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

1st Annual Children’s Book Week Spotlight

In celebrating Children’s Book Week (May 2-8, 2011), Ella at Mymcbooks’s Blog and co-host Tina at Family Literacy and You have put together the 1st Annual Children’s Book Week Spotlight.

We decided to join in the fun by providing a prize pack featuring Tundra authors and illustrators who are touring for the 2011 TD Canadian Children’s Book Week.

What do you have to do to enter? Leave a comment below telling us the first children’s author you ever met (at school, for a book signing, or event). Our e-mail subscribers are automatically entered to win. If you haven’t subscribed yet, do so for one extra entry. Simply enter and verify your e-mail using the Subscribe widget at the top, right corner of this blog.

Details: This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the U.S.A. only. Please read our rules for more information.

Dates: This giveaway starts on Monday, May 2, 2011 and ends on Sunday, May 8, 2011 at midnight. One winner will be selected and announced on Monday, May 9, 2011 to receive the prize pack.

A roundup of features with…

Open Book Toronto logoIf you haven’t visited Open Book: Toronto yet, we recommend that you do! They have a great team working on bringing you the latest books news. Last season, they featured some of our Fall 2010 authors and illustrators. Many thanks to Clelia, Amy, Erin, and Nadika for their hard work.

Please click on the links below to read Open Book: Toronto’s features with:

You can take a look at previous interviews here and here. Keep an eye out for interviews from our Spring 2011 authors and illustrators on Open Book: Toronto!

November Pub Date Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered our Pub Date Giveaway! We used random.org to generate the winning number:

Oh sweet 16! Betty Dennis picked Design It! by Rona Arato, illustrated by Claudia Newell. Congratulations and please check your inbox for an e-mail from us!

Don’t worry if you didn’t win anything this round, we will be doing this again in the new year! As a heads up, our next few Pub Dates are on January 11, 2011 and February 8, 2011.

We’re also trying something new – a new giveaway contest for those on facebook! It’s called Tag Tundra.

All you have to do is tag yourself on the book cover(s) that you would like to win! If you think a friend or family member would also be interested in winning a copy, tag them as well! This first batch of Tag Tundra ends on November 14, 2010. Winners will be randomly selected and announced on November 15, 2010. To give everyone an equal chance, winners will be randomly selected.

Here’s how you “tag” a book cover on facebook:

  1. First, you have to be logged into your facebook account.
  2. Next, you have to stop by the Tundra Books page.
  3. You can find the Tag Tundra album under our Photos tab on the top or in our news feed.
  4. Click on the Tag Tundra photo album.
  5. You may choose to tag all the book covers or just one. To do so, click on the book cover and on the bottom right, click on “Tag This Photo.”
  6. The tag function will now be activated, click anywhere on the cover!
  7. Your name and a list of your friend’s names will pop up. Simply click and check the boxes of those you want to tag (maybe they’ll share the book with you).
  8. When you’re done, click on the “Done Tagging” button on the top right corner. This will save all your tags.

Good luck and have fun! We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback too.

Tuesdays with Tundra 6

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

Counting on Snow
By Maxwell Newhouse
ISBN 978-0-88776-985-6
US $14.95 / CAN $16.99
Ages 2-5
“… perfectly paced: each turn of the page reveals a new level of intensity in the growing blizzard, bringing an enjoyable hide-and-seek element…. Newhouse infuses every creature’s peering black eyes with character and life…. Newhouse’s sensitive portrayal of the stark Arctic landscape creates an atmospheric chilliness that perfectly captures a winter evening north of the 49th parallel. Original without being gimmicky, Counting on Snow should come with the purchase of every crib in this country, as it has all the makings of a Canadian classic.” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

Design It! The Ordinary Things You Use Everyday and the Not-So-Ordinary Ways They Came to Be
By Rona Arato
Illustrated by Claudia Newell
ISBN 978-0-88776-846-0
US $20.95 / CAN $22.99
Ages 8-11
“… Arato goes beyond the question of how an object is designed to consider why. Kids are challenged to look closely at the products in their own homes, think critically about what makes for good design, and just as important, imagine how certain objects can be improved…. With its quirky cartoons, fun facts, and thought-provoking challenges, Design It! is a perfect introduction to the way the products we use each day, from toasters to telephones, came to be.” – Quill & Quire

Zero Kisses for Me
By Manuela Monari
Illustrated by Virginie Soumagnac
ISBN 978-1-77049-208-0
US $15.95 / CAN $17.99
Ages 4-7
“…Monari’s slight tale of a little child with big-kid ambitions is spot on the mark. Told mostly in a loving dialogue between mother and child, the language and syntax are true to life and utterly believable. Soumagnac’s cartoon-style illustrations are a perfect match….  This is a sit-on-your-lap, kiss-and-hug read-aloud.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

Pub Date Giveaway: ‘Tis almost the season to be giving. Which book would you love to get your hands on? Leave us a comment below and one lucky reader will receive a copy of their requested book, courtesy of Tundra! One request per person and please review our rules. This offer ends at midnight on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010!