The 2011 OLA Forest of Reading® Nominees

Yesterday, the Ontario Library Association revealed the short-listed nominated titles for the 2011 Forest of Reading®. All nominated titles have been posted on the Reading Program page of the OLA website, which you can visit at http://www.accessola.com/reading.

Tundra would like to congratulate Jane Barclay, Renné Benoit, Monica Kulling, Bill Slavin, Ann Love, Jane Drake, and Nancy Hartry!

Blue Spruce Award (JK-Grade 2)

Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion
By Jane Barclay
Illustrated by Renné Benoit
ISBN 978-88776-951-1
Hardcover
24 Pages
“…Barcaly has taken on an important topic in an effective and touching way…. The text is complemented beautifully with Benoit’s artwork rendered in watercolours and gouache. The gentle wash of colours is soft and expressive, with the red poppies making an impression….” – CM Magazine

Silver Birch Award – Express (Grades 2-4)

It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
ISBN 978-88776-881-1
Hardcover
32 Pages
“…Love the story, the history and the illustrations. We had a great time reading it together and talking about how much cameras have changed. It’s great to look at our past to see how far we’ve come….” – The Book Broads

Silver Birch Award – Nonfiction (Grades 4-6)

Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection Between People and Their Pets
By Ann Love and Jane Drake
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
ISBN 978-88776-884-2
Hardcover
80 Pages
“…Written in what might be described as an infectiously friendly fashion, with an ample array of narrative … and plentifully illustrated with witty watercolours by the irrepressible Bill Slavin, Talking Tails will appeal to those who are contemplating having a pet in their lives, or those who just want affirmation of the rightness of their choice of pet – and perhaps more information about the cat, dog or leopard gecko they dote on.” – The Globe and Mail

Golden Oak Award (Adult Learners)

Watching Jimmy
By Nancy Hartry
ISBN 978-88776-871-2
Hardcover
160 Pages
“…Nancy Hartry’s observant, smart, and iconoclastic narrator floats the story over the surface of a despair which often threatens to engulf the characters, but somehow never does….” – Canadian Literature

The Festival of Trees™ will be taking place on May 11-12, 2011 at the Harbourfront Centre. We’ll be there to cheer on our authors and illustrators!

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival 2010

This year, the 22nd Eden Mills Writers’ Festival is being held on Sunday, September 19, 2010 from noon to 6:00pm. Where is Eden Mills you may ask? It is 15 minutes east of the city of Guelph and 5 minutes west of Rockwood. The festival is outdoors, so we would recommend bringing a lawn chair (fold-up ones work best) or blanket for seating, an umbrella (just in case!), a water bottle, and cash (there’s no bank machine) to buy books, souvenirs, and food. Parking is free!

Keep an eye out for our authors participating in the festival this year:


Young Adult Authors
Shane Peacock, author of The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 4th Case
Marthe Jocelyn, author of Folly


Children’s Writers
Jo Ellen Bogart, author of Big and Small, Room for All
Ann Love and Jane Drake, sisters and co-authors of Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection Between People and Their Pets

Click here for some photos from last year’s festival!

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

OLA Wrap Up

The expo portion of the Ontario Library Association‘s Super Conference is now over. Another great show and thank you to everyone that came to visit our booth. Here are some photos from the two day show:

Before the show began, all is quiet…

Books on display: OLA Best Bets and OLA Forest of Reading nominees!

Heather Hartt-Sussman came in to sign Nana’s Getting Married on Thursday.

Ann Love came in to sign Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection Between People and Their Pets. Are you dog person or a cat person? Maybe both?

Monica Kulling signing All Aboard! Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine.

Shane Peacock signing Death in the Air: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 2nd Case.

Illustrator Laura Beingessner came in to sign Sail Away with Me by Jane Collins-Philippe.

Rona Arato signing Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium. She even brought in a giant matzo ball for display!

Not pictured, but Richard Scrimger, Theo Caldwell, Marla Stewart Konrad, and J. Torres also braved the weather to come in to sign their books:

   

OLA Super Conference 2010 in Toronto

Will you be attending the 2010 OLA Super Conference? The conference will be taking place on February 24-27, 2010 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Tundra will be at booth #720 to tell you about our new and upcoming books! You can also come by to pick up our catalogues, posters, postcards, and bookmarks.

We are also hosting author signings at our booth! Be sure to line-up early, the first 50 people will receive a complimentary copy (finished books, unless noted otherwise). The only catch is… you have to meet the author! Not bad at all…


 

Thursday, February 25, 2010:

  1. 10:30am – Heather Hartt-Sussman will be signing finished copies of Nana’s Getting Married
  2. 11amAnn Love will be signing finished copies of Talking Tails: The Incredible Connection Between People and Their Pets
  3. 11:30amMonica Kulling will be signing F&Gs of All Aboard!
  4. 12:15pmShane Peacock will be signing ARCs of Death in the Air
  5. 1pm – Laura Beingessner will be signing finished copies of Sail Away with Me
  6. 2pmRichard Scrimger will be signing finished copies of Me & Death
  7. 3pmTheo Caldwell will be signing finished copies of Finn the half-Great

 

Friday, February 26, 2010:

  1. 10:30am – Marla Stewart Konrad will be signing finished copies of Grand and I Like to Play
  2. 1pm – Rona Arato will be signing finished copies of Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium
  3. 2pmJ. Torres will be signing chapbooks of Alison Dare, The Heart of the Maiden

Also, be sure to check out Session #1229:

Friday, February, 26, 2010 at 2:10pm

Read Fresh: Why we need Canadian books
Kathy Lowinger, Past Publisher, Tundra Books

For years hardly a single children’s book was published in Canada. Now we have a rich, diverse body of literature to call our own, but we may lose this hard-won national treasure. Why should we care? What should we do? And what are the must-have Canadian books for every library?