The Oscars for “12 Years a Slave” struck a chord with Tundra authors Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen. The movie and their book, Five Thousand Years of Slavery, tell the story of Solomon Northup, a free Northern black, who was kidnapped into slavery and transported to Louisiana, where he languished for twelve long years until he was released in 1853. “After seeing the film, many people told us that they were surprised at how brutal slavery was. But as we show in Five Thousand Years of Slavery, cruelty and slavery cannot be separated, not in Northup’s day and not today.” The authors are thrilled that “12 Years a Slave” has won these honors and hope this means that more people will learn the truth about the history of slavery.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and of its Abolition
Written by Janet Willen and Marjorie Gann
The kids we meet at schools – in Canada, the U.S., even Israel – are always bursting with questions about slavery:
“Is it true that white people were slaves too, not just black people?”
“Are there still slaves today?”
“Isn’t it illegal?”
“Can we end slavery? How?”
August 23 is UNESCO’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and of its Abolition. So now is a good time for us to think about all the people who were captured and sold into slavery in the long history of the world, and of those who fought to end slavery. Even more important, it’s a time to think about what we can to do end slavery today.
As we explain in Five Thousand Years of Slavery, Slavery has existed in all times and all places, and people of all races, religions, and nations have been slaves. Slaves did the hard work that built immense palaces in Ancient Babylonia. They mined silver and gold in the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, people captured in Britain became slaves in Ireland, and people captured in Ireland became slaves in Scandinavia. In the 1700s, North Africans enslaved American and European sailors they seized on the Mediterranean Sea. African slaves drained marshes in Iraq in the 800s and planted the sugar cane and cotton that made Britain and America rich in the 1800s. Chinese girls did their owners’ bidding until the 1920s.
And today, twenty-seven million people are enslaved. Though slavery is illegal almost everywhere, laws aren’t always enforced. Schoolchildren are forced to pick cotton in Uzbekistan, and prisoners are forced to work in slave labor camps in China, North Korea, and Cuba. Poverty often drives parents to sell their children into slavery. Five Thousand Years of Slavery tells the story of James Kofi Annan, sold by his father to work on a fishing boat in Ghana.
Abolitionists can make a huge difference. Englishman Thomas Clarkson organized the movement that ended the West Indian slave trade in 1808. Harriet Tubman, a runaway American slave, returned to the American South nineteen times before the Civil War to free over three hundred slaves. Today, the former slave James Kofi Annan is taking on the cause of child slaves through his own organization, Challenging Heights.
As we tell the schoolchildren we meet, everyone can help in the fight against slavery. You can:
- Visit the websites of antislavery organizations like Free the Slaves and Antislavery International. Free the Children is just for young people, with projects they can do at home and at school to fight child labor.
- Buy fair trade products. Look for labels like “Fair Trade USA,” “Fair Trade Canada,” or “GoodWeave” when you buy chocolate, coffee, or rugs. Check other items at Not for Sale Campaign.
Though the fight against slavery seems insurmountable, it is a fight worth waging.
2011 Book of the Year Award Winners
ForeWord Reviews‘ Book of the Year Awards were established to bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors. The decisions are based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, author credentials relative to the book, and the value the book adds to its genre.
Tundra would like to congratulate our finalists and winners for an outstanding job!
Young Adult Fiction
Silver Winner
First Descent
Written by Pam Withers
Hardcover | 272 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
Brisk, snappy language, an exotic setting and a socially-conscious tale of adventure well told – First Descent is a solid recommendation for adventure lovers of any age or gender.” – Canadian Children’s Book News
Honorable Mention
The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 240 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-273-8
“…The mystery is well-paced, full of night-time thrills and shady characters, and our fallible hero … hopefully Shane Peacock isn’t done with his youthful protagonist yet.” – Excellent, Resource Links
Other winners in this category: Brooklyn, Burning and Drummer Girl.
Young Adult Nonfiction
Silver Winner
Five Thousand Years of Slavery
Written by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen
Hardcover | 176 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-914-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-151-9
“[Gann and Willen] … have written an invaluable work that sets slavery into a much larger continuum that predates recorded history and continues even today in all parts of the world…. Gann and Willen are engaging storytellers…. Five Thousand Years of Slavery deserves a widespread distribution in school and public libraries.” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine
Other winners in this category: Beyond Bullets, World Without Fish, and Law Made Fun through Harry Potter’s Adventures
2012 Nautilus Award Winners
We are happy to announce that the following Tundra titles have won a 2012 Nautilus Award:
Gold Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Fiction
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
“This meticulously researched novel about a white Afrikaner girl caught up in the Boer War at the turn of the 19th century brings to light a hitherto overlooked aspect of South African history.” – School Library Journal
Gold Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Non-Fiction
Five Thousand Years of Slavery
Written by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen
Hardcover | Ages 11+ | 176 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-914-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-151-9
“Five Thousand Years of Slavery is a balanced masterpiece of information and motivational text. This in-dept text is rich yet reads like a story…. The authors are to be complimented both for their attention to detail and tone. This book handles the controversial topic of slavery with honesty … this text is an invaluable resource. Designed to inform, it provides accurate and balanced information allowing the reader to both understand and identify the issue. This text would be well-suited for any project in the Social Sciences and History curriculum.” – Resource Links
Silver Winner in Children’s Illustration
The White Ballets
Retold by Rajka Kupesic
Illustrated by Rajka Kupesic
Hardcover | All Ages | 40 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-923-8
“In The White Ballets, Rajka Kupesic retells the stories of the best-loved of all ballets – Giselle, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake. Known as the White Ballets, they each tell stories of ethereal maidens costumed in floating white, who seem to be lovely creatures suspended somewhere between heaven and earth….” – The Calgary Sun
Silver Winner in Children’s Illustration
Winterberries and Apple Blossoms: Reflections and Flavors of a Mennonite Year
Written by Nan Forler
Illustrated by Peter Ertil Snyder
Hardcover | All Ages | 40 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-254-7
“The rhythms of the Old Order Mennonite way of life are inextricably tied to faith, the land and the changing seasons. You don’t have to drive too far beyond the outskirts of Waterloo to see it in practice. This ‘simple’ country life is what author Nan Forler and artist Peter Etril Snyder, both of Waterloo, capture so well in this book…. Together, Forler and Snyder offer readers of all ages a glimpse into Naomi’s world — by way of a poem and painting for each month of the calendar year…” – The Waterloo Region Record
Silver Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Fiction
First Descent
Written by Pam Withers
Hardcover | Ages 12+ | 272 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
Paperback: 978-1-77049-412-1
“…From the first page, when Rex hears a crack of river ice, sees an eight-year-old in peril, and enacts a dramatic rescue in which he must out-paddle an advancing mountain of ice, Withers flings the reader from one perilous adventure to another….” – Booklist
Silver Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Fiction
The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
Written by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | Ages 10-14 | 240 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-273-8
Paperback: 978-1-77049-411-4
“…Shane Peacock delivers another intriguing novel exploring the boy detective…. In The Dragon Turn, he attempts to unravel the mystery of a magician’s illusion, which has apparently caused the death of a rival magician … the Canadian-made Sherlock has a real feeling for Victorian London.” – Winnipeg Free Press
Silver Winner in Mid-Grade/Teen Non-Fiction
“Scribbling Women”
True Tales from Astonishing Lives
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover | Ages 14+ | 208 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1
“…eye-opening work…. Jocelyn does a masterful job of putting each writer in context and uses excerpts from their writing to carry the pieces… it is the words that resonate here.” – Booklist
The Nautilus Awards recognizes Books and Audio Books with distinguished literary and heartfelt contributions to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership, and positive social change as well as to the worlds of art, creativity, and inspirational reading for children, teens and young adults. For more information, please visit http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/.
2011 Finalists for the Book of the Year Award
ForeWord Reviews‘ Book of the Year Awards were established to bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors.
Here is a list of the 2011 Tundra Finalists in their respective categories:
Young Adult Nonfiction Category:
“Scribbling Women” True Tales from Astonishing Lives
by Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover | 208 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1
“…a wonderful example of a book that will break down any negative stereotypes about biographies. [Jocelyn]… creates lively, sometimes humorous pieces that blend straight biographic detail and anecdotal accounts about some lesser known women writers in history…. Not only does Jocelyn share extraordinary stories about these women, but her piece also celebrates writers of all kinds, inspiring young adults, particularly girls, to value their own voices and experiences by writing through whatever means they choose….” – ForeWord Reviews
Young Adult Fiction Category:
First Descent
by Pam Withers
Hardcover | 272 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
“…From the first page, when Rex hears a crack of river ice, sees an eight-year-old in peril, and enacts a dramatic rescue in which he must out-paddle an advancing mountain of ice, Withers flings the reader from one perilous adventure to another….” – Booklist
Young Adult Nonfiction Category:
Five Thousand Years of Slavery
by Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen
Hardcover | 176 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-914-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-151-9
“This well-researched global survey introduces readers to slavery practices, customs, suffering, uprisings, and revolts as well as antislavery efforts from ancient Greece and Rome to today’s world…. The authors promote global awareness and issue a call to action…. Informative documentary photos and factually rich sidebars enhance the text…. This groundbreaking title brings the disturbing subject into historical and contemporary focus.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal
Juvenile Nonfiction Category:
In the Bag! Margaret Knight Wraps It Up
by Monica Kulling and illustrated by David Parkins in the
Hardcover | 32 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-239-4
“Third in the Great Idea series, this concise introduction to trailblazing American inventor … reveals a woman committed to living life on her own terms, unafraid to fight for her successes. In clean, straightforward prose, Kulling explains how Knight’s interest in and knack for machines was present even at a young age…. Paired with Parkins’s detailed and handsome pen-and-ink illustrations, the book focuses on Knight’s invention of a paper bag–manufacturing machine and her legal fight to protect her creation after her idea was stolen.” – Publishers Weekly
Juvenile Fiction Category:
Stones for My Father
by Trilby Kent
Hardcover | 176 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-252-3
eBook: 978-1-77049-260-8
“This meticulously researched novel about a white Afrikaner girl caught up in the Boer War at the turn of the 19th century brings to light a hitherto overlooked aspect of South African history.” – School Library Journal
Young Adult Fiction Category:
The Dragon Turn: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fifth Case
by Shane Peacock
Hardcover | 240 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-231-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-273-8
“…Shane Peacock has done his research well. His character makes a very believable younger version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Shane has also accurately portrayed London of the 1860’s. True to the style of the original master, this novel is filled with excellent deductions by the young Holmes, numerous twists and turns and an exciting climax that kept me reading at the edge of my seat.” – Jewish Book World
Winners in each category will be announced at the American Library Association annual conference and on the award website in June of 2012.
Congratulations to our authors and illustrators!