with easily understood French phrases, this well-paced portrait of patience and toleration ends with a satisfying nap by the fire and the promise of a quiet, Daphne-free day. Children will empathize with Daphne and Mr. Dash and perhaps gain an understanding of both positions. A good choice to generate discussion, this will appeal to energetic youngsters and dog lovers alike.” – Kirkus Reviews

A Night on the Town
By Caroline Merola
Hardcover | 32 Pages
Ages 3-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-200-4
“… Caroline Merola’s bold illustrations saturate every page with colour and create a rich, expressive backdrop to the story. The narrative flows naturally, with light, playful dialogue and a lively pace that will make reading aloud a pleasure. Pickles McPhee and Martha made loveable, spirited heroines…. A Night on the Town is a good-natured, charmingly illustrated book – just the ticket for a vicarious nighttime romp.” – Quill & Quire

It’s Not about the Apple!
By Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins
Trade Paperback | 64 Pages
Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-0-88776-955-9
eBook: 978-1-77049-215-8
“I really loved this book! It captures the story of Snow White from four different cultural perspectives, and each one pulled me away from the Walt Disney version in a delightful way … to read this text and experience Snow White from different cultural perspectives was completely refreshing…. The theme of this classic fairy tale remains the same, but the uniqueness presented from each culture adds great flavour to the original….” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

The other books on this year’s list are:

  • Not a Baby Anymore
  • Le meilleur endroit
  • The Loud Book
  • Kiss Me (I’m a Prince)
  • Savais-tu? Les corneilles!
  • Magalie Lance et compte

Congratulations to all!

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Launch of: The Case of the Missing Deed

What a perfect place to launch a mystery with recipes – Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks, a warm, welcoming cookbook store with a complete demonstration kitchen! About 40 people gathered there on October 13 to celebrate the launch of the first title in Ellen Schwartz’s Teaspoon Detectives series, The Case of the Missing Deed.

Ellen and her daughter, Merri Schwartz, a professional pastry chef, who had created the recipes that form an integral part of the story, had prepared Grandma’s Famous Pesto, Brown Sugar Spice Cake, and Chocolate Cinnamon Sparkle Cookies, all featured in the book, as snacks.

After Merri did a cooking demonstration on how to make the Sparkle Cookies, Ellen read a short scene in which two characters attempt to make the Spice Cake – only to have it explode in the oven.

Ellen signed lots of books, and guests commented on how much fun it was to have a cooking element as part of the book launch. Bon appetit!

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Words Worth Eating with Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder


Last week, on October 12, Words Worth Books and Uptown 21 hosted Words Worth Eating with Peter Etril Snyder and Nan Forler. This was in celebration of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms, a newly released book filled with poems and recipes.

Here’s a look at the wonderful dinner Uptown 21 prepared:


The first course was an apple, cauliflower, and pickled bean salad in a maple mustard vinaigrette and extra old cheddar.


For the mid course, a roasted pumpkin soup with “off the shelf” relish and caraway oil.


Just look at that main course! Smoked and slow braised pork shanks over a warm sour cream potato salad and Nick’s famous sauerkraut.


For dessert, a strawberry-rhubarb custard crisp and Dutch apple pie. The recipe for this dish is in the book!


Mandy from Words Worth Books takes the mic!


Uptown 21 owners, Nick and Nat. Compliments to the Head Chef, Nick, the food was fabulous!

Missed it? Wished you were there? You’re in luck! Words Worth Books and Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21 will be hosting a second evening of Words Worth Eating on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 from 6:00pm-9:30pm.

Please call 519-883-1100 to reserve your seat, your ticket includes a 4-course meal inspired by the story and a copy of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms. $80 for a single ticket or $125 for a couple. Tickets do not include beverages, taxes, or gratuities.

For more photos from this event, please visit our facebook album.

Tundra Book Group