Home of Tundra Books, Puffin Canada, Penguin Teen Canada, and Friends
Join two-time TD Children’s Literature Award nominee, Shane Peacock, as he discusses his Boy Sherlock Holmes series and reads from the third book in the series, Vanishing Girl.
When: Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 7:00p.m.
Where: McNally Robinson Booksellers, 1090 Don Mills Road (Corner of Lawrence Avenue East and Don Mills Road), Toronto, ON M3C 0H9
Info: http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/toronto-events
Image courtesy of Quill & Quire
Don’t miss Theo Caldwell at Chapters Waterloo this Saturday, November 21st at 1pm as he reads from his first novel, Finn the half-Great. After the reading, Theo will be available to sign copies.
“Finn the half-Great is a delightful read…The novel is a quest fantasy with moments of humour and high emotion, epic battles and daring deeds…. a rewarding reading experience.” – Quill & Quire
Chapters Waterloo
428 King Street North
Waterloo, ON
Last Saturday, Nan Forler and her family went to visit McNally Robinson Booksellers at Don Mills.
This was a special visit because Nan discussed, sang, read, and signed her debut picture book, Bird Child.
Here is a short clip where Nan brought out her guitar and taught the children a song.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HwGl0VUFg]
Then, she read from Bird Child to show how Eliza helped Lainey get her own wings to fly.
Nan even came prepared with a craft! She brought in foam birds, ribbons, googly eyes, markers, glue, glitter, jewels, and feathers. The children made holiday bird ornaments.
Here is one of the glittery bird ornaments. This one is only half finished. The artist proceeded to add lots of pretty little jewels.
If you were not able to make it to the event, Nan did sign copies of Bird Child that will be available at McNally Robinson Booksellers on a first come, first serve basis. Thank you once again to Nicola and to the staff for making the event a success!
Upcoming Bird Child Events:
Introduce the very young to Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Day and what it means:
Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion
Written by Jane Barclay
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
ISBN 978-0-88776-951-1
Ages 4-7 | 24 Pages | Hardcover
A gentle, lyrical, new book about war and remembrance. Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion is a special book that will put very young readers on the path to remembrance and lasting appreciation for those who sacrificed and risked their lives in service to their country.
“… a perfect choice for read alouds on Veteran’s Day. It explains why we honor veterans very succinctly and makes perfect sense – a serious but easily understood title.” – Chasing Ray
“… a quiet, loving dialogue between the generations punctuated with vividly realized war scenes. …makes a statement about heroism. …a tight narrative, rich language, a strong story arc….” – Feature Review, Quill & Quire
“…meaningful and engaging…. Barclay has taken on an important topic in an effective and touching way…. There is a lovely rhythm to the prose that would make this a perfect choice by parents and teachers to read-aloud. The text is complemented beautifully with Benoit’s artwork rendered in watercolours and gouache…. Highly Recommended.” – CM Magazine
“Small photos in sepia shades evoke the past in images… the lively animal images in the words are also part of the pictures. …The blend of grim reality, heroic battle, and playful fantasy will speak to kids.” – Booklist
For older readers, a concise history of World War I:
The War to End All Wars: The Story of World War I
Written by Jack Batten
ISBN 978-0-88776-879-8
Ages 10+ | 160 Pages | Hardcover
Meet the soldiers who fought the deadly battles on the Western Front. Follow the trail of flying ace Billy Bishop as he tangles in the air with the Red Baron. The War to End All Wars evokes the heroism and suffering of the men from every country, whose stories changed the face of the world forever.
“…Batten’s account is a model of lucidity, a good place for a young reader to start. Batten’s clean, intelligent prose makes this highly readable and comprehensible….” – The Toronto Star
“This superb book – with its high production values and a multitude of archival photographs, it’s as handsome as it is informative – belongs in every school library and on every family bookshelf. [Jack Batten] makes history vivid, almost palpable, for readers of any age…. Batten’s elegant prose tracks the broad sweep of the war…. The quality that makes this book the outstanding achievement that it is, though, it Batten’s detail-rich delineation of the particular, the depth of his reach into a character, an incident or a battle….” – The Globe and Mail
For middle-grade readers, a novel of danger, warmth, and dark humour:
Watching Jimmy
By Nancy Hartry
ISBN 978-0-88776-871-2
Ages 9+ | 160 Pages | Hardcover
A novel of danger, warmth, and dark humour – set in 1958, Watching Jimmy is a brilliant portrait of a time past, a family of strong women, and a resourceful young girl who exudes character, resilience, and most of all, love.
“Like a steady beat that pulses louder and louder, the story unfolds against a backdrop of postwar social and political concerns and Remembrance Day. Carolyn is a passionate and feisty character, delineated with love and precision, and readers will be drawn to her. A compelling and satisfying novel.” – School Library Journal
“…this short tale of a Canadian preteen whose life centers around protecting her brain-damaged friend recalls … it’s not until she falls in with some wise and savvy adults at a new church that she gains the confidence she needs to blow the whistle-which she does in the course of a passionate Remembrance Day speech arguing for universal health care. … [an] absorbing read.” – Booklist
“…lyrical language…. The book gives a picture of what it was like living in the post-World War II Canada. Readers will be drawn into the gripping story and will worry about the safely of both Jimmy and Carolyn.” – VOYA
“Hartry… has perfectly captured this determined child’s voice and vividly recreates the setting of Toronto in 1958. It’s not hard to connect the dots … which brings the story home to modern readers. As Carolyn encounters one nearly overwhelming challenge after another, they will find her ultimately optimistic tale impossible to put down.” – Kirkus Reviews
Please take time to remember today.
Tundra’s first blog tour came and went last week! We would like to give a HUGE round of applause to all the participating bloggers and readers who left comments. Thank you for being so accomodating in hosting a stop for Trilby Kent. Thanks again to the amazing team at Open Book: Toronto for kicking off with the first stop and for posting “Where is Trilby Kent Today?” for tour followers.
We would also like to use this chance to thank some of the people behind-the-scenes! Kathryn Cole for editing Medina Hill and Kelly Hill for the fantastic cover and design. There’s also Production, Rights, Marketing, Special Sales… Go Team!
Here is a quick round-up about Trilby Kent’s debut novel, Medina Hill:
With permission from Morgan at Books and Literature for Teens, here is the book trailer she created for Medina Hill:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIF2ZB3UihI]
A Note from Trilby Kent: I’m not sure that I’d have anything to add, other than to extend very sincere thanks to all the bloggers for taking part. Overall, the response seems to have been really positive, which is great!
