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Happy Children’s Book Week! The following ABS authors are touring the country:

Don Aker (Alberta), Jan Andrews (BC interior), Joan Galat (Newfoundland), Karen Patkau (Nova Scotia), Allan Stratton (Nunavut), Caroline Pignat (Quebec). Happy travels, all!

We update our Forest of Reading nominee availability regularly on our blog here. Scroll down and you’ll see current availability notes for our regular presenters.

For a list of our regular presenters, visit the Our Presenters page on our website here.

Think fall! Now is the perfect time to plan ahead. Tell us your author dreams and wishes!

Your turn!

Here’s what Tom Holmes had to say about a recent author visit:

Thank you for helping me arrange Rebecca Bender’s visit to our school. It was a smashing success!

 News

Peggy Dymond Leavey, wearing a costume of the 1812 period, will launch her new biography, Laura Secord: Heroine of the War of 1812, at the ArtScene Gallery, 11 Spencer St. Spencerville, ON at 5 p.m. Friday, June 1st. The event will be part of the Spencerville Mill’s Bicentennial Heritage Fair, June 1– 3.

Middle-grade author, LM Falcone, got to check off a long-standing item on her Bucket List when she traveled to Saskatchewan to pick up her 2012 Diamond Willow Award for The Midnight Curse. She finally got to visit the set of Canada’s most watched comedy series, Corner Gas, located in the fictional town of Dog River.

Lesley Simpson’s picture book, Yuvi’s Candy Tree has won the Canadian Jewish Book Award for youth literature. The book is based on the true story of a girl who outwitted robbers  at the age of five in her exodus from Ethiopia. Lesley Simpson will be presenting the book and the story behind it on June 7 at the Toronto Reference Library at Toronto’s Jewish Book Festival. 

The CCBC is holding its AGM, featuring special guest speaker

Marsha Skrypuch, on Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

Location: Room 200, Northern District Library, 40 Orchard View Blvd. Toronto.

Marsha discusses the real people behind her characters and reveals her detective work to recreate the hidden past.

Reception to follow at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre
Suites 217 & 222, Northern District Library

Please RSVP by June 12 to Shannon Howe Barnes at 416.975.0010 ext. 227 or rsvp@bookcentre.ca.

 

New Releases

Don Aker’s latest novel, Running on Empty, has just hit bookstores and is already receiving strong reviews. When he carelessly bangs up his father’s Volvo, 17-year-old Ethan Palmer has to empty his bank account to pay for the repairs, money he’s been saving to buy his dream car. Stumbling upon a way to replace those savings with some quick and easy cash, he has no idea what his choices will cost him. (Realistic fiction, grades 8-12)

Peggy Dymond Leavey: Laura Secord: Heroine of the War of 1812

During the War of 1812, Niagara-area housewife, Laura Secord, walked 30 kilometres — alone and through dangerous territory — to warn a handful of British officers of an impending attack by 500 American soldiers. A highly readable account of the life of the Canadian heroine and the controversy that surrounds her legacy. 14 to 17 year olds. Biography.

 

Authors’ Booking Service
Connecting Canadian Creators and Educators

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

If you haven’t received a response at the above address within two working days you are welcome to contact Marsha at marsha@calla.com or Valerie at valeri@nbnet.nb.ca

It’s been a terrific week for awards for ABS members, and
we’re delighted to share their good news!

Congratulations to Hugh
Brewster, whose historical novel Prisoner
of Dieppe has won the Hackmatack 
Readers’ Choice Award in the English Fiction category.

Congratulations to L.
M. Falcone whose novel The Midnight
Curse has won the 2011 Diamond Willow Award.

Congratulations to Susin
Nielsen, whose novel Dear George
Clooney, Please Marry My Mom has won the 2011 Snow Willow Award.

Congratulations to Lena
Coakley, who has won the Crystal Kite Award for the Americas for her novel Witchlanders.

Jeremy Tankard
is happy to announce that his best selling book Grumpy Bird made Parent and Child magazines list of the 100 best
children’s books of all time. What an honour!

 

NEW RELEASE:

Jeremy Tankard
is pleased to have a new picture book featuring his illustrations: Piggy Bunny, by Rachel Vail.

_______________________________

Book draw WINNERS for April!

Congratulations to Jessica Roy, Ellen Murray, Sarah Hunter,
Cindy McGee, Grace Andrews, Maaja Wentz, 
Rachel Swartz, Marie Peart, Julie Bowen, Caroline Freibauer, Sandra
Durnan, Tom Holmes, Annette Livi, Lindsay Brennan and Christine Labelle.

DID YOU KNOW that every session booked through ABS automatically earns  you a ballot in our book draws?  That’s right – you don’t have to do a thing –
we’ll make sure you’re entered in the draws for the month in which your author
visit takes place. 

To see the list of books available in our monthly draws,
check out this
page on our blog!

_______________________________

Have You Seen Our Member Lists?

Click
here
for a direct link to our list of Forest of Reading nominees. 

A
list of our regular members can be seen here.

They’re so Far
Away!

Is the author you would like to book on our list but
living in another province? Let us know you’re interested and we’ll put you on
that person’s waiting list and let you know when he or she will be visiting
Ontario. (There is, of course, no obligation to book.)

___________________________________

Availability
Updates

For
complete details on all of our OLA Nominees’ availability, go here.

Immediately below that list, you will find details of
other ABS members who are visiting Ontario from out of province.

__________________________________

Questions? Comments? We’re listening!

Marsha & Valerie

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

We respond quickly to all e-mails – usually within a day
or two.

 

The Countdown is ON!

We’re a few short weeks away from the Festival of Trees at
Harbourfront and the excitement is growing.  Authors and illustrators
from across the country are preparing to make their way to Toronto,
while readers look forward to seeing if the titles that won their votes
will be this year’s winners.

If you aren’t currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, simply enter your email address here.  

This service is FREE to all school and library staff. 

______________________________________

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

Jocelyn Shipley is the winner of the 2011 Surrey International Writers’ Conference Writing for Young People Award. Her books Getting a Life and Seraphina’s Circle are
now published in Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and German in
Stabenfeldt’s teen girl book club. Her YA story, “Holding Harley”, will
appear in McGraw-Hill Ryerson’s forthcoming Canadian high-school
anthology, Voices in the Hall.

Rachna Gilmore’s novel, That Boy Red was named a 2012 CLA Children’s Book of the Year Honour Book.

John Wilson is presenting at From the Garden to the Trenches: Childhood, Culture and the First World War in Niagara and Toronto, May 10-12.

Lesley Simpson will be reading at Toronto’s Jewish
Book Festival June 7 and has recently designed writing workshops for
elementary school students in Toronto in both creative writing as well
as introductory reporting.

Allan Stratton will be traveling to Nunavut for
Canadian Children’s Book Week. His itinery has just arrived: Iqaluit,
Cape Dorset, Yellowknife and Cambridge May from Saturday May 5 to Monday
May 14.

NEW RELEASES

Sharon McKay: Into Enemy Territory  An
adventure of two boys, one Israeli and one Palestinian, who meet in the
hospital in Jerusalem, only to escape for a night of mayhem.

Rebecca Bender: Don’t Laugh at Giraffe.
 Giraffe and Bird are not always the best of friends, but if you think
Bird is going to stand by and let the other animals make fun of his
long-legged companion…well, you just might be surprised!  Ages 4 – 7

John Wilson: Victorio’s War. The thrilling
conclusion of the Desert Legends Trilogy. After his adventures with
Billy-the-Kid, Jim joins the 9th Cavalry as a scout but winds up
fighting for his life alongside Victorio and his Apaches as they
struggle to return to their homeland. Ages 9-12

John Wilson has divided his trilogy, The Heretic’s Secret,
into eleven novellas. The first four (Gathering Storms, Kill Them All, A
Gift from Bram and Fires of Minerve) are up for Kindle on Amazon.com
and on Smashwords.com (Gathering Storms is free on Smashwords). Other
episodes will follow over the summer and fall.

Jocelyn Shipley: How to Tend a Grave.
 Realistic, contemporary YA fiction at its best. The very different
stories of two fifteen-year-olds who meet in a cemetery interweave
brilliantly in this fast-paced, engaging and unforgettable novel about
life and love.  For readers 14 & up.

Jocelyn’s launch for this title will be held on Thursday, May 24, 6 - 8 pm, at Ben McNally Books, 366 Bay Street, Toronto. Everyone is welcome.

_______________________________

Have You Seen Our Member Lists?

Click here for a direct link to our list of Forest of Reading nominees. 

A list of our regular members can be seen here.

They’re so Far Away!

Is the author you would like to book on our list but living in
another province? Let us know you’re interested and we’ll put you on
that person’s waiting list and let you know when he or she will be
visiting Ontario. (There is, of course, no obligation to book.)

___________________________________

Availability Updates

For complete details on all of our OLA Nominees’ availability, go here.

Immediately below that list, you will find details of other ABS members who are visiting Ontario from out of province.

 

Are you in a panic about getting an author visit in before June? Never fear! We can still assist you.

We update our Forest of Reading nominee availability regularly on our blog here.

For a list of our regular presenters, visit the Our Presenters page on our website here.

Think fall! Now is the perfect time to plan ahead. Tell us your author dreams and wishes!

Your turn! Here’s what Kelly Healey had to say about a recent author visit:

Thank you!  We had Brian Cretney present to the K-3s at our school, and the students and staff LOVED him.  He gets the kids involved in the presentation in a really fun, dramatic way.  He shares about himself, and his family.  He had them laughing and totally captivated.  It is a rare person who can keep the kiddies engaged and he definitely did.  

 News

On March 27th, 2012, the Central School District in Greece, N.Y. held it’s first annual Orff Festival of music at the Athena Performing Arts Center.  The finale was a performance of Veronika Martenova Charles‘ book, Maiden of the Mist.  Narrators read the book in front of large projections of the illustrations while the rest improvised background music and created sound effects, bringing the story to life.

Mahtab Narsimhan will be presenting at the Blue Met Literary Festival  in Montreal on April 18 and 19, 2012. She will talk about her latest novel, The Tiffin. 

Karen Patkau will also be participating in the TD – Blue Met Children’s Festival in Montreal on Monday, April 23^rd.  She will be reading to children ages 6 to 9, from her new Ecosystem Series books: Who Needs an Iceberg?, Who Needs a Jungle?, and Who Needs a Swamp?.

Mireille Messier is a guest author at the Salon du livre international de Québec, April 12-15. She will also be attending the Folies Franco-Fun in New Liskeard (ON) May 7-9.

Ted Staunton and Ethiopia

    Never mind reading a novel in a second language; imagine trying to write one in a language not your own.

    Ted Staunton is looking forward to his third trip to Ethiopia to work with Ethiopian writers and editors of English language novels for teens this fall.

    In Ethiopia, Amheric (with over 220 possible written letters) is the official language. But, as in other African nations, English is the language of high school education.

    Still, there is little or no homegrown fiction in English for young readers there that reflects their own culture and experience - a situation similar to that of Canadian kids forty years ago.

    Ted’s leads workshops for writers and editors through CODE CANADA, an Ottawa- based NGO, as part of its program supporting the Burt Award For African Literature. (The Burt Award, created by a Canadian, is a cash prize for the best young adult novels in English by African writers in Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia.)   

    Ted is only one of a number of Canadian kids’ writers who have repeatedly travelled to African nations to take part, including Kathy Stinson, Hadley Dyer, Peter Carver, Sharon Jennings, and Richard Scrimger. All agree that whatever they can pass along is dwarfed by the energy, creativity and enthusiasm of the writers they meet in amazing and challenging circumstances.     

New Releases

Mireille Messier: Fatima et les voleurs de clémentines – One morning, Fatima and her grandfather find their clementine orchard savagely ransacked. Who could be doing this? A story about friendship with a Moroccan twist. 4-9 years old (French) or 6-10 years old (immersion).

Mireille Messier: Tout un méli-mélo! - Marius’ family has a very strange way of tackling chores. Will Marius play along? 6-8 years old (French) or 7-9 years old (immersion)

The following ABS Members have had titles selected for the

Children’s Literature Roundtable 2012 Information Book Award

Preliminary List

 

Larry Verstraete, Case Files: 40 Murders and Mysteries Solved by Science

Sharon Jennings, Faye the Freedom Fighter

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue From War

Marthe Jocelyn, Scribbling Women: True Tales from Astonishing Lives

Janet Wilson, Shannen and the Dream for a School

Kathy Kacer, To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis

 

Authors’ Booking Service
Connecting Canadian Creators and Educators

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

If you haven’t received a response at the above address within two working days you are welcome to contact Marsha at marsha@calla.com or Valerie at valeri@nbnet.nb.ca

CONGRATULATIONS to the recent winners in our book
draws!  They are Jennifer Jean, Lori
Tsotsos, Laura Stotski, Brigitte Ugolini, Jenica Veenstra, Cindy McGee, Scott
Alexander, Kelly Healy, Emi Bakaic and Elizabeth Cole.

Every session booked through ABS automatically earns you a ballot in our monthly draws! 

To see a list of available books, visit this
page on our blog. 

______________________________________

You are Invited!

Come
and bring a friend to the Brantford Book launch for:

Marsha Skrypuch’s Making
Bombs for Hitler.

Monday
April 16, 7:30 to 9:30pm

Station
Coffee House, 5 Wadsworth Street (Brantford Train Station)

Marsha
will give a brief talk, followed by Q&A. Books available for autograph and
sale.

Sponsored
by the Brantford Writers’ Circle.

_______________________________

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

Lena Coakley’s YA fantasy Witchlanders has
been shortlisted for a Crystal Kite Award. Winners will be announced on April
30^th. Lena will be a speaker at CANSCAIP’s 28^th annual
Packaging Your Imagination conference in Toronto on Saturday, November 10^th
on the topic of writing fantasy novels.

Ghost Messages
by Jacqueline Guest is a finalist
for the ForeWord Book of the Year Juvenile Fiction Award in the U.S.

Free Throw and
Triple Threat by Jacqueline Guest
won the 2012 American Indian Youth Literature Award from the ALA

Brian Cretney’s
picture book, Tooter’s Stinky Wish
(illustrated by Peggy Collins), has won a Storytelling World Honor Award.

TPL Book Bash

Check out the great Book
Bash events at TPL – featuring ABS members Erin Bow, Philippa Dowding, LM
Falcone, Richard Scrimger, Chad Solomon, Martin Springett, Ted Staunton and
Jeremy Tankard!

Marthe Jocelyn
will make two visits in April to CS21 in Queens, New York, with Behind the
Book, a not-for-profit organization that brings authors and kids together to
create literary art in under-served classrooms.   Marthe is also presenting at Authors
Unlimited Teen Book Festival in Long Island, NY on April 28^t

Julie Burtinshaw
has two events coming up – Workshop leader at The Kamloops’ Young Writer’s
Festival in April and panel speaker at The Symposium for Manitoba Writers, in
May.

NEW RELEASES

In his new picture book, Surviving the Hindenburg, Larry
Verstraete takes on the tragedy of the German airship which exploded on May
6, 1937 as it attempted a landing in New Jersey.  With illustrations by David Geister,
Verstraete takes readers into the interior of the great airship to tell the
story of Werner Franz, the 14 year old cabin boy, and his bold escape from the
fiery disaster.

Outcasts of River
Falls by Jacqueline Guest  In this sequel to Belle of Batoche, Katherine must save Aunt Belle from the gallows,
but the only way to do it is to betray her people and unmask the Canadian Robin
Hood!

_______________________________

Have You Seen Our Member Lists?

Click
here
for a direct link to our list of Forest of Reading nominees. 

A
list of our regular members can be seen here.

They’re so Far
Away!

Is the author you would like to book on our list but
living in another province? Let us know you’re interested and we’ll put you on
that person’s waiting list and let you know when he or she will be visiting
Ontario. (There is, of course, no obligation to book.)

___________________________________

Availability
Updates!

For
complete details on all of our OLA Nominees’ availability, go here.

Immediately below that list, you will find details of
other ABS members who are visiting Ontario from out of province.

This service is FREE to all school and library
staff.  You are welcome to pass this newsletter along to colleagues. 
Contact us today to book an author visit quickly and efficiently – or let us
know if you have any questions. 

If you aren’t currently receiving our
newsletter and would like to, simply enter your email address here.  

DID YOU KNOW that every session booked through ABS automatically earns  you a ballot in our book draws?  That’s right – you don’t have to do a thing –
we’ll make sure you’re entered in the draws for the month in which your author
visit takes place. 

To see the list of books available in our monthly draws,
check out this
page on our blog!

_________________________________

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man
who cannot read.”

-  Mark Twain

_________________________________

Congratulations to ABS members who have been shortlisted
for the 2013 Hackmatack Awards!

Fiction:

26 Tips For
Surviving Grade 6 by Catherine Austin

Banjo of Destiny by Cary Fagan

Deadly Voyage:
RMS Titanic by Hugh Brewster

Non-Fiction
:

Case Files: 40
Murders and Mysteries Solved by Science by Larry Verstraete

Explorers Who
Made It…Or Died Trying by Frieda Wishinsky

______________________________________

For
complete details on all of our OLA Nominees’ availability, go here.

Immediately below that list, you will find details of
other ABS members who are visiting Ontario from out of province.

__________________________________

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

Congratulations to Larry
Verstraete for his double nominations in the Manitoba Book Awards.  Verstraete’s shortlisted titles are S is for Scientists, a Discovery Alphabet
in the younger category and Case Files:
40 Murders and Mysteries Solved by Science in the older category.

John Wilson
has just returned from Australia where he was researching the background to an
upcoming novel set around the discovery of the southern continent. He will be
in Toronto between May 9th and 12th for the “Garden to the Trenches”
conference on childhood, culture and WWI and has some availability around that
time.

NEW RELEASES

Helaine Becker:
The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea
(nonfiction, grades 4-8)  Based on the
idea that knowledge is power, this hands on guide shows how the ocean works and
why this immense ecosystem needs our protection. Experiments using everyday
materials help explain scientific concepts, such as why the ocean is salty, and
why fish don’t get waterlogged. A focus on pollution and other ecological
hazards raises awareness. 

Helaine Becker’s
second Young Adult novel, How to Survive
Absolutely Anything, is also out this month!  Bonnie has started a middle school survival advice
blog with her best friend Jen.  But
Bonnie’s stepbrother and Jen’s struggles to care for her baby sister while her
mom carouses bring the girls trouble of their own. Can the girls survive their
own problems, and still give their readers good advice? 

Heather Hartt-Sussman: Here Comes Hortense (illustrated by Georgia Graham). What could be more fun for a six-year-old
than having your nana and her new husband take you to a theme park? But the fun
is spoiled when Nana and Bob announce that they’ve planned a surprise: they are
going to be joined by Bob’s granddaughter, Hortense. It turns out to be the
worst surprise ever.  Ages 4 - 7

_______________________________

Have You Seen Our Member Lists?

Click
here
for a direct link to our list of Forest of Reading nominees. 

A
list of our regular members can be seen here.

They’re so Far
Away!

Is the author you would like to book on our list but
living in another province? Let us know you’re interested and we’ll put you on
that person’s waiting list and let you know when he or she will be visiting
Ontario. (There is, of course, no obligation to book.)

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

We respond quickly to all e-mails – usually within a day
or two.

 

It’s not too late to book an author for this school year! We update our Forest of Reading nominee availability regularly on our blog here.

For a list of our regular presenters, visit the Our Presenters page on our website here.

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners from our February book draws!  They are Heidi Tadeson, Janet Marlin, Mary Gerrard, Carolyn Forde, Catherine McCauley, Sue Anderson, Tara Phillips, Carol Bethune, Margaret Perez, Andrea Rewutzsky-Gardin, Alta McFie, Heather Alblas and Margaret Jackson.

Don’t forget that every session booked through ABS automatically earns you a ballot in our monthly draws! 

To see a list of available books, go here on our blog. 

Meet Kate Scowen

Kate Scowen, author of i.d.: Stuff That Happens to Define Us, has landed on something big. In fact, she is exploring new worlds, launching bold territories, fueling up for the next frontier. Okay, enough of the space travel metaphors. What’s really happening is that Kate is part of an incredible organization called Story Planet. Story Planet is a non-profit writing program whose mission is to inspire kids to be creative and effective communicators. Free programs are open to all children and youth, ages 6-18, from across Toronto, with a particular focus on those who are low-income, English language learners and newcomers.
 
Working with writers and artists, Story Planet delivers creatively inspired project-based writing programs in schools, community centres and, opening soon, in a new writing centre at Bloor and Dufferin. Trained volunteers offer one-to-one support to help children and youth transport their stories on to paper and every workshop culminates in a finished product, such as a bound book or short film.
 
Story Planet is inspired and mentored by the amazing people at 826 National, a U.S. based writing program, started by Dave Eggers.

 News:

Helaine Becker is taking classes at Fireworks by Grucci, one of North America’s leading manufacturers of pyrotechnics. She’ll be learning how to make and shoot off large scale pyrotechnic displays as part of her research for an upcoming YA romance novel.

Janet Wilson is offering a special for schools from Gravenhurst to Timmins (Hwy 11) April 12 -18. Book a presentation of Shannen and the Dream for a School, a true story set in Attawapiskat, and Our Earth: How kids are saving the planet, a Forest of Trees nominee for $275 including mileage.

 

Congratulations! The following ABS Members have had titles selected for

Resource Links Best of 2011 List!

Picture Books

AUSTEN, Catherine. My Cat Isis. 

BECK, Andrea. Pierre in the air! (Pierre Le Poof Series)

BENDER, Rebecca. Giraffe and Bird.

FAGAN, Cary. Book of Big Brothers. 

FAGAN, Cary. Ella May and the Wishing Stone.

GILMORE, Rachna. The Flute.

HUTCHINS, Hazel. Monster Manners.

JOCELYN, Marthe and Nell Jocelyn. Ones and Twos.

MCLEOD, Heather. Kiss Me! (I’m a Prince!) 

SIMPSON, Lesley. The Hug.  

SPIRES, Ashley. Small Saul.

TSIANG, Sarah. Dogs Don’t Eat Jam and Other Things Big Kids Know.

WISHINSKY, Frieda. Oonga Boonga.

WISHINSKY, Frieda. The Queen’s Secret.

 

Fiction Grades 3 – 6

ANDREWS, Jan. When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean.

BREWSTER, Hugh. Deadly Voyage: RMS Titanic Jamie Laidlaw Crossing the Atlantic, 1912

BROUWER, Sigmund. Justine McKeen, Queen of Green

BUTCHER, Kristen. Zach and Zoe and the River Rescue  

HYDE, Natalie. I Owe You One

PEACOCK, Shane. The Dragon Turn (The Boy Sherlock Holmes - Book 5).

SKUY, David. Making the Cut (Game Time Series).

SPIRES, Ashley. Binky Under Pressure (A Binky Adventure Series).

STAUNTON, Ted. Music by Morgan (First Novels).

WALTERS, Eric. Catboy.

WALTERS, Eric. The Money Pit Mystery.

WISHINSKY, Frieda. Make It Fair (Canadian Flyer Adventures Series).

 

Non-Fiction Grades 3 – 6

KACER, Kathy. To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis (A Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young

THORNHILL, Jan. Who Wants Pizza? The Kids’ Guide to the History, Science & Culture of Food.

 

Fiction Grades 7 – 12

AUSTEN, Catherine. All Good Children.

LIVINGSTON, Lesley. Tempestuous.

NARSIMHAN, Mahtab. The Deadly Conch (Tara Trilogy)

NARSIMHAN, Mahtab. The Tiffin.

PIGNAT, Caroline. Wild Geese.

SHERRARD, Valerie. Accomplice.

SHERRARD, Valerie. The Glory Wind.

SHERRARD, Valerie. Testify.

SLADE, Arthur. Empire of Ruins (The Hunchback Assignments III).

WALTERS, Eric. Shaken.

WESTON, Robert Paul. Dust City.

WILSON, John. Shot at Dawn: Allan McBride, France 1917 (I Am Canada Series). 

 

Non-Fiction Grades 7-12

BOW, James. Mustang (Superstar Cars Series).

BOW, James. Why we need minerals (The Science of Nutrition Series).

COHEN, Marina. What is Cell Theory? (Shaping Modern Science Series).

COHEN, Marina. Why we need vitamins (The Science of Nutrition Series).  

HYDE, Natalie. What is Germ Theory? (Shaping Modern Science Series).

JOCELYN, Marthe. Scribbling Women: True Tales from Astonishing Lives.

 

Authors’ Booking Service
Connecting Canadian Creators and Educators

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

If you haven’t received a response at the above address within two working days you are welcome to contact Marsha at marsha@calla.com or Valerie at valeri@nbnet.nb.ca

 

Around the World with ABS Members  

BOUND FOR BRAZIL

 

Kathy Kacer is hitting the road in a big way as she takes off for a book tour in Brazil in April. Five of Kathy’s books including Gabi’s Dresser, Clara’s War, and Hiding Edith will be launched there at this time. Kathy will be in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo for several school visits. She will also be a guest speaker at Salao FNLIJ, a literature festival for Children and Young Adults. Kathy is excited to be meeting young readers in Brazil who have been learning about the Holocaust through her stories. Even though she will have a translator with her, she is brushing up on her Portuguese!

 

BACK FROM KOREA AND JAPAN

 

David A. Poulsen recently returned from a tour of International Schools in Japan and Korea after his YA novel Numbers won the Sakura Medal (a reader’s choice award among students at the International Schools in Japan). “One of the most amazing experiences of my life,” is how the Alberta writer described his two weeks in Asia. “Wonderful people, delightful countries and I was treated like a rock star everywhere I went. One of the students in Japan took a scene I asked the kids to write in one of my workshops and has developed it into his first novel. How cool is that?” David is in the second month of a three month Writer in Residence position jointly run by the Writers Guild of Alberta and the Library Association of Alberta and based out of Claresholm and Lethbridge.

 

UPCOMING KENYA TREK

 

Eric Walters has just completed a B.C. tour celebrating the release of his picture book, The Matatu Ride, a story based on his experiences in Kenya.  Eric returns to Kenya in June, for a 200 kilometer walk across the country, along with four young Canadians and four orphans, to explore the country and further examine the orphan situation in Kenya.   Readers will be able to “join” their walk by following them on Twitter, and by reading a blog that will be set up to share details of the journey.

 

AFGHANISTAN AGAIN!

 

For the second time, Sharon McKay has been accepted into the Canadian Forces Artist Program (CFAP) and will return to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2012-13.

______________________________________

 

AVAILABILITY UPDATES

 

Blue Spruce Nominee Heather McLeod is now available in the GTA May 7 and the afternoon of May 11. She is also open to a library or public presentation on a weekday evening or the morning of Sat. May 12.  

 

Sorry!! Blue Spruce Nominee Ashley Spires’ May schedule is now full.  Please contact us if you would like to be placed on Ashley’s waiting list for a fall visit. 

 

Sorry!! Silver Birch Express Nominee Monica Kulling is no longer scheduling school or library visits.

 

Silver Birch Fiction Nominee Valerie Sherrard is now available in Scarborough on the mornings of May 9 and 10 and in the GTA on May 15.

 

Silver Birch Fiction Nominee Julie Lawson is now available in the GTA on May 11.

 

Red Maple Nominee Sharon McKay is now available in Ottawa on the morning of May 18.

 Brian Cretney (Tooters’ Stinky Wish) is available in the Brampton area on the afternoon of April 24 and the morning of April 30.

 For complete details on all OLA Nominees’ availability, go here

.

__________________________________

 

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

 

Timber Wolf, by Caroline Pignat, has been shortlisted for the Violet Downey Award.

 

Ted Staunton will be leading the Writing Children’s Books course at Haliburton School of The Arts this summer, from July 30th to August 3rd. The course is for anyone interested in writing for kids.Contact HSTA for registration information.

 

Gail Sidonie Sobat’s YA novel, Chance to Dance for You has been long-listed for the 2012 Alberta Readers’ Choice Award.

 

Rona Arato was excited to learn that her books On a Canadian Day and On a Medieval Day are being recorded as audio books at the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. Coincidentally, the third book in the series, On an American Day has a story set at the Perkins Institute. 

 

This April, Valerie Sherrard will tour Newfoundland, where she’ll speak to students about literacy, and her Hackmatack-nominated title Tumbleweed Skies. 

 

Don Aker has just received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and from Nova Scotia’s Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage to write the third and final installment of his popular Reef Kennedy trilogy, which began with his award-winning novel The First Stone.

 

Lois Peterson has two new books for young readers coming out shortly.  The Paper House is due for an April release while early chapter book The Wrong Bus arrives on the scene in May.

 

The U.S. edition of Julie Lawson’s Ghosts of the Titanic will be published on April 1, 2012 — just in time for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

The U.S. edition of Marsha Skrypuch’s Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War just came out on March 1, 2012 but has already received great reviews in Kirkus, School Library Journal, and the Smithsonian.

 

2011 White Pine Winner Richard Scarsbrook  will host this year’s White Pine Awards at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto,  at 11:00 a.m. on May 15.

 

Julie Burtinshaw will be teaching creative writing workshops for teens at the Kamloops Young Authors’ Conference in April and speaking on a panel on publishing at the Manitoba Writing Symposium in May.

 

 

NEW RELEASES

 

Jane Drake and Ann Love: Get Outside  Drake and Love took the best of their Cottage Book series and repackaged it for today’s kids. This all season guide to fun in the great outdoors includes activities such as making sundials and kites; rules for games such as Spud and Shinny; cool science facts; and night sky stories. 

 

Sharon McKay’s novel War Brothers will soon be a graphic novel! The incredible art is done by Dan Lafrance and the new title will be The Enemy Within.

_______________________________

 

Your Turn!

 

Thanks to Cindy-Lou Foran of St. Bernard’s Catholic School, Whitby, for her feedback on Matt Beam’s Media Literacy presentation.

 

“Matt has a very interesting way of bringing the text of photography to life. I especially liked the ideas he gave of looking at a picture in different ways and questioning the purpose of the photo.” Ideal for grades 5-8.

 

We appreciate it when you take the time to let us know how your event went!

___________________________________

 

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR MEMBER LISTS?

 

Click here

for a direct link to our list of Forest of Reading nominees. 

You can see from the lists above that a number of nominees are now fully booked, especially those travelling from a distance and available in Ontario for a limited time. 

Avoid disappointment by booking today!

 

A list of our regular members can be seen here

.

 

Contact us today to book any of our members, or to be notified as to when they will be in your area.

___________________________________

 

MEMBERS VISITING from OUT OF PROVINCE

 

Sigmund Brouwer’s Rock & Roll Literacy Show is sponsored by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame with each participating school receives 75 free copies of Sigmund’s new special edition CSHOF sports novel.  Sigmund visits regularly so please ask about dates.

 

Michael Kusugak will visit both the GTA and Ottawa this April, with his popular new Hands On Learning presentation. 

John Wilson is available for school visits May 7-9 and May 14 to 18 for a flat rate of $500 per half day and $1,000 for a full day, including HST and expenses. 

___________________________________

 

This service is FREE to all school and library staff.  You are welcome to pass this newsletter along to colleagues.  Contact us today to book an author visit quickly and efficiently – or let us know if you have any questions. 

 

If you aren’t currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, simply enter your email address here.

  

Questions? Comments? We’re listening!

Marsha & Valerie

 

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

We respond quickly to all e-mails – usually within a day or two.

 

Please note: If you haven’t had a reply to messages sent to the above address within 2 working days, your message may have gone astray. In that case, please contact either of us at home.

Valerie Sherrard: valeri@nbnet.nb.ca or Marsha Skrypuch: marsha@calla.com

 Please note that there will be no newsletter next week
due to the school break.

 If you haven’t yet made arrangements for your author
event, now is a great time to get plans underway. _________________________________

MARK THE DATE!!

You are invited to:
Marsha Skrypuch’s Book Launch
for

Making Bombs For Hitler

Wednesday March 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm
UNF Toronto Community Centre

145 Evans Ave, Etobicoke, ON

___________________________________

NOMINATIONS
GALORE!!!

Congratulations
to these ABS Members who have been shortlisted for the following awards!

2012 CLA Young Adult Book of the
Year Award

Catherine
Austen: All Good Children

Susan
Juby: The Woefield Poultry Collective

Lesley
Livingston: Once Every Never

 

2012 CLA Book of the Year for
Children Award:

Jan Andrews: When Apples Grew Noses and White
Horses Flew

Deborah Ellis: No Ordinary Day

Rachna Gilmore: That Boy Red

Mahtab Narsimhan: The Tiffin

Shane Peacock: Dragon Turn

Arthur Slade: Empire of Ruins

2012 Amelia Frances
Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award

Ashley
Spires: Small Saul.

 

2013 Saskatchewan Readers’
Choice Awards:

Shining
Willow

Ella
May and the Wishing Stone by Cary Fagan

In the
Bag
by Monica Kulling

Small
Saul by Ashley Spires

The
Flute by Rachna Gilmore

Tooter’s
Stinky Wish by Brian Cretney

 

Diamond
Willow

Better
than Weird by Anna Kerz

Ghosts
of the Titanic by Julie Lawson

Power
Play by Liam O’Donnell

 

Snow
Willow

Accomplice by
Valerie Sherrard

Betsy
Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant

Dust
City by Robert Paul Weston

Shot
at Dawn by John Wilson

Undergrounders by
David Skuy

__________________________________

HAVE
YOU SEEN OUR MEMBER LISTS?

Click
here for a direct link to our
list of Forest of Reading nominees. 

You
can see from the lists below that a number of nominees are now fully booked,
especially those travelling from a distance and available in Ontario for a
limited time. 

Avoid
disappointment by booking today!

A
list of our regular members can be seen here.

Contact us today to book any of our members, or
to be notified as to when they will be in your area.

___________________________________

LONG DISTANCE TOURING MEMBERS

Sigmund Brouwer’s Rock &
Roll Literacy Show is sponsored by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame with each
participating school receives 75 free copies of Sigmund’s new special edition
CSHOF sports novel.  Sigmund visits regularly so please ask about dates.

Michael Kusugak will visit both
the GTA and Ottawa this April, with his popular new Hands
On Learning presentation. 

John Wilson is available for
school visits May 7-9 and May 14 to 18 for a flat rate of $500 per half day and
$1,000 for a full day, including HST and expenses. 

___________________________________

FOREST OF READING NOMINEE AVAILABILITY

Blue Spruce

*** Update Linda
Bailey has one session available in downtown Toronto on May 16 and has extended
her visit to accommodate bookings on May 17 and 18 in the GTA.

Heather McLeod is available in the GTA from May 9-14. On
May 11 she has late morning and afternoon availability near Eglinton W and
Kipling.  Heather also has good general availability in the Thunder Bay
area and is interested in visiting other NWO communities.

Sarah Tsiang will be available in the GTA and Eastern
Ontario from now to May 16.

Rebecca Bender is available in the GTA/Hamilton area from
now to mid May.

Ashley Spires is available in the GTA around the time of
the Awards. 

Silver Birch Express

Cary Fagan is available in the GTA throughout the school
year.

Philippa Dowding is available via TTC in the GTA from now
to May 2012.

Monica Kulling lives in Toronto. Her schedule is flexible
and she can drive within a 200km radius of Toronto.

Janet Wilson lives in Eden Mills and is available within
an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Guelph.

Jan Andrews lives near Ottawa.  She is continuously
available throughout Eastern Ontario and happy to travel further, especially if
back-to-back bookings can be arranged.

Natalie Hyde lives in Cambridge and will travel to
London, Toronto, Brantford, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and the GTA.

Silver Birch Fiction

Virginia Frances Schwartz will be in the GTA the week of
May 15.

Rachna Gilmore is generally available in the Ottawa area,
and will be in the GTA during the week of May 15.

Jacqueline Guest will be in the GTA from May 8 – 15.

*** Update!! Valerie Sherrard
has adjusted her schedule and now has limited openings in May.

***
Sorry!! Julie Lawson’s May schedule is now full.

Anna Kerz lives in Toronto and has good availability.

David Skuy has good availability in Toronto and
surrounding areas.

Silver Birch Non-Fiction

Jan Thornhill lives in Havelock and has good availability
in the Toronto to Kingston corridor.

Lynda Colgan lives in Kingston and is available anywhere
that Via Rail can take her.

Red Maple Fiction

Patrick Bowman is always available in the GTA and parts
of Southern Ontario.

Alyxandra Harvey is available in the GTA, Guelph,
Newmarket, Orangeville, Brampton and Mississauga areas.

Eric Walters lives in the GTA and while his schedule
fills quickly he has some availability over the next few months.  Eric
does school visits throughout the province.  For communities as far away
as Kingston, Windsor, North Bay and Sudbury – two or more days of booking are
required.

Deborah Ellis lives in Simcoe. Her schedule is flexible,
particularly in Toronto and west of Toronto.

***
Sorry!!  Susin Nielsen’s May schedule is now full.

Robert Paul Weston lives in Toronto and is available most
weekdays.

Sharon McKay will be moving out of province on May 1,
2012.  School visits are welcome between now and then.

White Pine

Don Calame will be in the GTA from April 1- May 30.

Gail Sobat is available in Toronto and area during the
week of May 14 to 19.

***
Sorry!!  Don Aker’s schedule is now full for April and
May. 

Lesley Ann Cowan lives in Toronto and has good
availability throughout the coming months.

White Pine Non-fiction

***
Sorry!! Susan Juby is unable to visit Ontario in May due to
other commitments.

Kate Scowan and Peter Mitchell are both based in Toronto
and are available throughout the GTA.

Golden Oak

Deborah Ellis lives in Simcoe. Her schedule is flexible,
particularly for schools in Toronto and west of Toronto.

Janet Wilson lives in Eden Mills and is available within
an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Guelph.

Tamarack Express

Mireille Messier is available in the Ottawa and Kingston
areas in May and June. Mireille also has good availability in the GTA at other
times.  (For French and French Immersion groups.)

Finding information on our OLA Nominees’ publications,
presentations, fees and so forth is as easy as going here and clicking on a name!

___________________________________

This service is FREE to all school and library
staff.  You are welcome to pass this newsletter along to colleagues. 
Contact us today to book an author visit quickly and efficiently – or let us
know if you have any questions. 

If you aren’t currently receiving our
newsletter and would like to, simply enter your email address here.  

Questions? Comments? We’re listening!

Marsha & Valerie

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

We respond quickly to all e-mails – usually within a day
or two.

 

Please note: If you haven’t had a reply to messages sent
to the above address within 2 working days, your message may have gone astray.
In that case, please contact either of us at home.

Valerie Sherrard: valeri@nbnet.nb.ca
or Marsha Skrypuch: marsha@calla.com

 

Dear School and Library Staff –

Did you know that Authors’ Booking Service represents more than 100 of Canada’s top children’s/YA presenters?

Our website is:

www.authorsbooking.com

For your convenience, here is a complete list of our presenters. Save this message for future reference. For your booking needs, please contact us at:

abs@authorsbooking.com

 

Looking for a current Forest of Reading nominee? Go here.

Our complete list of authors, illustrators and performers:

Don Aker — Nova Scotia, YA, White Pine Winner, 2004. Grades 7 to 12.

Rona Arato — Toronto. NF Golden Oak Winner. Grades 4 to 8.

Catherine Austen — Ottawa. Picture book, Middle grade & YA. K and up.

Linda Bailey — BC; Multi OLA award winning. Grades 2 and up.

Karen Bass — Alberta; YA. Grades 6 and up.

Robin Baird Lewis — Guelph; picture book illustrator. K to 8.

Matt Beam– Toronto; Fiction. Grades 3 and up.

Andrea Beck — Unionville; picture book author-illustrator. JK to 8.

Helaine Becker — Toronto; all genres, multi-Silver Birch winner. JK and up.

Tim Beiser — Toronto. Blue Spruce nominated. Nursery to 3.

Jo Ellen Bogart – Guelph. Multi-award winning. JK and up.

Hélène Boudreau — Markham. All genres. Grades 2 to 8.

Erin Bow — Kitchener/Waterloo. TD Children’s Lit Award winner. Grades 2 and up.

Hugh Brewster — Toronto. NF. Multi-OLA nominated. Grades 1 and up.

Sigmund Brouwer — Alberta. Whole school presentations and keynotes.

Julie Burtinshaw — BC. YA. White Pine nominated. Grades 6 and up.

Pam Bustin – Northern Ontario. YA. White Pine winner. Grades 9 to 12.

Kristin Butcher –BC. NF. Silver Birch nominated. Grades 4 to adult.

Don Calame — Toronto and BC. YA. White Pine. Screenwriter. Grades 8 to 12.

Gillian Chan — Dundas; Fiction. White Pine winner. GG nom. Grades 5 and up.

Veronika Martenova Charles — Toronto. Multi-OLA nominated. Grades 2/3.

Svetlana Chmakova — Toronto. Manga author and artist. Grades 4+

Lena Coakley – Toronto. YA novelist. Grades 6 and up.

Marina Cohen — Markham. All genres. Grades 4 and up.

Brian Cretney – St. Catharines. Picture books. K to 6.

Jane Drake and Ann Love — Toronto. NF. OLA nominated. Grades 3 and up.

Frank B. Edwards — Kingston. All genres. OLA nominated. Grades 1 and up.

Wallace Edwards — Kingston, Picture book author/illustrator. GG winner. JK to 6.

Harry Endrulat — Kitchener. Fiction. Silver Birch nominated. K to 4.

Cyndi Sand-Eveland — BC. Fiction. Silver Birch winner. Grades 3 to 6.
 
L.M.Falcone — Toronto. Fiction. Silver Birch winner. Grades 4 to 6.

Alma Fullerton — Midland, ON. Fiction. Multi-award winning. Grades 3 to 12.

Natale Ghent — Toronto.  Fiction. Multi-award winning. Grades 4 and up.

Rachna Gilmore — Ottawa, Fiction. Multi-award winning. GG winner. 1 to 8.

Celia Godkin — Kingston/Ottawa. NF & illustrator. Silver Birch nominated. K to 6.

Jacqueline Guest –Alberta. Fiction. K and up.

Shelley Hrdlitschka — BC. YA. White Pine winner & more. Grades 5 to 12.

CC (Chris) Humphreys  — BC. YA, actor and fight choreographer. Grades 6 to 12.

Hazel Hutchins — Alberta. Novels and Picture Books. Multi-awards. K to 8.

Kate Jaimet – Ottawa. Novels, sports books. OLA nominated. Grades 5 and up.

Sharon Jennings — Toronto. GG and OLA nominated. All ages.

Marthe Jocelyn – Stratford. TD Lit Award winner, Vicky Metcalfe winner. All ages.

Kathy Kacer — Toronto. Multi-awards. Grades 4 to 8.

Adrienne Kress – Toronto. Fiction. Readers’ choice noms. Grades 4 and up.

Monica Kulling — Toronto. Fiction and NF. OLA nominated. Grades 2 to 5.

Laura Langston — BC. Novels and picture books. Grades 3 and up.

Andrew Larsen — Toronto. Picture book author. GG nominated. JK to 6.

Peggy Dymond Leavey — Trenton. Silver Birch nominated. Grades 4 to 6.

Loris Lesynski — Toronto. Author, illustrator and poet. Grades 2 to 6.

Jean Little — Guelph. Novels and picture books. Multi-awards. All grades.

Lesley Livingston — Toronto. YA. White Pine winner. Grdes 8 and up. 

Ann Love and Jane Drake — Toronto. NF. Silver Birch nominated. Grades 3 & up. 

Anita Reynolds MacArthur – Toronto. Picture book author. JK to 8.

Sharon McKay — Burlington. Fiction/NF. Red Maple nominated & more. All grades.

Mireille Messier — Toronto. French picture book author. OLA nominated. JK to 8.

Robin Muller — Toronto. Picture book author/illustrator. GG winner. Grades 2 to 6.

Mahtab Narsimhan — Toronto. Fiction. Silver Birch winner. Grades 4 to 8.
 
Susin Nielsen — BC. Fiction. Red Maple winner. Grades 5 to 8.

Liam O’Donnell –  Toronto, graphic novels, comic books. Grades 4 to 8.

Karen Patkau — Toronto. Illustrator and author, multi-awards. K to 8.

Shane Peacock — Baltimore, ON. Fiction. Multi award winner. Grades 4 to 12.

Lois Peterson — BC. Fiction. Silver Birch nominated. K and up.

Caroline Pignat — Ottawa. Fiction. GG winner and OLA noms. Grades 3 to 12.

David A. Poulsen — Alberta. Fiction. Readers’ Choice noms. Grades 1 to 12..

Richard Scarsbrook — Toronto, YA. White Pine winner, 2011. Grades 6 to 12.

Rene Schmidt — Brighton. Fiction. Red Maple Honour Book. Grades 4 to 12.

Richard Scrimger — Cobourg. Fiction. Multi awards. All ages.

Brent Sherrard — New Brunswick. YA. Grades 6 to 10.

Valerie Sherrard – New Brunswick. Multi-awards. OLA noms. JK and up.

Marsha Skrypuch – Brantford, Fiction. Multi-awards. OLA noms. All ages.

Arthur Slade – SK.  Fiction. Winner GG + OLA noms. Grades 4 to 12.

Gail Sidonie Sobat  – Alberta, YA. White Pine honour. Grades 7 to 12.

Chad Solomon — Toronto, graphic novelist/illustrator. JK to 12.

Ashley Spires – SK. Blue Spruce winner. Author/illustrator. K to 8.

Martin Springett — Toronto.  Author/Illustrator. Grades 2 and up.

Ted Staunton — Coburg. Author & musician. JK to 12.

Patricia Storms — Toronto. Author/Illustrator, Cartoonist. K to 8.

Allan Stratton — Toronto. YA. White Pine, multi-awards,  Grades 7 to 12.

Jeremy Tankard — Toronto, author/illustrator. Blue Spruce winner. K to 12.

Jan Thornhill — Havelock.NF. Author/illustrator.  Multi awards. Grades 1 and up.

Larry Verstraete — Winnipeg.  NF. Winner Silver Birch & more. Grades 2 to 8.

Jessica Westhead — Toronto. Fiction. Grades 9 to adult.

Robert Paul Weston — Toronto. Fiction. Winner Silver Birch. Grades 2 to 12.

Janet Wilson — Eden Mills. Illustrator. Multi-awards. Grades 3 to 12.

John Wilson — BC.  Fiction. GG finalist, multi-OLA noms. Grades 4 to 12.

Kari-Lynn Winters — St. Catharines. Picture books. Blue Spruce nom. All ages.

Frieda Wishinsky– Toronto. All genres. Multi OLA and other noms. All ages.

Eric Zweig — Owen Sound. NF. Hockey books. Grades 4 and up.

Please click on individual names for information on the following Ontario members:

Nancy Belgue, Jake Berkowitz, James Bow, Anne Dublin, Nate Hendley, Anna Kerz, Jennifer Lanthier, Gail Nyoka, Jocelyn Shipley, Lesley Simpson, Meg Tilly and Joe Weissmann. Please contact us for further information about their publications, presentations, fees and availability.

As well, we represent the following out-of-province members:

Anita Daher, Linda DeMeulemeester, kc dyer, Joan Galat, Vicki Grant Diane Haynes, Anita Horrocks, David Jardine, Michael Kusugak, Sheryl McFarlane, Tololwa Mollel, Jill Murray, Monique Polak, and Margriet Ruurs.

While these members have no immediate plans to visit Ontario, you can be placed on any of their waiting lists and be notified when that changes.

Dear School and Library staff –

It was great to see so many of you at the OLA Superconference. Please pass on this newsletter to interested colleagues.

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com for your author presentation needs!

At the bottom of this newsletter, we have listed the OLA 2011 BEST BETS selections for children and young adults. Thank you to the OPLA Child and Youth Services Committee for their hard work, and congratulations to the authors and illustrators.

Our Forest of Reading list is growing. Please welcome, Ashley Spires, Blue Spruce winner for 2011. Ashley will be in the GTA in May. Here is a link

to her information page.

Here is the link

to all of our Forest of Reading nominees.

Here is the link

to all of our presenters.

AUTHORS WHO ARE TOURING

Michael Kusugak’s Hands On Learning April tour is nearly full. Limited availability in Toronto. Contact us for dates.

John Wilson is available for school visits May 7-9 and May 14 to 18 for a flat rate of $500 per half day and $1,000 for a full day, including HST and expenses.

Philip Roy is available in the Windsor - London corridor in the spring.

Sigmund Brouwer’s Rock & Roll Literacy Show is sponsored by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame with each participating school receives 75 free copies of Sigmund’s new special edition CSHOF sports novel.  Sigmund visits regularly so please ask about dates.

___________________________________

FOREST OF READING NOMINEE AVAILABILITY

Blue Spruce

Ashley Spires will be in the GTA from May 9 to 17 and can travel wherever public transit can take her.

Linda Bailey has one session available in downtown Toronto on May 16.

Heather McLeod is available in the GTA from May 9-11 and limited availability in the GTA during the week of the Trees.  Heather also has good general availability in the Thunder Bay area and is interested in visiting other NWO communities.

Sarah Tsiang will be available in the GTA and Eastern Ontario from now to May 16.

Rebecca Bender is available in the GTA/Hamilton area.

Silver Birch Express

Cary Fagan is available in the GTA.

Philippa Dowding is available via TTC in the GTA.

Monica Kulling lives in Toronto and can drive within a 200km radius of Toronto.

Janet Wilson lives in Eden Mills and is available within an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Guelph.

Jan Andrews lives near Ottawa.  She is continuously available throughout Eastern Ontario and happy to travel further, especially if back-to-back bookings can be arranged.

Natalie Hyde lives in Cambridge and will travel to London, Toronto, Brantford, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and the GTA.

Silver Birch Fiction

Virginia Frances Schwartz will be in the GTA the week of May 15. Virginia is now offering Silver Birch participating schools a special deal on SKYPE visits between now and May 9^th. Forty-five minutes for $75.

Rachna Gilmore is generally available in the Ottawa area.

Jacqueline Guest will be in the GTA from May 8 – 15.

Valerie Sherrard is available in the GTA May 9,10 and 15.

Julie Lawson is available in the GTA May 14 and 15.

Anna Kerz lives in Toronto and has good availability.

David Skuy has good availability in Toronto and surrounding areas.

Silver Birch Non-Fiction

Jan Thornhill lives in Havelock and has good availability in the Toronto to Kingston corridor.

Lynda Colgan lives in Kingston and will be available in the GTA for the week of May 14. She is available in the Oshawa/Ajax area on May 17th.

Red Maple Fiction

Patrick Bowman is always available in the GTA and parts of Southern Ontario.

Alyxandra Harvey is available in the GTA, Guelph, Newmarket, Orangeville, Brampton and Mississauga areas.

Eric Walters, who lives in the GTA, has availability in between April and June.

Deborah Ellis lives in Simcoe. She has limited availability and prefers traveling to venues west of Toronto.

Robert Paul Weston lives in Toronto and is available most weekdays.

Sharon McKay will be moving out of province on May 1, 2012.  School visits are welcome between now and then.

White Pine

Don Calame will be in the GTA from April 1- May 30.

Gail Sobat is available in Toronto and area during the week of May 14 to 19.

Don Aker has limited availability in the GTA in April and May.  Ask about dates.

White Pine Non-fiction

Kate Scowan and Peter Mitchell are both based in Toronto and are available throughout the GTA.

Golden Oak

Deborah Ellis lives in Simcoe. She has limited availability and prefers traveling to venues west of Toronto.

Janet Wilson lives in Eden Mills and is available within an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Guelph.

Tamarack Express

Mireille Messier is available in the Ottawa and Kingston areas in May and June. Mireille also has good availability in the GTA at other times.  (For French and French Immersion groups.)

 

BEST BETS 2011

Reading for Children

please note: ABS presenters are in bold.

        PICTURE BOOKS

Beck, Carolyn.  Dog Breath.Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan.  Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Beck, Carolyn.  Wellington’s Rainy Day. Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan.  Orca Book Publishers.
Fernandes, Eugenie.  Kitten’s Summer.  Kids Can Press.
Reid, Barbara.  Picture a Tree. Scholastic Canada.
Sadler, Judy Ann.  Reaching. Illustrated by Susan Mitchell.  Kids Can Press
Schwartz, Roslyn.  The Vole Brothers.Owlkids Books
Spalding, Andrea.  Seal Song.  Illustrated by Pascal Milelli. Orca Book Publishers.
Spires, Ashley. Small Saul.  Kids Can Press
Viva, Frank.  Along a Long Road.  Harper Collins
Winstanley, Nicola.  Cinnamon Baby. Illustrated by Janice Nadeau.  Kids Can Press.

Picture Books (Honourables):
Amado, Elisa. What Are You Doing? Illustrated by Manuel Monroy Groundwood.
Campbell, Nicola. Grandpa’s Girls. Illustrated by Kim LaFave. Groundwood.
Delaunois, Angèle. The Little Yellow Bottle. Illustrated by Christine Delezenne. Second Story. For older readers.
Desrochiers, Sylvie. Hocus Pocus. .Illustrated by Rémy Simard.  Kids Can Press.
Foggo, Cheryl. Dear Baobab. Illustrated by Qin Leng. Second Story.
Hartt-Sussman, Heather .  Noni Says No. Illustrated by Geneviève Coté. Tundra.
Stuckner, Joan.  Can Hens Give Milk? Illustrated by Joe Wiessmann. Orca Book Publishers.
Watt, Melanie.  Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party. Kids Can Press.

                 FICTION

Citra, Becky. Missing. Orca Book Publishers
Dueck, Adele.  Racing Home. Coteau Books.
Ellis, Deborah.  No Ordinary Day. Groundwood Books.
Ellis, Sarah.  Dear Canada:  That Fatal Night of Dorothy Wilton.  Scholastic Canada.
Fagan, Cary.  Banjo of Destiny. Groundwood Books.
Kerz, Anna.  Better Than Weird. Orca Book Publishers.
Lottridge, Celia The Listening Tree. Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Lyon, Annabel  Encore Edie. Penguin.
Narsimhan, Mahtab.  The Tiffin.  Dancing Cat (Cormorant Books).
Pearson, Kit.  The Whole Truth.  Harper Trophy Canada.

Junior Fiction – Honourable Mentions:
Auxier, Jonathon – Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes (Penguin)
Gilmore, Rachna – That Boy Red (Harper Collins)
Johansen, K.V. – The Black Box: a Cassandra Virus Novel (Sybertooth)
Kent, Trilby – Stones for My Father (Tundra)
Pignat, Caroline – Timber Wolf (Red Deer)

          NON-FICTION

Gerszack, Rafal with Dawn Hunter.  Beyond Bullets: a Photojournal of Afghanistan.   Annick Press
Jordan-Fenton, Christy and Pokiak-Fenton, Margaret.  
A Stranger at Home: A True Story. Artwork by Liz Amini-Holmes. Annick Press.
Kacer, Kathy.  To Hope and Back: the Journey of the St. Louis. Second Story Press.
Kulling, Monica  In the Bag!: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up  Illustrated by David Parkins. Tundra.
Kyi, Tanya Lloyd.   50 Underwear Questions: a Bare-All History. Illustrated by Ross Kinnaird. Annick Press.
Laidlaw, Rob. No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs.  Pajama Press.
MacLeod, Elizabeth.  Canadian Money.  Scholastic Canada.
Nicholson, Cynthia Pratt.  Totally Human: Why We Look and Act the Way We Do. Illustrated by Dianne Eastman.  Kids Can Press.
Skrypuch, Marsha.  The Last Airlift: a Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War.  Pajama Press.
Szpirglas, Jeff. You Just Can’t Help It! Your Guide to the Wild And Wacky World of Human Behavior. Illustrations by Josh Holinaty. Owlkids Books.

Junior Non Fiction -  Honourables:
Fromer, Liza and Gerstein, Francine – Body Works SERIES (Tundra)
Levine, Shar and Johnstone, Leslie, Illustrated by Patricia Storms – Snowy Science: 25 Cool Experiments (Scholastic)
McMahon, Peter, Illustrated by Andy Mora – Space Tourism (Kids Can)
Wiseman, Blaine – Record Breakers SERIES (Weigl)

 

BEST BETS 2011

Fiction reading for young adults

 

Aker, Don. The Fifth Rule. Harper Collins.
Coakley, Lena   Witchlanders. Atheneum.
Cohen, Trish.  The Switch. HarperTrophyCanada.   
Grant, Vicki.  B Negative. Orca.
McClintock, Norah.  She Said/She Saw.  Orca.
Mills, Rob.  Charlie’s Key.  Orca.
Prinz, Yvonne, All You Get is Me. HarperCollins.
Ravel, Edeet.  Held.  Annick Press.
Shaw, Liane. Fostergirls. Second Story Press.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Austen, Catherine.  All Good Children.  Orca.
Bass, Karen.  Drummer Girl. Coteau.
Collins, P.J..  What Happened to Serenity.  Red Deer Press.
Ellis, Deborah.  True Blue.  Pajama Press.
Harvey, Alyxandra.  Haunting Violet.  Walker & Company.
Krossing, Karen.  The Yo-Yo Prophet.  Orca.
Ostlere, Cathy.  Karma.  Razorbill.
Skuy, David.  Undergrounders.  Scholastic.
Slade, Arthur.  Empire of Ruins.  Harper Collins.
Weber, Lori.  Yellow Mini.  Red Deer Press.
Withers, Pam.  First Descent.  Tundra.
Wynne-Jones, Tim.  Blink and Caution. Candlewick.
Yee, Paul.  Money Boy.  Groundwood.
Young, Moira.   Blood Red Road.  Doubleday.

NOTABLE NON FICTION
Jocelyn, Marthe.  Scribbling Women.  Tundra.

–

Authors’ Booking Service
Connecting Canadian Creators and Educators

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com

If you haven’t received a response at the above address within two working days you are welcome to contact Marsha at marsha@calla.com or Valerie at valeri@nbnet.nb.ca

The OLA Superconference 
is here once again.  With its
wealth of information, opportunities for sharing, and time to make new friends
and reconnect with old, it’s an exciting time for all.

Many thanks to those who have worked so hard to make this
wonderful event possible!!!

________________________________ 

Who should you contact with questions about booking an
author or obtaining a subsidy?

Contact ABS: abs@authorsbooking.com  We have the answers!!! 

This service is free to all school and library staff and
you are welcome to pass this newsletter along to colleagues.

If you aren’t currently receiving our newsletter and
would like to, simply enter your email address here.  

___________________________________

READING FOR THE LOVE OF IT

Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen St. W

 

Philippa Dowding

Thursday, February 9th

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

The Gargoyle Overhead

 

Frieda Wishinsky

Thursday and Friday

12:45 – 2:00

 

More ABS Members
at the OLA Superconference!

A few more of our members have let us know they’ll be at
the Superconference this week.  Do stop
by and say hello!

Frieda Wishinsky will be at the Scholastic booth at 2:00
p.m. on Thursday, and will be part of the CANSCAIP group at noon on Friday. 

Jacqueline
Guest will be signing Ghost Messages on Friday, Feb 3, from 10:20 – 10:40 at
the Publishers Group Canada Booth #221.

___________________________________

*** HANDS ON LEARNING UPDATE

Michael Kusugak
will visit both the GTA and Ottawa
this April.  His new presentation features the very popular
Hands On Learning, where, following
story time, students have an opportunity to see, touch and even try on some of
the items they have heard about.  These
items include a scale model of a kayak, an Inuit drum, an amouti, tools and
implements, samples of fur, clothing such as Kaamik, sealskin mitts, duffel
socks, crocheted hats, and other items.  Michael’s
total fee with expenses, is $350.00 per session, which includes the half hour
Hands On Learning that follows his regular presentation. 

__________________________________

We’re happy to welcome Leslie Ann Cowan to the list of
nominees we are representing.  See the
full list of nominees we can help you book, by going here.  

 

Clicking on any individual name will take you to
information about that person’s publications, presentations, fees and so forth.

___________________________________

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

 

Teacher:  Give me a
sentence starting with “I.”

Student:  I is –

Teacher:  Hold it!  You must always say, “I am.”

Student:  Okay. I
am the ninth letter of the alphabet.

 

Child:  Dad, can
you write in the dark?

Father: 
Probably.  What do you want me to
write?

Child:  Just your
name – on my report card.

___________________________________

ARE YOU WONDERING…

Who to contact with questions about booking an author or
obtaining a subsidy?

Contact ABS: abs@authorsbooking.com  We have the answers!!!

In this issue:

ABS Members at the
OLA SUperconference

Book Draw Winners!

New Releases

This service is free to all school and library staff and
you are welcome to pass this newsletter along to colleagues. 

If you aren’t currently receiving our newsletter and
would like to, simply enter your email address here.  http://authorsbooking.com/2043/authors/subscribe_newsletter.html

___________________________________

ABS Members at the
OLA Superconference!

Here’s where, when and with what book you will find our
members next week. 

Please stop by and say hello! 

THURSDAY

Richard Scarsbrook

The Monkeyface Chronicles

9:05 - 10:20 at Session 301

 

Mireille Messier

Coup de théâtre à Straford

10:00 – 12:00 at the RECF Booth

 

Eric Walters

Just Deserts

10:30 at the Penguin Booth

 

Marsha Skrypuch

Making Bombs For Hitler

11:00 am at the Another Story Book Shop Booth

 

Teresa Toten and Eric Walters

The Taming

11:15 at the Doubleday Booth

Martin Springett

Breakfast On A Dragon’s Tail

11:30 at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside Booth

 

Brian Cretney

Tooter’s Stinky Wish

1:00 - 1:45 at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside Booths (421,
423, 425)

 

Heather Hartt-Sussman

Here Comes Hortense

1:45 at the Tundra Booth (720)

 

Philippa Dowding

The Gargoyle Overhead

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Dundurn Booth

 

Karen Patkau: Three new titles in a series

Who Needs a Swamp?

Who Needs an Iceberg?

Who Needs a Jungle?

2:45 at the Tundra Booth

 

Marsha Skrypuch

Last Airlift

3:00 pm at the OBPO Booth

FRIDAY

Announcing the new Seven series by Orca,

Presentation by Eric Walters, Ted Staunton, Richard
Scrimger,

Shane Peacock and Sigmund Brower.

9:05 to 10:40

 

Karen Bass

Drummer Girl

10:20 at the Publishers Group Canada booth (221).

 

Martin Springett

Kate and Pippin, An Unlikely Love Story

10:30 at the Penguin Booth

 

 Marina Cohen

Chasing the White Witch

11:00 am at the Dundurn Booth

 

Sarah Tsiang

Dogs Don’t Eat Jam

11:00 am – Noon at the Firefly Booth

The first 75 people at the booth will receive free books!

 

Virginia Frances Schwartz

Crossing to Freedom

11:00 am at the S&B Booth

 

NOON – CANSCAIP  MASS LAUNCH

 

Karen Bass: Drummer Girl.

Marsha Skrypuch: Last Airlift

Rona Arato: On an American Day

Virginia Frances Schwartz: NUTZ

 

Eric Walters

The Matatu Ride

12:15 at the Orca Booth

 

Virginia Frances Schwartz

NUTZ

2:30 at the Fitzhenry & Whiteside Booth

 

Sigmund Brouwer: Story Diva book bag and special

edition Canada Sports Hall of Fame novel.

3:30 at the Orca Booth

Also, be sure to check the S&B Booth for a special
conference package of Eric Walters’ “Tiger” books.  Eric will be there at various times to sign
his work.

__________________________________________

BOOK DRAW WINNERS!

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners in our November and
December book draws!  They are:

Elizabeth Baker, Marian Bakker, Jessica Roy, Lisa Powell,
Sandy Wondergem,  Linda Watson, Jason
Wiggins, Angela Thompson, Stephanie Alexander,  Arlene Stevens,  Julie Found, Carolyn Humphrey,  Femmy Birks, Frances Parker,  Allison Holmes,  Robin Morrison-claus, Chris Pestell, Grace
Andrews, Heather Alblas, Bev Mayer and Pamela Mulloy.

 

Every session booked through ABS automatically earns you a ballot in our monthly draws! 

 

To see a list of available books, visit this page on our
blog.

 http://authorsbooking.blogspot.com/2008/12/book-for-our-draws.html

___________________________________

NEW RELEASES

Marina Cohen, Chasing the White Witch. When
12-year-old Claire Murphy finds the tiny book of spells she discovers you can’t
solve your problems with magic–but you can make them a whole lot worse!

Karen Patkau: First
three titles in Ecosystem Series: Who
Needs a Swamp?  Who Needs an Iceberg?  Who Needs a Jungle? Karen’s exciting new
Ecosystem Series, published by Tundra Books, brims with captivating creatures,
ecological features, fact-filled notes, useful glossaries, and comprehensive
maps. Each picture book is not only informative and beautiful, but also a call to
action for all of us who care about the world in which we live.

Mireille Messier
(Illustrator Marc Lizano) Tout un
méli-mélo! Marcus has a blast doing chores with his kooky relatives. A
French picture book for early readers.

___________________________________

Questions? Comments? We’re listening! 

Marsha & Valerie

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com.
We respond quickly to all e-mails.

Please note: If you haven’t had a reply to messages sent
to the above address within 2 working days, your message may have gone astray.
In that case, please contact either of us at home.

Valerie Sherrard: valeri@nbnet.nb.ca
or Marsha Skrypuch: marsha@calla.com

Thank you for supporting Canadian authors and illustrators!

This service is free to all school and library staff and you are welcome to pass this newsletter along to colleagues. 

If you aren’t currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, simply enter your email address here.

If you are planning an event and are not sure how to go about applying for a subsidy, we can help.  Contact us today!

Next week: Book draw winners from November and December!

___________________________________

NEWS  FROM  OUR  MEMBERS

Congratulations to Valerie Sherrard whose juvenile novel Tumbleweed Skies has been shortlisted for the Children’s Crown Award, a national reader’s choice program in the U.S.A..

White Pine Nominee Don Aker is pleased to announce that Running on Empty, which deals with teen gambling, will soon be available.  The novel’s May release coincides with Don’s spring visits.  Don’s remaining time slots in April and May are limited, so be sure to book now to avoid disappointment!

The Volume One Project with Mahtab Narsimhan
Sun Feb 5 – 10 AM – Noon at Mabel’s Fables, 662 Mt Pleasant Road
$15 (includes signed book) Sign up at http://www.smallprinttoronto.org/

Mahtab will talk about the process of creating stories and lead young scribes through an exercise in creating an evocative opening paragraph to a story. And she will award the author of the most alluring piece with an authentic tiffin container.

Sharon McKay will return to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2012-13 with the Canadian Forces Artist Program (CFAP) to complete an in depth project on children in prison. Research will continue in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Sharon’s first deployment to Afghanistan was in 2009 and resulted in the multi-award winning book Thunder Over Kandahar.

___________________________________

Books!  Books!  Books!

Marsha Skrypuch’s Last Airlift, the true story of a Vietnamese orphan’s rescue from war, came out in November.  On Feb 1, her companion novel to Stolen Child, called Making Bombs For Hitler will be released.

Marsha is giving away a pair of autographed copies (Airlift plus Bombs) to the first ten librarians or educators who send us their mailing address.  Send your name and earth address to: abs@authorsbooking.com   The subject of the email should be “Airlift/Bombs“

Reminder!  Beginning this month, Sigmund Brouwer’s Rock & Roll Literacy Show will be sponsored by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.  As part of the presentation, each participating school will now receive 75 copies of Sigmund Brouwer’s new special edition CSHOF sports novel about a girl goaltender, with a fictional setting in Niagara.

___________________________________

NEW RELEASE

Cyndi Sand-Eveland: A Tinfoil Sky. A hard-hitting novel that literally aches with longing. At its heart is a twelve-year-old girl, Mel, who is determined to beat incredible odds and steer her own destiny as she sweeps the reader along to that one special place called home.

___________________________________

ABS AUTHORS WHO ARE TOURING

Sigmund Brouwer’s Rock & Roll Literacy Show is sponsored by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame with each participating school receives 75 free copies of Sigmund’s new special edition CSHOF sports novel.  Sigmund visits regularly so please ask about dates.

Vicki Grant will be in Toronto from January 30 to Feb 3.

Karen Bass will be in Toronto on February 1 & 2.

Michael Kusugak’s Hands On Learning tour dates are April 16 – 20.  Michael is also available in Ottawa early in February.

John Wilson is available for school visits May 7-9 and May 14 to 18 for a flat rate of $500 per half day and $1,000 for a full day, including HST and expenses.

Philip Roy is available in the Windsor - London corridor in the spring.

Finding information on any of our regular members’ publications, presentations and fees is as easy as going here and clicking on a name!

___________________________________

FOREST OF READING NOMINEE AVAILABILITY

Finding information on our OLA Nominees’ publications, presentations, fees and so forth is as easy as going here and clicking on a name.

Blue Spruce

Linda Bailey has one session available in downtown Toronto on May 16.

Heather McLeod is available in the GTA from May 9-14. On May 11 she has late morning and afternoon availability near Eglinton W and Kipling.  Heather also has good general availability in the Thunder Bay area and is interested in visiting other NWO communities.

Sarah Tsiang will be available in the GTA and Eastern Ontario from January to May 16.

Rebecca Bender is available in the GTA/Hamilton area from mid February to mid May.

Silver Birch Express

Cary Fagan is available in the GTA throughout the school year.

Philippa Dowding is available via TTC in the GTA from January to May 2012.

Monica Kulling lives in Toronto. Her schedule is flexible and she can drive within a 200km radius of Toronto.

Janet Wilson lives in Eden Mills and is available within an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Guelph.

Jan Andrews lives near Ottawa.  She is continuously available throughout Eastern Ontario and happy to travel further, especially if back-to-back bookings can be arranged.

Natalie Hyde lives in Cambridge and will travel to London, Toronto, Brantford, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and the GTA.

Silver Birch Fiction

Virginia Frances Schwartz will be in the GTA the first week of Feb and the week of May 15.

Rachna Gilmore is generally available in the Ottawa area, and will be in the GTA during the week of May 15.

Jacqueline Guest will be in the GTA from May 8 – 15.

Valerie Sherrard is available in the GTA May 9,10 and 15.

Julie Lawson is available in the GTA May 14 and 15.

Anna Kerz lives in Toronto and has good availability.

David Skuy has good availability in Toronto and surrounding areas.

Silver Birch Non-Fiction

Jan Thornhill lives in Havelock and has good availability in the Toronto to Kingston corridor.

Lynda Colgan lives in Kingston and is available anywhere that Via Rail can take her.

Red Maple Fiction

Patrick Bowman is always available in the GTA and parts of Southern Ontario.

Alyxandra Harvey is available in the GTA, Guelph, Newmarket, Orangeville, Brampton and Mississauga areas.

Eric Walters lives in the GTA and while his schedule fills quickly he has some availability over the next 5 months.  Eric does school visits throughout the province.  For communities as far away as Kingston, Windsor, North Bay and Sudbury – two or more days of booking are required.

Deborah Ellis lives in Simcoe. Her schedule is flexible, particularly in Toronto and west of Toronto.

Susin Nielsen is available in the GTA on May 14.

Robert Paul Weston lives in Toronto and is available most weekdays.

Sharon McKay will be moving out of province on May 1, 2012.  School visits are welcome between now and then.

White Pine

Don Calame will be in the GTA from April 1- May 30.

Gail Sobat is available in Toronto and area during the week of May 14 to 19.

Don Aker has limited availability in the GTA in April and May.  Ask about dates.

White Pine Non-fiction

Susan Juby: Sorry – Susan is unable to visit Ontario in May due to other commitments.

Kate Scowan and Peter Mitchell are both based in Toronto and are available throughout the GTA.

Golden Oak

Deborah Ellis lives in Simcoe. Her schedule is flexible, particularly for schools in Toronto and west of Toronto.

Janet Wilson lives in Eden Mills and is available within an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Guelph.

Tamarack Express

Mireille Messier is available in the Ottawa and Kingston areas in May and June. Mireille also has good availability in the GTA at other times.  (For French and French Immersion groups.)

___________________________________

Questions? Comments? We’re listening!

Marsha & Valerie

Contact us at abs@authorsbooking.com. We respond quickly to all e-mails.

 

Marsha Skrypuch: Gramma Jo’s Convertible Cookies

Here is my Irish grandmother’s “convertible cookie” recipe. With slight variations, you can make peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal raisin cookies.

My grandmother died eight years ago at the age of 94. She was a wonderful no-nonsense cook and always had some nice thing for dessert. What I like about this recipe is that you don’t need fancy ingredients. She made these for me all the time when I was a child, and she made them for my mother when she was a child. I made them myself when I was in university and then also made them for my son when he was little. They’re very tasty:

base recipe:
1 cup shortening or margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Cream together the shortening and sugar, then add the eggs, then the rest of the ingredients.

Alternates:

For peanut butter cookies, add a cup of peanut butter and a tbsp of vanilla extract to the base recipe.

For chocolate chip cookies, add a cup of chocolate chips to the base recipe.

For oatmeal cookies, change one of the cups of flour to oatmeal (flakes like quick oats or old fashioned, but NOT steel cut) and add an extra egg to the base recipe. You can add raisins or chocolate chips to this if you wish. Also, cinnamon (1 tsp) if you wish.

Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350c oven for about 10 minutes. Don’t over-bake.

Note: the peanut butter cookies should be flattened on the cookie sheet with the back of a fork before baking.

 

*****

Valerie Sherrard: Snowflake card hanger

(A craft so simple that even I can make it.)

 

Thread a length of twine through the centre coil of wooden clothespins, one at a time. Loop and tie each clothespin so that it won’t move sideways on the string.  Leave a space of 2 - 3 inches between each clothespin to allow cards to hang freely.

 

Cut silver (or luminescent white) wrapping paper into squares just large enough to cover clothespins.  Fold and cut snowflake patterns into each square.  Glue completed snowflakes to one or both sides of clothespins (one side if hung against the wall, both if hung in a doorway). Clip holiday greeting cards with the clothespins to hang.

 

You can substitute the snowflakes with any cut-out shape or design you prefer. 

 

Happy Holidays from Brent and I!

 *****

 

Beryl Young: Since my father, Charlie, was a Home Child who came from England, he’d never heard of cranberry sauce until he was married and living in Canada.  He took to it whole-heartedly and always ate more than his share. My mother, who was quite capable of cooking up raw cranberries into a sauce, had this very clever short-cut for a busy holiday season and my father never knew there was any other kind.

 

Place a tin of whole cranberry sauce in a bowl and add one or two chopped oranges (not mandarin) and some grated peel, mix and serve.

 

This is very quick, it tastes almost as good as the fresh berries and the chopped oranges add fresh flavour and texture.

 

*****

Kathy Kacer: I grew up with a Jewish grandmother whose joy was encouraging members of my family to “Eat!”  She didn’t understand portion control and never heard of the concept of “light” cooking. She made the best chicken soup.  (What respectable Jewish grandmother didn’t?)  My homage to her is this soup recipe.  It’s a lighter version, which she might frown upon. But, as long as you eat a lot of it, I know she’ll approve.

 

Beef and Vegetable Pea Soup

 

1 lb. Stewing beef cut in one inch chunks

2 large onions, diced

4 large carrots, diced

1 potato, diced

6-8 mushrooms, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 cup dry split peas

1 cup dry barley

1 tblsp vegetable oil

flour for dredging

1 tblsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

2 tblsp. Chicken powder

1 quart water

 

Heat 1 tblsp vegetable oil in a large soup pot.  Add onions and sauté until soft.  Dredge the stewing beef in flour and add to pot.  Saute until the meat is brown (1-2 minutes).  Add all the other ingredients.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours.  Taste and add more salt if needed.  Serve with crusty French bread.

 

*****

Gillian Richardson: Christmas craft: Holiday Placemats

 

We all love Christmas cards’ exquisite images. After the holidays, it’s a shame to toss them. Instead, save the memories. Placemats are easy to make, wipe clean and will last forever.

 

Material for each placemat:

27 cards, solid color MacTac, clear or frosted MacTac, scissors.

 

Directions:

1. Cut a 9 cm diameter round template from back of one card.
2. Use the template to trace around the best part of each card’s image.
3. Cut out 27 circles.
4. Arrange 14 circles on the sticky side of solid color MacTac, overlapping them slightly to create an oval placemat 44 cm by 30 cm.
5. Overlap 10 circles in another oval inside the first.
6. Use the last 3 circles to cover remaining MacTac with your favorite image at the centre.
7. Easily peel/rearrange the circles to get a pleasing design of colors or pictures.
8. Once you are happy with the design, place clear or frosted MacTac over the placemat.
9. Trim around placemat following the scalloped edge, leaving a .5 cm border of MacTac.

Teachers: give your class advance notice to collect old cards from relatives for a pre-holiday craft.

 

*****

 Vicki Grant: Miss Canada’s Christmas Danish

 

This dessert really did come from Miss Canada. My dear friend, Sylvia McGuire, was Miss Canada in her twenties, a cop on Vancouver’s Lower Eastside in her thirties and a French teacher thereafter. Not bad for a girl from Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia.

The dessert isn’t as interesting as Sylvia - but they do both share a sweet nuttiness.

 

Pastry

½ cup butter

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons water

 

Cut butter into flour. Sprinkle water over mixture. Form into a ball. Divide in half.  With fingers, spread into two 12”x3” strips on an ungreased pan.

 

Almond Puff

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup flour

3 eggs

 

Bring butter and water to a boil. Remove pan from heat. Stir in almond extract and flour. Beat in eggs all at once until smooth.  Spread over pastry strips. Bake 60 minutes at 350 degrees. 

 

Icing

1 ½ cups icing sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons almond extract

Milk if needed.

 

Mix ingredients together. Spread icing on cooled Danishes. Decorate with slivered almonds or candied cherries. Makes a great hostess gift – especially since it looks way harder to make that it is.

 

*****

A Jolly Jurassic Christmas

By Helaine Becker

 

At Christmastime, in days of yore

‘Twas great to be a dinosaur

The Duckbills jingled all the way

Pulling Santa Claus’s sleigh

 

The Longnecks strung up all the lights

The Hadrosaurs had snowball fights

And at the Festive Fossil Bash

Apatosaurus made a splash

 

Spinosaurus spiked the punch

Then burped and hiccupped all through lunch

Giganta gorged on gingerbread

Got scolded and was sent to bed

 

The Stego-chorus sounded swell

When it sang “Noel, Noel”

But as the carolers came to greet him

T-Rex felt he had to eat them!

 

The Christmas tree was quite a sight

When Diplodocus took a bite

The Raptors wrapped the gifts all night

But didn’t get the name tags right!

 

So Allosaur got salad tongs

And CDs full of heartbreak songs

Triceratops got underwear

And whined all day, it wasn’t fair!

 

But all in all, they had a ball

And celebrated ‘til Last Call

And now they want to raise a toast

To all the kids they love most

 

So here’s to you from the Jurassic

We hope your Christmas is fantastic!

 

*****

Val Wyatt: Here’s my family tradition:

 

Fortunenuts:  Some years ago, we started wondering what we could possibly do with all those Christmas nut shells once the nut itself has been removed. The answer is a hard-shelled version of fortune cookies. Simply insert a handwritten fortune between two walnut, pecan or other shell halves and tie, glue or tape the shell together. Put the nuts in a bowl and take turns picking and opening one before Christmas dinner. 

 *****

 

 Philip Roy: Submarine Stew

(from: Submarine Outlaw Series)

Submarine stew is wonderful for long voyages at sea, especially in the Arctic.  First, you fashion a home-made desalinator to remove the salt from seawater.  Alfred’s desalinator looks like a teapot from ancient Persia, with a copper tube sticking out the top to collect steam into another pot.  Alfred finds that it takes two boilings and a filter to remove all the salt, but that once-boiled seawater is perfect for stew.  Add: one carrot, one potato, one onion, one clove of garlic, one tablespoon butter and a pinch of pepper, sage, rosemary and thyme.  Stew for at least an hour.  Eat with hard biscuit and piece of cheese. Excellent for Christmas away from home.  Make double batch if you’re going to share with the crew.  

 

*****

 

This year’s Christmas season is proving to be a busy one for Julie Burtinshaw. As one of the judges for the 2011 Red Cedar Awards in British Columbia, she has over a hundred books to read before April, in order to select the best reads for BC elementary students. She has also has a book coming out in the spring and one more in progress.  Julie wishes everyone a Happy Holiday Season.

*****

 

Sharon Jennings: A Fun Recipe for Tiny Hands
Children love to help bake…but that can cause so many problems! Years ago I came across this recipe in a magazine, tarted it up a bit, and now make it only when my great nephews and nieces are around. Each child makes his or her own batch and wraps it up as a gift for mommy and daddy or grandparents or teachers or….
 
Adult: Melt one large bag of dark chocolate chips.
Child: Break one large bag of Oreo cookies into bits.
Adult: “Stop eating the cookies!”
Child: Stir broken cookies into melted chocolate.
Adult: “Good job!”
Child: Stir in a handful of dried, mixed fruit (cherries, blueberries, etc.).
Adult: “Terrific!”
Child: Spread mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment (waxed) paper
Adult: “Wow!” Pry tray away from child (this may take some doing) and place in fridge until hardened.
Child: Break chocolate bark into small pieces. Sample.
Adult: “One is enough!”
Child: Put chocolate bark into a tin. Give to someone special!

*****

Helene Boudreau: Snow for the Holidays

 

I have a large family. So large and so scattered that we usually plan a pre-holiday get-together to avoid traveling during the iffy weather of late December.

 

This year was our turn to host and, as it is with extended families, it was a bit tricky to settle on a date. We finally did—but in very early November. The pumpkins hadn’t even been composted yet but we were determined to make our get-together as festive as possible.

 

So, a fresh tree was acquired (not an easy task right after Halloween!) and copious amounts of food were prepared. Though, cooking for thirty-five guests in a small house means things can get a bit cramped and a lot hot.

 

As the thermostat rose, the kids began to get shack happy. I stole a crazed glance at my husband across the crowded room. What to do? It was only 3 pm! He understood, grabbed my brother, and hustled out of the house.

 

Twenty minutes later, they arrived with a truckload full of Zamboni snow, which they dumped on our front lawn.

 

Snowball fight!

 

A sure-fire way to cool things off AND get into the holiday spirit on a spring-like November afternoon.

*****

 

Matt Beam:  Christmas: The School of Hard Knocks

 

In the mid-1970s, I was five and had graduated to Christmas gift-giving, as had my older sister. The expectations for my gifts were low; an astral configuration made of Popsicle sticks and glue was perfect. While the parent/child gift-giving contract was very clear, the intersibling exchange hadn’t exactly been hammered out.

 

And so: I wanted Walkie-Talkies. Desperately. The morning finally came. Stockings were emptied, toes pinched to the ceiling. Wrapping paper was removed with such efficiency it’s a wonder this wasn’t the evolutionary purpose for our articulated digits.

 

Finally, all that was left at the bottom of the tree was the red tree-stand and my sister’s present to me.

 

To my great delight, the wrapped box was exactly two Walkie-Talkies big. The devices would stretch my sister’s allowance capabilities, but this wasn’t a time for pragmatism. Christmas is a time to dream, so I went at the final present, expectations high.

 

The wrapping paper was shred in seconds. The box lid, to cover shoes not Walkie-Talkies, flew open. 

 

There were no Walkie-Talkies. No shoes.

 

Inside was another box. Just a little smaller: a tight fit for two hand-held radio devices, but my optimism was unyielding.

 

Inside was an even smaller box. One Walkie-Talkie? I looked up at my sister with irritation. Who was I going to talk to?

Inside that box was another. And then another…

 

As each box grew smaller, so did my hopes. By the time I pulled out my sister’s macramé bracelet, I was furious and in tears, and was sharply ordered to spend the rest of the morning in my room.

 

Several hours later, after a long discussion, an apology, and a sister/brother hug, I had evolved, from a greedy child to an it’s-the-thought-that-counts kid. 

 *****

But our most moving experience was 2007 in Morocco.  We were catapulted back in time.  On Christmas Eve, our battered taxi bumped along the road from Marrakech to Essaouira.  People dressed in long hooded capes travelled on donkeys alongside the road.  It could so easily have been 2000 years ago, with Mary and Joseph on the long trek to Bethlehem.  Then New Year’s Eve riding camels in the Sahara Desert, more stars than I’d ever seen, the Christmas star almost close enough to touch.

 

*****

Laura Langston: Our family Christmas Eve buffet is a much-loved tradition, originally borne out of necessity to feed a group of people (some arriving that night) before an early church service. When the kids were young, food was selected on the basis of make-ahead ease. As they grew, it evolved to cover our ethnicity. And since we cover the gamut from Ukrainian and Polish to Russian, Turkish, French, English and Irish (and my Italian cousins often join us), we inevitably end up with a veritable feast of nations. We have smoked salmon and proscuitto; bread and olives and dips; borek and varenyky; cheese from around the globe; tourtiere and pate; tiny crepes stuffed with grilled mushrooms or fish; hot spiced wine and a glut of sweets: baklava, kutya, Bouche de Noel, fruit cake.  This year, my daughter won’t be joining us. She has moved east where she’ll celebrate with new friends. As sad as I am, it’s comforting to know that when her candles are lit and her music is cued, she’ll feast on many of the same foods we’re feasting on in Victoria.

 

*****

Karen Bass:  My mother tells a story of growing up on the farm in northern Alberta. One of her younger sisters was bedridden with a contagious disease, so none of the family could attend the annual Christmas concert, which was the highlight of the winter season. My mother was devastated. Christmas morning arrived, though it hardly felt like Christmas at all. Then a noise outside sent her to the window. She breathed a view hole on the frosty glass and peered outside. There, across the yard, was Santa Claus, stepping out from behind the chicken coop. (This part of the story always puzzled me, until I decided he had passed up the house’s steep roof and parked his sleigh on the shallow incline of the chicken coop’s roof, which would be much safer to climb down from.) He crossed the yard, sack in hand, entered the house, stomping to knock the snow from his boots, and handed out gifts to the three house-bound girls. But he didn’t just leave gifts; he left the joy of Christmas with that visit, one that a little girl has carried in her heart for over seventy years.

  

*****

 

Jeremy Tankard:  My family aren’t ones to make a big deal of holidays. Call it laziness. However, we did have a tradition that revolved around books. Amongst other things we all received books at Christmas. In a nicely unspoken tradition we would open presents after attending Christmas Mass; then lunch (nothing fancy); then sitting in comfy chairs in companionable silence reading our new books and snoozing the afternoon away before getting up and making a nice dinner. 

 

Some people have suggested that I make more of a “big deal” about Christmas. You know, for the sake of my kids. I respectfully disagree with those people. I loved my quiet family Christmases. A quiet afternoon with a good book seems the BEST way to celebrate any holiday. Holidays in the Tankard house were never stressful affairs. And really, is there a better way to pass the time than in the company of your favourite people and a couple of good books? I think not. 

 

*****

Larry Verstraete’s Easiest-Ever Holiday Punch

(Simple, but festive and tasty.)

 

I can frozen raspberry juice concentrate

1 can frozen cranberry juice concentrate

1 - 2 litre bottle of club soda

Mix ingredients.  Add ice.  Garnish with whole cranberries and/or raspberries.  Serve and enjoy!

 

*****

Jane Drake and Ann Love: Playdough for Baking — Making Seasonal Ornaments

 

Using traditional cookie cutter shapes and this recipe, we made tree ornaments with kids ages 7, 5 and 3 this year. From the kitchen gadget drawer, we found that the garlic press made great hair and manes. After the first batch, the kids started free-styling shapes with a plastic knife and adult supervision. We now have a whip-tail lizard, tractor, and fossil hanging from our tree as well as bells, reindeer, and Santa faces.

 

You’ll Need:

1 cup salt

4 cups flour

2 oz glycerine (available at the pharmacy)

1 ½ cups water

a narrow stick such as a chopstick

water-based paints and brushes

narrow ribbon

 

Method

1.    Mix the salt and flour together.

2.    Add the glycerine to the water.

3.    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.

4.    Knead on a lightly floured counter until very smooth and the dough forms a not-too-sticky ball

5.    Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to mould.

6.    Roll out and cut as a cookie. With the stick, cut a clean hole top and center on the shape for hanging.

7.    Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 300 F for about 1 ½ hours or until hard.

8.    When cold, paint one side, then the other.

9.    When the paint dries, thread a narrow ribbon through the hole (step 6) and tie in a loop.

 

Happy decorating, happy holiday!

 

*****

Margriet Ruurs: My family and I hold on to our Dutch heritage by celebrating St. Nicolaas Day on December 5. All the origins of Santa can be found in St. Nicolaas, who was a child in Spain - giving gold coins to poor farmers and gifts to his friends on the eve of his birthday.

 

In our house we set a wooden shoe, with a carrot for his horse, by the fireplace, sing songs. Our (now grown) children make fun gifts for each other which are given along with a long poem, teasing the receiver with an event that happened in the past year. When we get together to exchange these gifts, have traditional cookies, hot chocolate and a LOT of fun reading poems and opening fun gifts.

 

The tradition has allowed us to keep the gifts away from Christmas, which is a more sober, candlelit affair with a tree and a big dinner with friends and family. For Christmas, we give each other a gift from the World Vision or UNICEF catalogues. This year it will be two goats in Kenya.  

*****

 

Janet Wilson:  No matter what faith or culture, no one should be alone in our shared holiday season. For more than thirty years, my husband and I have kept to our rules for Christmas dinner–no family, no presents. Anyone without family to share Christmas for whatever reason, is welcome to join us. Over the years we’ve had  guests who were recently bereaved, newly divorced, new immigrants, war refugees, ill, or just lonely. While our numbers have fluctuated from barely enough to set a table, to loaves and fishes multitudes, the menu is consistent–turkey, port cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, turnip, cauliflower pie, brussel sprouts and chestnuts, finishing with a flaming figgy pudding  and a rousing chorus of “We Wish you a Merry Christmas.”  We wear silly paper hats, sing carols, toast absent friends, congratulate the milestones, welcome new babes, drink too much, and then I put my feet up while I listen to the happy babble while the dishes are done after dinner.

*****