We are so happy to see one of our titles selected for the Globe 100 under Favourite Middle Grade/Young Adult this year. Congratulations to Kate De Goldi and Gregory O’Brien!
The ACB with Honora Lee
Written by Kate De Goldi
Illustrated by Gregory O’Brien
Hardcover | 128 Pages | Ages 10 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-722-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-723-8
“Kate de Goldi writes surprising and warmly hilarious books where sensitive children make imaginative sense of the world around them. Perry’s grandmother, Honora Lee, lives at Santa Lucia, a rest home, but never remembers Perry’s visits, let alone who she is or if she is a girl or a boy. What she does remember, though, are bits of poetry, sharp and cheeky quips, and how to steal mints from other residents’ rooms. Perry notices Honora’s interest in the alphabet, and the great fun and interest of the book is in the creation of ‘The ACB’ book as it follows the serpentine, sometimes broken logic of Honora and her roomies at Santa Lucia. For example, ‘S is for Sideways Geoffrey,’ who always seems to end up horizontal in his chair and has to watch the television the wrong way. Deceptively simply told for all its sophistication, and so smart, too.” – The Globe and Mail
Launch of: Our Corner Grocery Store
In a city inundated with giant, gleaming supermarkets, Toronto’s old-style neighbourhood corner store may be nearly extinct.
But there’s no hint of decline at the impressively cluttered greengrocer located in the tiny front room of a house near Hillcrest Park, in the St. Clair West area. Every weekday at lunch, the 20-by-20-foot shop, owned by Domenico Cozzi, 76, and his wife Rosa, 77, is overrun with ravenous school kids, who swarm in to buy Mr. Cozzi’s salami and provolone sandwiches, pop and candy….
In recent weeks, regular patrons have noticed that the Cozzis have been even more upbeat than usual. The reason: Their modest business, purchased with the house for $33,000 back in 1966, has become the subject of a new children’s book, Our Corner Grocery Store (Tundra), illustrated by Laura Beingessner.
– John Lorinc, The Globe and Mail
The publication of Joanne Schwartz and Laura Beingessner’s new picture book, Our Corner Grocery Store, was celebrated on Saturday, April 25, 2009. Since the book is such a local story, Joanne Schwartz hosted a neighbourhood event at her home. Our Corner Grocery Store is based on Domenico’s grocery store which is located at 134 Tyrrel Avenue, Toronto. Domenico Cozzi and his wife Rosa, owners of the actual corner grocery store, came to celebrate the book’s release.
Laura Beingessner signing Our Corner Grocery Store. Look at the line-up of readers!
Joanne’s turn to sign!
Reading Our Corner Grocery Store in the front yard.
Joanne Schwartz and Laura Beingessner thank everyone for coming. Thank you Domenico and Rosa for your inspirations and to everyone who came out and made the event such as success! Can you spot Domenico’s smiling face in the photo above? Also, thank you to John Lorinc for attending and writing the wonderful piece in The Globe and Mail.