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Remembering Our Veterans

Introduce the very young to Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Day and what it means:

Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a LionProud 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 IThe 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 JimmyWatching 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.

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TD National Reading Summit

TDNationalReadingSummit

WHEN?
November 12-13, 2009

WHERE?
Bronfman Hall,
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen’s Park, Toronto

ABOUT THE SUMMIT:
Becoming a reader is at the very heart of responsible citizenship. But as we find ourselves caught in the fierce updrafts of an information hurricane, we often lose sight of what reading – as an intellectual activity – contributes to our sense of self, our cultural awareness, our capacity for self-expression and, ultimately, our notions of engaged citizenship and the collective good. Reading, after all, is about so much more than a technical act that allows us to communicate, consume media and perform the activities of daily life. To be literate is necessary, but it is not enough.

What is Canada doing to foster a reading culture? Many countries around the world have developed a national program to promote reading among children and the general population. In Canada, individual provinces and communities have made steps in this direction; however, because schools and libraries are the most obvious focus for public reading initiatives, and both are under provincial and municipal jurisdictions, we have no coordinated national strategy to promote reading.

THE READING COALITION
In 2008, a group of librarians, parent activists, authors, publishers and corporate leaders came together with the goal of developing a national reading strategy for Canada; the TD National Reading Summit is the first step in identifying key strategies and building a coalition to advance policy development and implementation. Canadians from all parts of the country are encouraged to engage in this far-ranging discussion about the task of building a reading society.

Please click on the links to Get Involved and for More Information. We hope you get a chance to register and attend, the Program looks amazing!

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Let’s Tour Medina Hill: Round-Up

Medina HillTundra’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:

  • “…fun and eccentric but completely believable.” – Carrie Anne, Another day, another thought… or two
  • “…captivating tale…” – Lauren, Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf
  • “…intriguing plot and interesting characters.” – Melanie, Melanie’s Musings
  • “…looking forward to reading more by Trilby in the future.” – Cindy, Cindy’s Love of Books
  • “After reading Medina Hill, I’ll certainly be on the look out for whatever Trilby writes next. The main reason? Originality.” – Kerry, Shelf Elf
  • “It’s incredibly heart-warming…. ” – Carrie, Carrie’s YA Bookshelf
  • “I love a book that references other books or major historical characters as a main plot point… I think that was the book’s major success.” – Janssen, Everyday Reading
  • “…a satisfying, refreshing, unique tale…” – Khy, Frenetic Reader
  • “…a glorious read, full of warmth and extraordinary, vibrant characters.” – Eve, Vulpes Libris
  • “…well-researched and interesting…. A clever, richly texture book, both for modern children and traditionalists like me” – Sally, An Awfully Big Blog Adventure
  • “Medina Hill is a clever debut novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction….” – Jenny, Wondrous Reads
  • “This book is full of warm, well constructed characters…” – Luisa, Chicklish

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!

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Let’s Tour Medina Hill: Day 5

Medina HillToday, we are wrapping up our first blog tour! We’re a little bit sad that this day has come so fast. It is fantastic to see what readers are saying about Trilby Kent’s debut novel. With that being said, here is what our bloggers have planned for Medina Hill today:

Tour Day 5:

  1. Sarah at Green Bean Teen Queen will be sharing her thoughts on Medina Hill.
  2. Luisa at Chicklish will share a review.
  3. Jenny at Wondrous Reads has a guest post from Trilby Kent!
  4. Sally at An Awfully Big Blog Adventure will talk about Medina Hill.
  5. Eve at Vulpes Libris will chat with fellow Bookfox, Trilby Kent.

Please feel free to leave comments or questions on our post. We will be happy to answer your questions!

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Let’s Tour Medina Hill: Day 4

Medina HillWow, we are at day 4 of the Medina Hill blog tour already! Here is what you can expect from today’s line-up of bloggers:

Tour Day 4:

  1. Shelly at Write for a Reader will be sharing a review of Medina Hill.
  2. Taschima at Bloody Bookaholic will be sharing a review and hosting a giveaway!
  3. Amanda at A Patchwork of Books will be sharing her thoughts on Medina Hill.
  4. Khy at Frenetic Reader will be reviewing Medina Hill.
  5. Leila at BookChildWorld will be in conversation with Trilby Kent!

Tomorrow’s the last day of the blog tour, don’t miss out as we finish up with bloggers in England!

Tundra Book Group