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May Cutler (1923-2011)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tundra Books founder, May Cutler at the age of 87. May passed away at her home in Montreal, surrounded by her family after battling several illnesses.

May’s accomplishments were remarkable, and after completing an MA in journalism from Columbia University, she worked for the United Nations, then as a journalist and later taught in the English department at McGill where she set up a three-year extension program in journalism. She also served as the first female mayor of Westmount from 1987-1991.

But we will always know her as the founder of Tundra Books, which she ran for almost 30 years. May was a visionary, and her passion for the arts and creating children’s books as works of art was evident in titles by renowned artists such as William Kurelek, Ted Harrison, Arthur Shilling, Song Nan Zhang, and many others. She is also responsible for the discovery of the incomparable Dayal Kaur Khalsa, who admired her publisher so much that she named the heroine of her books May.

May worked with author Roch Carrier and filmmaker Sheldon Cohen, when they teamed up to create one of Tundra’s perennial favorites, The Hockey Sweater. She also introduced Mohawk artist C. J. Taylor and the legends of the continent’s aboriginal peoples to children across the country.

May’s legacy is lasting. Every children’s book published in this country bears her influence. Her contribution to Canadian children’s literature was enormous and will live on forever.

We invite Tundra’s authors, artists, colleagues, and anyone who knew May, or even those who want to comment, to please leave your thoughts and reminisces below.

Please visit articles on May Cutler from:

The life and accomplishments of former publisher May Cutler will be celebrated in a special memorial event on Saturday, March 19 at 2:00p.m. at Victoria Hall in Montreal. The memorial event is being organized by members of the Cutler family, and will feature several guest speakers, including Mayor Peter Trent and author Roch Carrier.

Family establishes May Cutler Arts Fund
In honour of Cutler’s life and accomplishments – especially her interest in promoting the arts – a memorial fund has been set up by the family to help sponsor various art projects. This initiative came about over the past two weeks, said daughter-in-law Marina Cutler.

“As word got out about May’s passing, we had so many people contacting us to ask what they could do,” said Marina, who is overseeing the fund. “People wanted to know if they could make a donation, or should they send flowers – and if so, where should they send them?

“May and I had spent a lot of time discussing one of her dreams, which was to create an international sculpture garden in Montreal, so that was the springboard for the idea of the fund. We thought we could establish the May Cutler Art Fund in order to further her dream of this garden. Right now the focus is to follow through on that idea.”

Anyone interested in making a non-tax-exempt contributions to this fund can do so by sending a cheque to the May Cutler Arts Fund, P.O. Box 122 Station Victoria, Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 2V4. Contributions can also be made at the memorial event in Victoria Hall.

 

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Canadian Library Association announces the 2011 Award Shortlists

The Award Committees of the Canadian Library Association / Association canadienne des bibliothèques are pleased to announce the shortlist for their 2011 Awards today. They are Canada’s largest national and broad-based library association, representing the interests of public, academic, school and special libraries, professional librarians and library workers, and all those concerned about enhancing the quality of life of Canadians through information and literacy.

2011 Book of the Year For Children Award Shortlist
This notable award recognizes a Canadian author of an outstanding book published in Canada in 2010, which appeals to children up to and including age 12.

Winter Shadows
by Margaret Buffie
Hardcover | 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-968-9
eBook: 978-1-77049-228-8
“…The alternating narratives are gripping, and the characters are drawn with rich complexity; even the stepmothers are finally humanized. Readers will be pulled in by the searing history of bigotry as well as the universals of family conflict, love, and friendship.” – Booklist

Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom
by Susin Nielsen
Hardcover | 240 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-977-1
eBook: 978-0-88776-978-8
“Nielsen (Word Nerd) has created a narrator as sassy and candid as this memorable novel’s title….Nielsen skillfully balances her story’s keen humor…with poignancy. Especially affecting are Violet’s struggles to accept her father’s new family….” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 4th Case
by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-853-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-213-4
“…Peacock has added another brilliant installation to an already amazing series. Sherlock is beautifully drawn, true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and infused with the freshness of a youthful perspective. It is a delight to watch as the young detective develops, and it is a thrill to see how the various elements of his adult persona come together. This book is more than an origin story of the famous detective, however. The mystery has a solid, fast-paced plot; the characters are carefully constructed and fully fleshed out with dynamic, complex relationships; Victorian England itself is a character, and Peacock does a wonderful job of describing the streets, the political unrest and the changing modes that mark the era. This is a truly wonderful book and belongs in any library.” – VOYA

2011 Young Adult Book Award Shortlist
This award recognizes an author of an outstanding English-language Canadian work of fiction (novel, collection of short stories or graphic novel), published in 2010, that appeals to young adults between the ages of 13 and 18.

Folly
by Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover | 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-929-0
eBook: 978-1-77049-212-7
“… poignant story … A thoughtful, accessible and richly detailed read that moves along at a satisfying clip-this will appeal beyond just already-established fans of historical fiction.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

2011 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award Shortlist
This award recognizes an illustrator of a noteworthy Canadian book, published in 2010, that appeals to children up to the age of 12 years. The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award is generously sponsored by Library Services Centre.

Counting on Snow
by Maxwell Newhouse
Hardcover | 24 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-985-6
“… perfectly paced: each turn of the page reveals a new level of intensity in the growing blizzard, bringing an enjoyable hide-and-seek element…. Newhouse infuses every creature’s peering black eyes with character and life…. Newhouse’s sensitive portrayal of the stark Arctic landscape creates an atmospheric chilliness that perfectly captures a winter evening north of the 49th parallel. Original without being gimmicky, Counting on Snow should come with the purchase of every crib in this country, as it has all the makings of a Canadian classic.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

The winners of the CLA Awards and Honour Books will be announced prior to the Canadian Library Association National Conference and Trade Show. The award will be presented at the CLA National Conference and Trade Show in Halifax on May 26.

Congratulations to our authors: Margaret Buffie, Susin Nielsen, Shane Peacock, Marthe Jocelyn, and Maxwell Newhouse. In addition, congratulations to their Editors, Kathryn Cole, Sue Tate, and Kathy Lowinger.

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A Call for Blog Tour Participants: Stones for My Father

Trilby Kent is back for her second blog tour and we want you to join! We had a fantastic time touring Medina Hill the first time around, click here to see the wonderful response we got, and the book even got a starred review from Booklist Magazine.

What is a blog tour?
Similar to a book tour where an author travels from store to store across the country, a blog tour is when an author virtually visits a series of blogs during a consecutive number of days. Click here for some examples.  The tour dates for Trilby Kent’s are April 25-29 2011.

What do I need to participate?
First of all, you will need a blog. Second, a love for reading! Third, a commitment to host the author on your scheduled blog tour date.

How can I help during the blog tour?
As a participating blogger, you will be given an advance copy of Stones for My Father to read and contact with Trilby Kent. On your scheduled posting date, you should post your review of the book for tour followers to see. If you don’t want to do a review, you can also post an author interview, a home-made book trailer, or collaborate with Trilby Kent on an unique post! We highly encourage creativity here!

We will be promoting the blog tour, so your blog will see an increase in traffic. Tundra will be sharing your link on our own blog here, our facebook page, and twitter. We would greatly appreciate it if you could help spread the word too. Feel free to post your reviews on Goodreads, LibraryThing, or online retailers.

Where do I sign up?
I thought you would never ask! If you are getting this as an e-mail subscriber, please fill out the form on our blog:
The form is now closed. Thank you to everyone who signed up!

Stones for My Father
Written by Trilby Kent
Hardcover | Ages 11+ | 176 pages
ISBN 978-1-77049-252-3
eBook 978-1-77049-260-8
Corlie Roux’s farm life in South Africa is not easy: the Transvaal is beautiful, but it is also a harsh place where the heat can be so intense that the very raindrops sizzle. When her beloved father dies, she is left with a mother who is as devoted to her sons as she is cruel to her daughter. Despite this, Corlie finds solace in her friend, Sipho, and in Africa itself and in the stories she conjures for her brothers.

But Corlie’s world is about to vanish: the British are invading and driving Boer families like hers from their farms. Some escape into the bush to fight the enemy. The unlucky ones are rounded up and sent to internment camps.

Will Corlie’s resilience and devotion to her country sustain her through the suffering and squalor she finds in the camp at Kroonstad? That may depend on a soldier from faraway Canada and on inner resources Corlie never dreamed she had….

TRILBY KENT was born in Toronto, Ontario, but grew up in cities on both sides of the Atlantic. After completing degrees at Oxford University and the London School of Economics, she worked for a time in the rare books department at Bonhams before turning to journalism and writing novels for children and adults. Her first book, Medina Hill, is also available from Tundra Books. Trilby Kent lives in London, England.

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February Pub Date Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered our second Pub Date Giveaway of the year! We used trusty random.org to generate the winning number:

Number 21, which means…

Congratulations to Shawna Sanderson, you will be receiving a copy of Jeanne Becker’s Strutting It! The Grit behind the Glamour. Please check your inbox for an e-mail from us!

If you would like more information about the book or Jeanne Becker, visit these links:

Our next Pub Date Giveaway will be on March 8, 2011 and March 22, 2011.

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A Call for Blog Tour Participants: “Scribbling Women”

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.

How many of these remarkable women have you heard of?

Sei Shonagon | Margaret Catchpole | Mary Hayden Russell | Harriet Ann Jacobs | Isabella Beeton | Mary Kingsley | Nellie Bly | Daisy Ashford | Ada Blackjack | Dang Thuy Tram | Doris Pilkington Garimara

Many of the women in “Scribbling Women” had eventful lives. They became friends with cannibals, delivered babies, stole horses, and sailed on whaling ships. Others lived quietly, close to home. But each of them has illuminated the world through her words.

We would like your help for Women’s History Month (March 2011)! If you would like to participate in the “Scribbling Women” blog tour, please fill out this form:
Update: The form is closed. Thank you for your interest and to everyone who signed up!

We will be sending you an advance copy of the finished book to read. The blog tour will be starting on Monday, March 28, 2011 and ending on Friday, April 1, 2011. You will also have the chance to work with Marthe Jocelyn for your blog post! You can also e-mail us (tundra@mcclelland.com) or leave a comment below if you have any questions about the blog tour.

“Scribbling Women”
True Tales from Astonishing Lives
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover |  208 Pages
Trim Size: 6 x 9 | Ages: 14 +
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1

Toronto-born MARTHE JOCELYN is the award-winning author and illustrator of over twenty books. Her picture book Hannah’s Collections was short-listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration. Her novel Mable Riley won the inaugural TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Marthe Jocelyn is the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Vicky Metcalf Award for her body of work.

Tundra Book Group