This is what I’ll be doing on Saturday!
National Family Literacy day, January 27 2009, promotes the importance of learning and reading. Reading books together with your children encourages good literacy habits and develops strong reading skills. In celebration of FLD 2009, all branches of Markham Public Library have some very exciting community events planned on Saturday January 24, 2009. Please join us and have fun together!
From the MPL website.
Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate, the sequel to Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, by Adrienne Kress is out today!
Congratulations, Adrienne!
From the publisher:
“Get off of there, Craig!” shouted Shawn. “I can’t! I’m slipping!” wailed Craig. Shawn leaped back onto the ice. He took a breath and jumped over the widening crack, grabbing his little brother by the coat as he flew through the air. Both boys fell heavily to the ice on the other side. The boys stared in horror as the crack widened to reveal an eddy of churning, foaming brown water. Tony, Craig, and Shawn are trapped on an ice floe on the Petitcodiac River in the dead of winter, and the rapid current is pulling them toward the ocean. Twelve-year-old Petra arrives and the boys think they’re saved, but their dangerous journey is only just beginning. The boys and Petra face peril at every twist and turn of the river in Chocolate River Rescue, an exhilarating adventure based on true events. They also learn that a river of chocolate is far better served warm, over ice cream, than cold on an ice floe!
An exciting read from start to finish, Jennifer McGrath Kent kept my attention from the time the trio became stranded on the ice floe and started drifting down the river to the heartpounding rescue. Petra is brave, resourceful and plucky. Shawn and the other two boys are believable and clearly drawn. Boys and girls will enjoy this tale of adventure, danger and heroism. Chocolate River Rescue is a treat! I’ll be recommending it with two enthusiastic thumbs up.
I just finished reading MACKENZIE, LOST AND FOUND by one of our very own kidcritters, Deborah Kerbel and adored it.
From the publisher:
Fifteen-year-old Mackenzie Hill knows something is up when she arrives home to find her father making a home-cooked dinner, instead of his standard delivery pizza. But nothing prepares her for the bombshell announcement: Mackenzie and her dad, alone since the death of her mother a year ago, are moving to Jerusalem, where her father has taken a position as a visiting professor at a university.
The adjustment from life in Canada to life in Israel is dramatic – though it’s eased somewhat when Mackenzie is befriended by an American girl in her new school. The biggest shock of all comes when Mackenzie faces the wrath of her new friends, new community, and even her own father after she begins dating a Muslim boy.
Deborah Kerbel weaves a very convincing tale of a Canadian girl, adrift in an unfamiliar land. Angry at her father for ripping her away from her friends, Mackenzie begrudgingly settles into her new life, her new school and surprisingly to her, begins to forge new friendships and gain appreciation for her new life in Israel.
Deborah uses a first person narrative with her MC, Mackenzie and contrasts that POV very skillfully with the third person perspective of Mackenzie’s new Muslim boyfriend, Nasir. The contrasts of the two characters is striking, Mackenzie with her priviliged life and naivete and Nasir with his gritty upbringing and divided loyalties. The two characters are classically star-crossed, but as their friendship deepens, Mackenzie’s character grows in conviction and Nasir’s grows in hope for a better life.
A wonderful tale with believable characters and an imaginative premise.
Utterly enjoyable!
Great job, Deborah!!
My cyber pal, Linda Gerber, is having a party over at her BLOG so be sure to drop in and win cool prizes, check out the cabana boy and find out more about her book, DEATH BY BIKINI.
Can you beat that cover?!
Kate Coombs has been writing stories and poems since she was very young, growing up in Southern California. Over the years she’s worked briefly as an editor of coffee table books and technical manuals, but mostly as a teacher–grades K-12 plus college and adult education. Right now she’s the teacher advisor for Los Angeles Unified School District’s home/hospital instructional program by day, mysterious masked children’s book writer by night.
Her published books are The Secret-Keeper, a picture book illustrated by Heather Solomon that came out in 2006 from Atheneum:
Kalli was the secret-keeper of Maldinga.
Every day the people of Maldinga straggled through the woods to the clearing where Kalli’s cottage stood. They came one by one, never in twos or threes. And one by one, they told Kalli their secrets…
The Runaway Princess, an intermediate comic fantasy from Farrar Straus and Giroux, also published in 2006. The latter was an ALA Notable Book for 2007, which thrilled her to no end.
She went to the window again and leaned over the ledge. Below her she could see the pale top of someone’s head. Hanak had black hair like Dilly’s. “Hello,” she called.
Whoever it was stepped away from the tower wall. “Nort?” Meg said, shocked. “What are you doing down there?”
Nort held up an oversized spear. “Guarding you. What does it look like?”
”You are not my guard!” Meg cried.
”Am too.”
”Are not.”
”Am too.”
Meg paused. “Where’s Hanak?”
”He’s busy at the castle,” Nort said. “You’ve got me. Royal orders.”
”I’ll give you a royal order, Nort the Short,” Meg announced. “Go shoot yourself in the knees with a crossbow!”
Nort laughed. “Come down and make me.”
With a furious strangled noise, Meg withdrew into the tower. She took a deep breath and surveyed her new domain. There had to be a way to get out of this place.
She has three other books in the pipeline, all inexplicably scheduled to come out in Spring 2010.
You can find out more about Kate at www.katecoombs.com
Linda Gerber currently lives in Dublin, Ohio after four years in Japan, where she served as the SCBWI Regional Advisor. She is a mom of 4, a substitute teacher and youth group leader. Oh, and a writer.
She currently has two YA releases out – SASS: NOW AND ZEN and SASS: THE FINNISH LINE, both with Puffin/Speak.
In May, DEATH BY BIKINI (Puffin/Sleuth) will hit the shelves, followed by DEATH BY LATTE in the fall and DEATH BY DENIM next spring.
Did I mention how much I LOVE this cover???
She also has an essay in THE WORLD OF THE GOLDEN COMPASS anthology (Benbella Books) that came out this fall and another in the upcoming TWILIGHT anthology (also BenBella.)
You can find out more about Linda and her books at www.lindagerber.com
And btw, a fascinating author interview is happening at Compuserve’s Books and Writer’s YA/Children’s forum. So drop in and say hello, post your questions and have fun!
I thought I’d give a bit of structure to my posts, so in honour of launching my own fanpage on Face Book, I thought I’d turn the tables as a fan myself. So AS OF TODAY, I hereby declare Fridays–Fan Fridays–where I blather on about a book or author I really, really love.
Here’s the first installation of Fan Friday!
FANCY NANCY by Jane O’Connor, Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
With two little girls in the house—princess dresses, tiaras and tutus abound. So when I saw this book, I knew I had to get it for my little ‘Fancy Nancy’s”.
From the HarperCollins site:
Meet Nancy, who believes that more is ALWAYS better when it comes to being fancy. From the top of her tiara down to her sparkly studded shoes, Nancy is determined to teach her family a thing or two about being fancy.
How Nancy transforms her parents and little sister for one enchanted evening makes for a story that is funny and warm — with or without the frills.
We’ve read the book about a million times already of course, and as I type, Little M is trying to manage the stairs in a boa and high heels.
Gotta go!
Later:
She’s now sporting stripy tights, a frilly dress and a Dora bandaid, all topped off with a ‘parasol’. Which is really a fancy word for the compact umbrella she swiped from my purse.
So if you have little girls, or if you’re just a little bit fancy yourself, or your name is Nancy and you’ve never had a character in a book named after you—be sure to pick up this book.
Go forth and BE FANCY!
It is my pleasure to introduce February’s Kidcritter of the Month: Valerie Sherrard!
And how appropriate is it, that in this season of LOVE, we celebrate Valerie and her books that have been loved by so many? I first met Valerie at Marsha Skrypuch’s Brantford Book Camp two summers ago and have been a fan ever since. I loved SARAH’S LEGACY for the time and place she crafted and was floored by SPEECHLESS–how can someone write a whole book with barely a word spoken from the main character? Wow!
So please help me in welcoming Valerie!
Author Bio:
Born in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, in 1957, Valerie (Russell) Sherrard lived in various parts of the country before settling in NB, where she has made her home since 1980.
Writing for young adults comes naturally to the mother of three who was also the Executive Director of a group home for adolescents for ten years, and former foster parent to approximately 70 teenagers.
Valerie’s desire to become an author was born when she was in grade six and living with her family in Lahr, West Germany, where her father was stationed. Her homeroom teacher that year, Alf Lower, praised and encouraged her efforts and instilled in her a lifelong belief in her ability to write. (The author’s sixth book is dedicated to Lower, with whom she was able to reconnect in 2001.)
With a successful mystery series and a number of other novels for teens, Sherrard recently turned her hand to historical fiction and completed a work based on the events of the Great Fire of Miramichi. Her historical novel, titled Three Million Acres of Flame, was published in the fall of 2007.
Valerie Sherrard’s books have received much critical acclaim and have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including The Red Maple, White Pine, Snow Willow, Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice, BC Steller and Arthur Ellis Awards. They have also been recommended by the I.O.D.E. Violet Downey and selected as “Best Bets” by the OLA and “Our Choice” by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Since becoming a published author, Valerie has enjoyed visiting many classrooms and libraries to speak to young people about writing, literacy, and most of all, finding and following your dreams. In 2006, recognizing an industry need, she established Authors’ Booking Service along with author Marsha Skrypuch.
Valerie’s other interests are varied, ranging from home decorating to playing chess or Scrabble with her husband, Brent.
Newest work: THREE MILLION ACRES OF FLAMES
In her first historical novel, Valerie tells the story of the Great Fire of Miramichi, as seen through one family’s eyes. The Miramichi fire is the largest recorded land fire to date in North America, ravaging one fifth of the province of New Brunswick (then a colony) and leaving settlers facing the harsh winter without homes, food or provisions of any kind.
Published Works: Young Adult Novels
Out of the Ashes, a Shelby Belgarden Mystery, May 2002, Toronto, ON. 214 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-382-9
In Too Deep, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, May 2003, Toronto, ON. 222 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-443-4
KATE, September 2003, Toronto, ON. 232 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-476-0
Chasing Shadows, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, Feb. 2004, Toronto, ON. 212 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002- 502-3
Sam’s Light, August 2004, Toronto, ON. 216 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-535-X
Hiding in Plain Sight, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, June 2005, Toronto, ON. 221 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-546-0
Sarah’s Legacy, July 2006, Toronto, ON. 200 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-602-X
Eyes of a Stalker, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery, October 2006, Toronto, ON. 220 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-643-7
Speechless, June 2007, Toronto, ON. 180 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-701-8
Three Million Acres of Flame, November 2007, Toronto, ON. 220 pages, The Dundurn Group. ISBN # 1-55002-727-1
Searching for Yesterday, A Shelby Belgarden Mystery – forthcoming.
Congratulations, Helaine on another wonderful addition to your already fantastic series of non-fiction fun books from Maple Tree Press.
So please check out this fun-packed hilarious book and other fabulous titles from this series:
