Tag: Lesley Fairfield

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2010 Governor General’s Literary Awards

Tundra would like to congratulate Lesley Fairfield!! Her graphic novel, Tyranny, is nominated for the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Awards in Children’s Literature – Text.

Tyranny
Written and illustrated by Lesley Fairfield
Trade Paperback | 120 pages
Ages 11 and up
ISBN 978-0-88776-903-0
Brilliantly and realistically presented, Tyranny is a must-read for anyone looking for a better understanding of eating disorders and for everyone looking for a compelling page-turner that is truly a story of triumph and hope.

Praise for Tyranny:

“… This is one of the most moving and important graphic novels to come along in years…. Fairfield treats this important subject with intelligence and empathy, and personifying Anna’s horrible self-image in the character of Tyranny is a unique and compelling approach. The simple yet powerful black-and-white drawings do wonders in bringing the book’s message to its readers. Tyranny is so important that both younger and older teens will benefit from reading it. Every public and school library should own at least one copy of this amazing book.” – Starred Review, School Library Journal

“Tyranny is a page-turner…. Fairfield captures the nuanced psychological somersaults of the anorexic experience pitch-perfectly….  She immerses us in the social and physical experience of anorexia…with both guts and grace.” – NOW Magazine

“Lesley Fairfield juxtaposes images of a slender, attractive Anna with the flabby, repulsive girl Anna sees in the mirror…. Enter Tyranny – a skeletal figure who acts as Anna’s inner critic…” – Graphic Spotlight, Kirkus Reviews

“…the emotions are real…. The story is told with equally simple words, relying on the pictures to provide the punch. …effective…” – Booklist

“The graphic form impels but doesn’t rush the reader along with Anna on her dangerous dance with a severe and recurrent eating disorder. The malevolent squiggle that is Tyranny is never out of the picture for long.” – The Globe and Mail

“…Although Anna tries several times to break the cycle of her disorder, Tyranny always pulls her back in. It’s this struggle to regain her will to live that makes Tyranny a powerful read.” – Quill & Quire

Lesley Fairfield is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design in illustration. Her work appears in many children’s books. Lesley’s personal thirty-year struggle with anorexia and bulimia has informed her work concerning body image, which has appeared in Dance in Canada magazine and in York University’s International Women’s Studies Journal.

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Read Comics in Public Day!

Saturday, August 28, is the first annual celebration of International Read Comics in Public Day. So pick your favourite comic or graphic novel, go outside, and read! Need suggestions? We recommend:

Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Bone
Trade Paperback | 96 pages
Ages 8-11 years
ISBN 978-0-88776-934-4
“…Bone’s open art is a wonderful counterpart to these funny tales of derring-do that don’t quite go as expected. His figures are simple and compact, suggesting unexpected power and ability…. Torres’ writing is playful, with occasional pop culture references…. It’s his humor that gives Alison Dare its unique twist. Many kids dream of magical adventures, and Alison’s experiences fill that desire nicely.” – Comics Worth Reading

Alison Dare, The Heart of the Maiden
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by J. Bone
Trade Paperback | 104 pages
Ages 8-11 years
ISBN 978-0-88776-935-1
“…are packed with action and wit, and I recommend them to kids and adults alike….” – Bildungsroman

Tyranny
Written by Lesley Fairfield
Trade Paperback | 120 pages
Ages 11 UP
ISBN 978-0-88776-903-0
“… This is one of the most moving and important graphic novels to come along in years.… The simple yet powerful black-and-white drawings do wonders in bringing the book’s message to its readers. Tyranny is so important that both younger and older teens will benefit from reading it. Every public and school library should own at least one copy of this amazing book. – Starred Review, School Library Journal

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Adapted by Alan Grant
Illustrated by Cam Kennedy
Trade Paperback | 48 pages
Ages 10 UP
ISBN 978-0-88776-882-8
“This classic has tremendous modern appeal. A complex detective story for the most part, this adaptation depicts the gaslight era of London in all its gloomy grandeur…. Public libraries with an eye to keeping a varied teen fiction shelf should consider this title.” – School Library Journal

Kidnapped
Adapted by Alan Grant
Illustrated by Cam Kennedy
Trade Paperback | 64 pages
Ages 10 UP
ISBN 978-0-88776-843-9
“Grant’s words are clean and gracefully streamline Stevenson’s, while unobtrusively preserving the sense of time and place through colloquialisms and accent. Kennedy’s characters are distinct and dramatic, and his settings, using his trademark greens and blues, are atmospheric and eerie…. This is an adaptation done absolutely right.” – Booklist

Good-bye Marianne: A Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany
Written by Irene N.Watts
Illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker
Trade Paperback | 128 pages
Ages 8-11 years
ISBN 978-0-88776-830-9
“…one of the most powerful books is a black and white graphic novel. Good-bye Marianne is the retelling of the award-winning novel…. Moody pencil drawings capture the dark despair of that time, of the mother’s desperate, unselfish gamble to save her daughter’s life.” – The Chronicle Herald

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Thanks TCAF!

TCAF is such a great event! Tundra Books was exhibiting at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this year and it was great getting feedback about our books and chatting with those that stopped by.

Did you have fun at TCAF’s Kids Day Programming?

We did! In the Novella Room at the Toronto Reference Library, J. Torres and Jason Bone introduced families to the world of Alison Dare! J. did Q&As with the children, explained the photo contest, and gave away some Alison Dare prizes.

Jason showed us how he sketches Alison Dare and the Blue Scarab. Then, the kids came up with their own challenging requests, broccoli with eyes and a very small dog were some of the examples:

Lesley Fairfield also came in to sign Tyranny at the Tundra table on both days:

A huge thank you to Chris, Peter, and The Beguiling for being our partnered bookseller! Thank you to Scott Robins for organizing Kids@TCAF! Finally, many thanks to the TCAF volunteers that helped out!

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Tundra at TCAF 2010

Can’t wait to read Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures and Alison Dare, The Heart of the Maiden?

Well you’re in luck! Tundra Books will be exhibiting at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this year! Come by our booth at TCAF this weekend to get your copy before anyone else. We will be pre-releasing the books for TCAF only! The Beguiling will be our partnered bookseller at the booth. Otherwise, you’ll have to patiently wait for the release date. =)

Get your copies signed! The Alison Dare creators, J. Torres and Jason Bone, will be signing at our table from 2:00pm-3:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures
By J. Torres
Illustrated by Jason Bone
ISBN: 978-0-88776-934-4
96 Pages; Black & White
For ages 8+
Trade Paperback
“Filled with life and energy, the pictures seem to move on the pages as you read them.” — Jack Blake, GrayHavenMagazine.com

Alison Dare, The Heart of the Maiden
By J. Torres
Illustrated by Jason Bone
ISBN: 978-0-88776-935-1
104 Pages; Black & White
For ages 8+
Trade Paperback
“These are the comics I wish I had as a kid! … Jason Bone’s art really brings the story to life; it’s expressive without being exaggerated, and he really brings out the goofy humor of the stories.” – Brigid Alverson, Comic Book Resources

Additionally, TCAF has Kids Day Programming! On Sunday, May 9th from 11:30am-12:15am in the Novella Room, they will be spotlighting Alison Dare! J. Torres and J. Bone will introduce you to Alison’s world of globe-trotting quests filled with danger with a Q&A session and live drawing.

Tyranny author and illustrator, Lesley Fairfield, will be signing at the Tundra table at 3:00pm on Saturday and at 12 noon on Sunday.

Tyranny
By Lesley Fairfield
ISBN 978-0-88776-903-0
120 pages; Black & White
For ages 11+
Trade Paperback
New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age list
“ . . . This is one of the most moving and important graphic novels to come along in years . . .” – Starred Review, School Library Journal

Come by, say “hi,” and pick up the Tundra Books and McClelland & Stewart Graphic Novel Sampler, featuring the works of: J. Torres, J. Bone, Lesley Fairfield, Shaun Tan, David Small, Cam Kennedy, Alan Grant, Scott Chantler, and Steve Murray!

TCAF Exhibition Days:
Saturday, May 8th, 2010 from 9am-5pm
Sunday, May 9th, 2010 from 11am-5pm
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto
Free admission! Follow TCAF on Twitter.

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Celebrating Our Natural Sizes

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 1st to 7th. Ask a teacher or librarian to help you find books about eating disorders or talk to your doctor if you have any questions.

Author and illustrator, Lesley Fairfield, shares her experience in Tyranny:

Tyranny
By Lesley Fairfield
ISBN 978-0-88776-903-0
Graphic Novel
Paperback
120 Pages

Lesley Fairfield is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design in illustration. Her work appears in many children’s books. Lesley’s personal thirty-year struggle with anorexia and bulimia has informed her work concerning body image, which has appeared in Dance in Canada magazine and in York University’s International Women’s Studies Journal.

Click here to read Open Book: Toronto’s interview with Lesley Fairfield.

Praise for Tyranny:

“Tyranny is a page-turner… ” – NOW Magazine

“… It’s a powerful book: spare, probing, tough-minded.” – dig! Magazine

“…boldly honest about the disease and its consequences…. A well-proportioned volume with a haunting story and characters…” – Kirkus Reviews

“The graphic form impels but doesn’t rush the reader along with Anna on her dangerous dance with a severe and recurrent eating disorder. The malevolent squiggle that is Tyranny is never out of the picture for long.” – The Globe and Mail

“… The illustrations also show the reader the devastation to her body that Anna cannot see. Fairfield aptly shows the insidious nature of eating disorders as well as the control of the disorder…. Clearly portrays how difficult recovery can be…. Highly recommended.” – Excellent, Resource Links

For more information on eating disorders, visit the National Eating Disorder Information Centre.