Tag: Irene N. Watts

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A roundup of interviews with…

Open Book Toronto logoOnce again, the wonderful team at Open Book: Toronto interviewed some of our Spring 2010 authors and illustrators. Many thanks to Clelia and Amy for their hard work! Click on the links below to read Open Book: Toronto’s interviews with:

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

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Tuesdays with Tundra 1

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

Me & Death: An Afterlife Adventure
By Richard Scrimger
ISBN 978-0-88776-796-8
Ages 11+

“…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

Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium
By Rona Arato
ISBN 978-0-88776-967-2
Ages 8-11

“…a culturally diverse story of hardships, anguish, success and happiness. …the story of Mrs. Kaputnik and her children will captivate the reader….” – Resource Links

No Moon
By Irene N. Watts
ISBN 978-0-88776-971-9
Ages 9+

“…Watts provides a fascinating account of what the great unsinkable ship was like. The catastrophe is rendered in a heartbreakingly graceful style, and Lou performs heroically in shepherding her two little girls to safety on a lifeboat in this uniquely engaging and satisfying coming-of-age historical adventure tale.” – Starred Review, Booklist

Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection between People and Their Pets
By Ann Love and Jane Drake
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
ISBN 978-0-88776-884-2
Ages 9-12

“…Love and Drake celebrate the affection that connects people with their pets…. this will draw animal lovers like a magnet.” – Booklist

Cyclist BikeList: The Book for Every Rider
By Laura Robinson
Illustrated by Ramón K. Pérez
ISBN 978-0-88776-784-5
Ages 9+

Bikes are becoming an ever-more vital part of daily life for people of all ages. Laura Robinson combines fascinating history with useful and fun information. The book features riding superstars like Lance Armstrong as well as the kids from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation, whose mountain bike team is coached by Robinson.

Grand
By Marla Stewart Konrad
ISBN 978-0-88776-997-9
Ages 3-6

“…a book that children will enjoy sharing with their grandparents… an excellent book… a grand resource for Early child hood programs that include family themes.” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

I Like to Play
By Marla Stewart Konrad
ISBN 978-0-88776-998-6
Ages 3-6

“…The pictures are what draw the reader in. They are very vibrant and colourful…. Multicultural materials are very important to allow children to see how similar we are even if we look different….” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

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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!

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Top 10 Great Books For Children 2010

Congratulations to our authors and illustrators! Here are the top books picked for 2010 as chosen by the Canadian Toy Testing Council:

Bradley McGoggBradley McGogg, The Very Fine Frog
Written by Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Rachel Berman
ISBN 978-0-88776-864-4
Ages 2-5
“This book presents a fun story told in rhyme about Bradley McGogg, who lives in a bog, where there are plenty of bugs for a frog like Bradley to eat. When Bradley runs low on food, he visits his neighbours, and soon discovers that rabbits, cows and bears east some ‘pretty strange things.’ Children enjoy the clever rhymes and the engaging full-colour illustrations in this lively book.” – The Canadian Toy Testing Council

The Little Toy ShopThe Little Toy Shop
Written and illustrated by Frances Wolfe
ISBN 978-0-88776-865-1
Ages 3-6
“At Kringle’s Toy Shop, the owner helps every customer find just the right toy. When a box arrives at the shop with a stuffed bunny inside, Mr. Kringle determines to find him a home. Bunny soon makes fast friends with Teddy, a toy bear. Children enjoy this lovingly illustrated, sweet story about friendship and a little girl whose heart is big enough to cherish both toys.” – The Canadian Toy Testing Council

Good-bye MarianneGood-Bye Marianne
Written by Irene N. Watts
Illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker
ISBN 978-0-88776-830-9
Ages 8-11
“This 124-page graphic novel tells the quiet but moving tale of 11-year-old Marianne, a Jewish girl living in Germany in 1938. She finds herself barred from school because of her religion, and the story follows her necessary flight from Berlin to England. The black-and-white pencil drawings in this book capture the both the desperate times and the spark of hope as Marianne flees pre-War Nazi Germany.” – The Canadian Toy Testing Council

The other books on this year’s list are:

  • Dance Baby Dance by Andrea Spalding
  • Saffy by Paola Opal
  • Chicken, Pig, Cow by Ruth Ohi
  • Tulipe: Mon pyjama à moi by Lucie Papineau, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch
  • A Royal Little Pest by Anita Reynolds MacArthur, illustrated by Karen Roy
  • Savais-tu? Les serpents by Alain M. Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar, illustrated by Sampar
  • Inside Hockey! The Legends, Facts and Feats That Made The Game by Keltie Thomas
Tundra Book Group