Eden Mills Writers’ Festival 2011


You know it’s autumn when there is an array of literary festivals during the weekends! Please join Tundra author, Richard Scrimger, at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival on Sunday, September 18. He will be at the COMMON from 3:30-4:30pm along with young adult authors Adwoa Badoe and Tish Cohen.

Me & Death
An Afterlife Adventure

By Richard Scrimger
Trade Paperback
192 Pages
Ages 11+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-796-8

Praise for Me & Death:
“…fast-paced tale of life and death… Scrimger packs a lot into this short, philosophical tale, which openly acknowledges its Dickensian inspiration. …an accessible story of redemption.” – Publishers Weekly

“… Scrimger creates unpredictable, sad, and authentic scenes that enliven the story … Scrimger’s novel is a difficult, compelling read that taps into teens’ fascination with death….” – Booklist

Me & Death is veteran YA author Richard Scrimger’s witty and original riff on the Scrooge story.” – Quill & Quire

“…While Me & Death could loosely be categorized as a modern-day, teenage version of A Christmas Carol, its focus on the ‘now what?’ as Jim returns to life to face and make peace with the ‘living demons’ brings an edge that will enthrall young teens. Flip, sad, poignant, funny, and fast-paced, with vivid characters, this book will be enjoyed by a range of young readers….” – VOYA

“A simpler dark tale, a moral fable, emerges from Me & Death: An Afterlife Adventure…. The moral of the story is straightforward, lightened by Scrimger’s comic irony and energized by a suspenseful climax.” – The Toronto Star

Telling Tales 2011

This year, the 3rd annual Telling Tales: A Family Festival of Stories is being held on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at the Westfield Heritage Village. Gates open at 9:30am and the festival ends around 4:00pm. You don’t want to miss it, Telling Tales won the 2010 Tourism Hamilton Award of Excellence – Festival of the Year!

Don’t forget to meet our authors at the festival this year:

Bradley McGogg
The Very Fine Frog
By Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman
Trade Paperback | 24 Pages | Ages 2-5
ISBN: 978-1-77049-276-9
Tim Beiser was born on April Fools’ Day in Los Angeles, California. After earning a degree in Economics at Rocky Mountain College in Montana, he moved to New York City where he spent sixteen years as a playwright and science fiction short-story writer. He was a writer-in-residence at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico, and he founded the creative writing studio The Writer’s Workout in Manhattan. Like most New York artists, Tim has had many day jobs: a pastry chef, an architectural draftsman, a college teacher, a waiter, a nightclub performer, a computer repairman, and, lastly, an emergency medical technician for the Fire Department of New York, driving an ambulance. Tim received a B.A.A. in Journalism from Ryerson University and started a career as a freelance magazine writer. For his work in such publications as National Post Business, Toronto Life, Elm Street, Reader’s Digest, and Saturday Night, Tim has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards. Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog is his first book for children. Tim Beiser is the proud dad of twins Rowan and Daniel, and he and his family split their time between Toronto, Canada and Grignan, France.

Capturing Joy
The Story of Maud Lewis
By Jo Ellen Bogart
Illustrated by Mark Lang
Trade Paperback | 32 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-262-2
Jo Ellen Bogart is the author of many best-selling children’s books, including Big and Small, Room for All; Jeremiah Learns to Read; Daniel’s Dog; and Gifts. She has degrees in elementary education and psychology from the University of Texas, and she now writes full time. Jo Ellen has won the Ruth Schwartz Award and has been shortlisted for the Mr. Christie’s Book Award. Her first book for Tundra was a biography of Maud Lewis called Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis. Born in Houston, Texas, she now lives in a pet-filled home in Guelph, Ontario.

The Nightwood
By Robin Muller
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-209-7
Robin Muller is an internationally acclaimed author and illustrator of children’s books. He received the Studio Magazine Award for Illustration (silver) for The Nightwood, the Governor General’s Award for The Magic Paintbrush, and the 1995 IODE Award for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. He was a medalist for the Ezra Jack Keats Memorial Award. Robin Muller lives in Toronto.

Click here for photos from the festival’s first year!

Tuesdays with Tundra 13

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

The Case of the Missing Deed
By Ellen Schwartz
Hardcover | Ages 8-11
ISBN 978-0-88776-959-7
eBook 978-1-77049-267-7

Take a dash of colorful characters, a pinch of danger, and generous scoops of adventure and you have a terrific culinary mystery for young readers.

Five cousins are looking forward to their annual vacation at their grandmother’s cottage. None of them knows that this may be their last such summer. A mining company has set its sights on the land and is determined to seize it. Grandma must produce the deed to prove that the property is really hers, but her memory is not what it used to be, and she can’t find it. The children suspect there may be clues to the deed’s whereabouts somewhere in the family’s cherished trove of recipes. But can they solve the mystery in time?

Adult mystery buffs have had many culinary mysteries to choose from. Ellen Schwartz introduces her young readers to a delicious genre. She even provides easy-to-follow and yummy to eat recipes.

First Descent
By Pam Withers
Hardcover | 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.

In Colombia, he meets Myriam Calambás, an indígena, who has lived along the El Furioso all her life. Though she loves its rushing waters, she dreams of leaving to get an education so that she can help her people. Her dreams, and her very survival, are in the balance when she and Rex are caught up in the clash between paramilitaries, working for rich landowners, and guerillas, who are supposed to be protecting the poor.

Pam Withers’ skill at writing about extreme adventures combines with a compelling story about an endangered world and a people struggling for their very right to exist.

Juba This, Juba That
By Helaine Becker
Illustrated by Ron Lightburn
Hardcover | Ages 2-5
ISBN 978-1-77049-975-7

Traditional “juba” rhythms have a long history. They originated in Nigeria as hand-clapping games. People who were brought to the New World as slaves fought hard to keep their culture alive against terrible odds. They transformed “juba” rhythms into work songs that were passed down orally.

Juba This, Juba That is based on one of the most popular songs. With its strong beat and read-along repetition, it will delight small children. Along with all the fun there’s also fascinating history and concepts including opposites and prepositions. Children will have fun discovering the story told in the art about a boy named Juba who follows a mysterious yellow cat on a magical, middle-of-the night adventure that leaves them both happy and ready for slumber.

Body Works Series


By Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
Illustrated by Joe Weissmann
Hardcover | Ages 6-9

My Achy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-204-2
My Messy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-202-8
My Noisy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-201-1
My Stretchy Body ISBN 978-1-77049-203-5

Young children are full of questions about how their bodies work. With straightforward, easy-to-understand language and a playful attitude, Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD have collaborated to create books packed with solid information about the intricacies of the human body. Their reassuring text describes the body’s various systems and supplies parents and caregivers with answers that will help them provide the accurate, age-appropriate information young children need.

Pub Date Giveaway: How was back to school week? Tell us which new release (the four Body Works books count as one) you would love to read in the comments below and one lucky reader will receive a copy of their requested book! One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, September 15, 2011!

UPDATE: A winner has been randomly chosen. Congratulations to Emily D., the new owner of The Case of the Missing Deed.

Words Worth Eating

You’re invited to:

WORDS WORTH EATING with Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder
Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year

Nan Forler and Peter Etril Snyder have created a beautiful tribute to a traditional Mennonite girl’s year. Follow her through the seasons with poems, recipes, and of course stunning illustrations.

When: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Where: Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21, 21 King Street North, Waterloo, ON (Map)
Details: $80 for a single ticket or $125 for a couple. Tickets include a copy of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms and a four course meal. Beverages, taxes, and gratuities are additional. Doors open at 6:00pm, meal served at 6:30pm.
RSVP: Please call the restaurant to reserve your seat – (519) 883-1100.

UPDATE!
Due to enthusiastic ticket sales for the October event, Nick and Nat’s UPTOWN 21 will host a second evening of Words Worth Eating on Wednesday, November 23 from 6:00pm-9:30pm.  Call (519) 883-1100 for tickets, your ticket includes a 4-course meal inspired by the story and a copy of the book.

The Mona Lisa Caper

On this day in 1911, Vincenzo Perugia shocked the world by stealing the most famous of the many treasures in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa. Rick Jacobson and Laura Fernandez take a playful look at the possibilities behind the facts in this delightful tale of a famous missing treasures.

The Mona Lisa Caper
Written by Rick Jacobson
Illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 5-7
ISBN: 978-0-88776-726-5
Throughout Rick Jacobson’s lively text, Mona Lisa herself narrates the story of her trip back to the city of her creation. The playful art Rick has painted along with his wife, Laura Fernandez, heightens the fun. Not only is it Keystone-Cops funny, it is a sound introduction to the painting that continues to delight, amaze, and mystify hundreds of years after Leonardo da Vinci’s death.

PRAISE FOR The Mona Lisa Caper:

“…the writing is sprightly, and the watercolor artwork, superior – realistic, but with touches of whimsy.” – Booklist

“[The book] has a sweet whimsy, and lovely paintings of the great lady.” – The Globe and Mail

“The watercolour illustrations … include lively action scenes and beautifully atmospheric landscapes and cityscapes … the book has a lot of charm and a vivid sense of period. It will doubtless encourage readers to see the painting and decide for themselves about her smile.” – Quill & Quire

“[Jacobson and Fernandez’s] soft-edge paintings and decorative cameos are atmospheric and appealing….” – School Library Journal

“…Jacobson’s dense text brims with suspenseful details, and he humorously imagines how a painting might feel … Jacobson and Fernandez’s beautifully drafted watercolors convey a sense of excitement while capturing many details of the era. Jacobson wisely resists the temptation to teach or preach in his unusual tale; he merely delights in the events, and readers will, too.’ – Publishers Weekly

“Author Rick Jacobson paints the fascinating, often hilarious details of this oddball art heist through the eyes of Mona Lisa herself. Additional humour is added by the outstanding realistic artwork. This is a history book that reads like an action adventure story.” – Canadian Family Magazine

Tundra Book Group