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Waiting On Wednesday 4

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights upcoming releases that we are anticipating.

In our case, we are eagerly waiting for the advance copies of next season’s titles to arrive!

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-hold-and-read” selection is:

Grease Town
By Ann Towell
Publication Date: February 9, 2010

Just in time for Black History Month in February.

A heartbreaking history of prejudice, family ties, and the loss of innocence.When twelve-year-old Titus Sullivan decides to run away to join his Uncle Amos and older brother, Lem, he finds an alien and exciting world in Oil Springs, the first Canadian oil boomtown of the 19th century.

The Enniskillen swamp is slick with oil, and it takes enterprising folk to plumb its depths. The adventurers who work there are a tough lot of individuals. In this hard world, Titus becomes friends with a young black boy, the child of slaves who came to Canada on the Underground Railroad. When tragedy strikes in the form of a race riot, Titus’s loyalties are tested as he struggles to deal with the terrible fallout.

Though the characters are fictitious, the novel is based on a race riot that occurred in Oil Springs, Ontario, on March 20, 1863. Grease Town is historical fiction at its finest.

What are you “waiting on?”

Want to participate? Grab the logo from Breaking the Spine, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave a link in the comments section on Jill’s blog!

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Holiday List of Lists

There are a lot of lists circulating out there. Best-of lists, gift ideas, and reading suggestions for the holidays. Why don’t we make it easier for you? We compiled some of our books that were featured in lists this year!

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
Illustrated by Oleg Lipchenko
ISBN 978-0-88776-932-0
All Ages
112 Pages
Hardcover
Listed in: Books for Winter Break (Bookslut); Kids books with a ‘wow’ factor (The Chronicle Herald); Books for children to go under the tree (The Record)

A Big City Alphabet
By Allan Moak
ISBN 978-0-88776-939-9
Ages 4+
32 Pages
Trade Paperback
Listed in: WHERE Magazine’s Holiday Gift Guide (Where Toronto)

Brothers
By Michael Mazo
Illustrated by Michael Soloviov
ISBN 978-0-88776-822-1
All Ages
32 Pages
Hardcover
Listed in: Holiday gift guide: A survey of some of the hottest adult and children’s books, just in time for your holiday shopping (Kelowna)

Finn the half-Great
By Theo Caldwell
ISBN 978-0-88776-931-3
Ages 11+
392 Pages
Hardcover
Listed in: Holiday Reads: Deirdre Baker’s Fantasy Books for Kids (The Toronto Star)

Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas
By Cary Fagan
Illustrated by DuÅ¡an Petričić
ISBN 978-0-88776-895-8
Ages 8-11
112 Pages
Hardcover
Listed in: Books of the Year 2009: The 15 Books That Mattered (Quill & Quire); Holiday Gift Guide (EYE WEEKLY)

A Mountain Alphabet
By Margriet Ruurs
Illustrated by Andrew Kiss
ISBN 978-0-88776-940-5
Ages 4+
32 Pages
Trade Paperback
Listed in: Brief reviews of books for kids for Christmas (Kelowna)

A Thousand Years of Pirates
By William Gilkerson
ISBN 978-0-88776-924-5
Ages 10+
96 Pages
Hardcover
Listed in: Kids books with a ‘wow’ factor (The Chronicle Herald); Books for children to go under the tree (The Record); Books Quarterly: Lit for little ones (The National Post)

Vanishing Girl: The Boy Sherlock Holmes – His Third Case
By Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-852-1
Ages 10-14
320 Pages
Hardcover
Listed in: Books Quarterly: Lit for little ones (The National Post)

Are these critic’s picks on your list? Tell us which books you are recommending this holiday season!

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Tundra Take 9

Tundra Take features a photo (or photos) from the week! Check on Fridays for a peak at Tundra Books!

This week, Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet (A Prairie Alphabet) sent us a gift basket! We happily munched on the goodies during our weekly meeting.
Thank you and happy holidays!

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Waiting On Wednesday 3

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights upcoming releases that we are anticipating.

In our case, we are eagerly waiting for the advance copies of next season’s titles to arrive!

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-hold-and-read” selection is:

No Moon
By Irene N. Watts
Publication Date: April 13, 2010

Louisa Gardener is the fourteen-year-old nursemaid to the young daughters of a wealthy, titled family living in London, England, in 1912.

Despite the bullying Nanny Mackintosh, for whom she is an extra pair of hands, she loves her work and her young charges. Then everything changes. The family decides to sail to New York aboard the Titanic. An accident to the children’s nanny, only days prior to the sailing, means that Louisa must go in her stead. She cannot refuse, although she dreads even the mention of the ocean. Memories she has suppressed, except in nightmares, come crowding back.

When Louisa was five and her sister seven years old, their two-year-old brother died on an outing to the seaside. Since that time, Louisa has had a fear of the ocean. She blames herself for the accident, though she has been told it wasn’t her fault.

If Louisa refuses to go on the voyage, she will be dismissed, and she will never get beyond the working-class life she has escaped from.

How Louisa learns self-reliance, overcomes her fears, and goes beyond what is expected of a girl makes No Moon an unforgettable story.

What are you “waiting on?”

Want to participate? Grab the logo from Breaking the Spine, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave a link in the comments section on Jill’s blog!

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A Roundup of Ten Questions with…

Open Book Toronto logoOnce again, the wonderful team at Open Book: Toronto interviewed some of our Fall 2009 authors and illustrators. Many thanks to Clelia and Amy for their hard work! Click on the links below to read Open Book: Toronto’s Ten Questions with:

You can take a look at the Spring 2009 Ten Question interviews here. Stay tuned for interviews from our Spring 2010 authors and illustrators!

Tundra Book Group