Authors for Indies Day

authorsforindiesCanadian Authors for Indies Day is happening on Saturday, May 2, 2015, and several of our authors are popping into independent bookstores across the country!

British Columbia:

Edie's Ensembles  We Are All Made of Molecules If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur

Newfoundland:

The Swallow

Nova Scotia:

Frankenstink

Ontario:

Julia Child  Nancy Knows  Millhouse  Best Friends through Eternity Audrey-cow For Those About to Write  The Pocket Mommy

For a full list of participating authors and bookstores, please check out the Authors for Indies website.

AuthorsForIndies-Globe-Apr25-v4

Guest Post: Ron Lightburn

On Monday, June 11, StoryWalk launched at Jubilee Park in Bridgetown! Ron Lightburn, the illustrator of Juba This, Juba That by Helaine Becker, went to celebrate:

Ron Lightburn: Juba this, Juba that, Juba spies a yellow cat…

Juba is just waking up. Can you stretch your arms high over your head, all the way to the next sign?

Can you reach high up to the sky, then crouch into a ball, then reach high up to the sky, then crouch into a ball, all the way to the next sign?

Everybody crouch all the way to the next sign!

Everybody run in big zig-zags all the way to the next sign!

Hooray for Angela Reynolds of the Annapolis Valley Regional Library! Thank you for making a StoryWalk in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia!

Don’t forget to check out this interview about Ron Lightburn, he goes into more details about StoryWalk too!

The Word on the Street: Toronto

Sunday, September 25th was The Word on the Street held coast to coast in Vancouver, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Kitchener, Toronto, and Halifax.

In Toronto, Tundra had eight authors participating, which included Helaine Becker, Cary Fagan, Nan Forler, Liza Fromer, Francine Gerstein, Monica Kulling, Shane Peacock and Heather Hartt-Sussman. We also had a booth on Kidstreet, which was well stocked with backlist titles for sale. Hardcovers were $10 and paperbacks were $5. It was a gorgeous day (sorry, Vancouver) and thousands of Torontonians flocked to Queen’s Park for this ever-growing festival.

Here are some of the highlights of the day:

First up, Shane Peacock participated in a Mastering the Mystery panel with Norah McClintock and Evan Munday, and moderated by Toronto Life’s Nathan Whitlock at the This Is Not The Shakespeare Stage.

At the Children’s Activity Tent, Nan Forler demonstrated a quilting craft then signed copies of her new book, Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year.

Heather Hartt-Sussman signs Noni Says No. Check out this CTV clip of her reading in the Children’s Reading Tent!

Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD answer kids’ medical questions, interestingly many were about farts and burps, and then sign copies of their series, Body Works.

Shane Peacock reads from the 5th book in The Boy Sherlock Holmes series, The Dragon Turn, at the Bestsellers of Tomorrow event with authors Brian Francis and Ian Hamilton. The event was hosted by Mary Ito.

Monica Kulling reads from Merci Mister Dash! in the Children’s Reading Tent and signs book for her fans.

Helaine Becker reads from Juba This, Juba That. She also led the audience in a spirited hand-clapping routine.

Many thanks to our authors who participated and to the staff and volunteers of The Word on the Street. A special thanks goes to Festival Director, Nicola Dufficy for working so tirelessly on programming a fantastic day and for her incredible support of our authors and illustrators!

The Word on the Street


Have you started planning out your schedule for Sunday, September 25th, 2011? Everyone is excited about the author events, presentations, workshops, and marketplace. We hope to see you at the Word on the Street festival from 11am to 6pm at Queen’s Park!

Here’s a quick glance at our schedule:

TORONTO

Children’s Activity Tent:
12:15pm-1:00pm – Join Nan Forler, author of Winterberries and Apple Blossoms, for a craft activity, make a quilt-inspired square, and take home your own mini wall-hanging! Ages 6 & up.

Children’s Reading Tent:
12:10pm-12:30pm – Ella May and the Wishing Stone by Cary Fagan
1:00pm-1:20pm – Noni Says No by Heather Hartt-Sussmann
1:20pm-1:40pm – Body Works series by Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD
4:30pm-4:50pm – Merci Mister Dash! by Monica Kulling
5:10pm-5:30pm – Juba This, Juba That by Helaine Becker

This is Not Shakespeare Stage:
12:00pm-12:45pm – Mastering the Mystery – How to Keep Readers Guessing
How do mystery authors ensure that their book is a page-turner? How do they keeping us guessing, without compromising the integrity of their characters and the depth of the plot? What are the elements of a great mystery? Join authors Norah McClintock, Evan Munday, and Shane Peacock for a discussion of these topics and more!

Scotiabank Giller Prize Bestsellers Stage
2:00pm-3:15pm – Bestsellers of Tomorrow
The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case by Shane Peacock
Summer 1869, Sherlock Holmes and his friend Irene celebrate her sixteenth birthday by attending the theater to watch a celebrated magician make a real dragon appear on stage. Sherlock and Irene meet the magician, Alistair Hemsworth – just as he is arrested for the murder of his rival, The Wizard of Nottingham. It seems that traces of the missing Wizard’s blood and his spectacles were found in Hemsworth’s secret studio. But is Hemsworth guilty? Sherlock has his doubts, and soon, so does the reader. The Dragon Turn is full of humor and plot twists as dizzying as a narrow London lane! Author Shane Peacock invites his readers along on another exciting adventure with one of literature’s all-time favorite characters.

VANCOUVER

Authors Tent
1:20pm – First Descent by Pam Withers
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.

Kids Tent on Literacy Lane (Hamilton Street)
4:40pm – The Case of the Missing Deed by Ellen Schwartz
Five cousins are looking forward to their annual vacation at their grandmother’s cottage, but this may be their last summer there as a mining company has set its sights on the land. Grandma must produce the deed to prove that the property legally belongs to the family, but she can’t find it. The cousins suspect there may be clues hidden in the family’s cherished trove of recipes—but can they solve the mystery in time? Ellen Schwartz grew up in New Jersey before moving to Canada. She has written several books for children, including Avalanche Dance and Stealing Home. Ages 8–11

HALIFAX

Juba This, Juba That illustrated by Ron Lightburn

KITCHENER

Children’s Reading Tent:
12:00pm – Mrs Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium by Rona Arato
1:30pm – Rude Stories by Jan Andrews
2:00pm – Sail Away with Me and Our Corner Grocery Store illustrated by Laura Beingessner

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.