Category: Spring 2009

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Guest Post: Laura Beingessner

Today’s guest post is from Laura Beingessner! Laura is the illustrator of Our Corner Grocery Store, written by Joanne Schwartz. Her illustrations have been described as: “folksy” (starred review, School Library Journal), “charming” (CM Magazine), “wonderfully detailed” (Kirkus Reviews), and “glow[s] warmly” (Booklist).

Our Corner Grocery Store

Laura Beingessner: Our corner Grocery Store was a joy to draw. It took me back to my own childhood. Going to the Corner Store for a freezie was always a highlight for me on a hot summer day.

Laura Beingessner and Joanne SchwartzThis is Joanne and I on the day of our book launch. We look like we just had a freezie.

Arts and Craft with Laura BeingessnerHere I am at a Hillcrest school doing an activity with kids. They coloured and pasted up their own corner store picture.

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BookExpo America 2009

Tundra’s Director of Marketing and Sales and Director of Rights and Special Markets went to BEA this year in New York. Here are a few photos they took:

New York City
Seating around Time Square in New York City! As you can see, the chairs are very popular.

Tundra Books' booth at BEA09
Our booth at BookExpo America! We had a mixture of Spring 2009 titles and advance materials of our Fall 2009 books on display.

Theo Caldwell signing Finn the half-Great
Theo Caldwell signing ARCs (Advance Reading Copies) of Finn the half-Great at table 12 on May 29.

Theo Caldwell
For more information about Finn the half-Great, visit http://www.halfgreat.com/. You can also write to Finn!

Andrew H. Vanderwal signing The Battle for Duncragglin
Andrew H. Vanderwal signing finished copies of The Battle for Duncragglin at table 7 on May 29.

Andrew H. Vanderwal
To learn more about The Battle for Duncragglin, visit Andrew H. Vanderwal’s website, http://www.duncragglin.com/.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to say “hi” or to browse through our books. We hope to see you next year at BEA, May 25-27 2010!

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Launch of: Watching Jimmy

Nancy Hartry celebrated the launch of Watching Jimmy, her first novel on Sunday, May 31, 2009. Watching Jimmy grew from her short story “Thunderbird Swing,” which was published in Secrets. 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.

Swansea Town Hall
The launch was held at Swansea Town Hall, near many locations mentioned in the novel.

Nancy Hartry signing
Nancy Hartry signing books for families and friends.

Watching Jimmy cake
A Watching Jimmy cake!

During Nancy Hartry's reading
Listening to Nancy Hartry read a passage from her novel. She also talked about the writing process and how some elements from the book came to be.

Nancy Hartry and friends
Nancy Hartry invited her friends from CANSCAIP and writing workshops to her launch.

Video of Nancy Hartry reading an excerpt from her novel:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_7MYx9gMs4]

Video of Nancy Hartry’s son and his friend performing The White Cliffs of Dover:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uetTXu4D8E]

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A TINARS Weekend

On Saturday, it was “Look Again Day” at This Is Not A Reading Series for Tots, presented by Pages Books & Magazines, Bunch, Gladstone Hotel, and the Little Paper. Marla Stewart Konrad presented her two books, Getting There and Mom and Me:

Marla Stewart Konrad at TINARS for Tots
Marla Stewart Konrad

Also at TINARS for Tots that day was Rebecca Upjohn presenting Lily And The Paper Man and there was a tribute to Tomi Ungerer of The Three Robbers & Moon Man.

Then on Sunday, it was the TINARS Literary Arcade! TINARS set up listening stations in the ballroom of the Gladstone Hotel as part of Doors Open Toronto. Featured authors and illustrators included: Joanne Schwartz, Laura Beingessner, Claudia Dey, Lisa Foad, Stacey May Fowles, Hilary Leung & David Bruins, Ibi Kaslik, Damian Rogers, Zoe Whitall, and Nathan Whitlock.

Authors and Illustrators at TINARS Literary Arcade

Tundra Book Group