YES and KNOW on Sale

Yes, I am biased here, having been Managing Editor of KNOW for six years, but they are wonderful magazines. And a bargain at full price, but here is your chance to get YES Mag or KNOW (or both!) at 40% off.

For the first time in 15 years, the publisher is having sale. A big sale! Until November 23, you can save 40% on a subscription! Learn more here. Act fact. It might be another 15 years before the next sale.

Red Cedar Shortlist 2011-12

Congratulations to all those on the Red Cedar Award shortlist, especially to my best bud Jude Isabella for her book, Hoaxed: Fakes and Mistakes in the World of Science.

If you know some young people who live to read, consider starting a Red Cedar club. This is a kids' choice award and the books are always stellar.

Slice Me Some Truth, Baby

Congratulations to my prof. from UBC, Luanne Armstrong, for the launch of Slice Me Some Truth, published by Wolsak and Wynn. If you're in Vancouver tomorrow evening, check it out!

Project Bookmark

I love this idea. Great work, Miranda. I know you've been working hard on it.

Know any Young Aspiring Writers?

Then here's a contest to check out.

Mini Review

Here's a mini review of my latest children's book, Motion, Magnets and More. A mini-mention, but these days, a few lines (and a hot link) is better than no mention at all!

Oh, wait. Here's another one.

Obviously I need to do some Googling.

Mapping Banned Books

I love maps, but I don't love the fact that people ban books. In honor (?) of Banned Books Week, here is an interesting - and interactive - map that shows books that were banned or challenged in the US. (Sadly, no similar map for Canada, but we're not immune to the practice!)Click on the balloons to find the info. behind each of the challenges.

Celebrate Science! - Round Two

The first Celebrate Science, held last year at the Beatty Musuem was so successful that it's time for round two. Here are the details:

You are cordially invited to attend Celebrate Science. Please register at the UBC student rate of $20.00. All proceeds support the work of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre .

Celebrate Science! A Festival of BC Science Writers for Kids and Teens takes place in the wonderful Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia on September 24, 2011 (8:30-12:30 p.m.) A fundraiser in support of the work of the Canadian Children's Book Centre, this science extravaganza will appeal to teachers, teacher-librarians, student teachers, public librarians, child care workers and parents.

The half-day program (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) will feature talented Canadian writers and illustrators whose books and passion for science spans all ages. They'll explore scientific topics with the audience and highlight a wide range of books available for youth. The keynote speaker is Dr. Jeanette Whitton, Environmental biologist and Co-Director, Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Featured scientists include Dr. Wayne Maddison, the spider guy; Dr. Amanda Vincent, Project Seahorse researcher and Dr. Eric Taylor, UBC Fish Collection.

Science writers from the Children's Writers and Illustrators of BC (CWILL BC) presenting their books will be: Fiona Bayrock, Tanya Kyi, Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone, Cynthia Nicolson, Barry Shell, and Jim Wiese. There will be a science book fair and sales with a 10% discount for attendees.

To register online go to http://www.bookcentre.ca/store/products/celebrate_science_a_festival_bc_science_writers_kids_teens.

Online registration closes September 22, 2011—space is limited so register today!
Thanks for supporting this fundraiser for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Realities of Writing

The very talented artist Patricia Storms put up a great post on her blog that got me thinking.

People have a lot of assumptions about writers and illustrators and we're not doing ourselves any favours by not addressing them head on. So, for the curious, here are some realities about trying to make your living as a writer. (I can't speak for being an illustrator, but there are many similarities.)

1. Yes, getting published is very exciting and something that so many people strive for, but it does not mean we are rich. [See below.]

2. On average, writers receive royalties anywhere from 5% (for a picture book, for instance, since royalties are split with the illustrator) to 10%. Let's do the math. If the book costs $10, the author is actually receiving between 50 cents and $1. [See 1.]

3. Very few writers actually receive the "six figure advances" you sometimes hear about. Some receive $0. Others a few hundred or a few thousand. This varies, of course, but it is not "free money." These are "advances against royalties." In theory the publisher is advancing you monies they project that the book will safely recoup. Once it is published the writer makes $0 until that royalty advance is paid out. [See 1.]

4. Other than a few free copies (about 10, say) writers have to buy their own books. Yes, we get them at the same discount as a bookseller (40% off retail), but we don't have an endless supply of our own books without forking over cash.

5. When people demand cheap books [or cheap anything, frankly] someone is getting screwed. Like those big box discounts? It's because big box stores demand a very hefty discount (perhaps as much as 55%) while the "mom and pop" bookstore down the street can only get 40%. Writers, illustrators and publishers are also making less. [See 2. This means we might only make 30 cents for each sale! Whoopee! See 1.]

6. Writers often have to pay for things you might assume a publisher would cover. This includes purchasing photographs, paying for illustrations (maps, for instance), creating a website, organizing a tour, etc.

7. More and more, writers and illustrators are expected to take on publicity and marketing themselves. Very few books and authors get "tours" and big budget marketing plans. I have received a whopping total of $100 for travel over my 20 years as a published writer. (From publishers that is. I have received support from programs such as the Canadian Book Centre's Book Week and other festivals.)

8. Most writers and illustrators have to do other work to continue. While I have been a full-time writer and editor for many years, I work on many different things — textbooks, interpretive centre media, government documents, and the like. I love the variety, but it's not an easy go. Like Patricia, I have often had thoughts of throwing in the towel to become a waitress. I published my first book in 1991 and have published over 30 books. [See 1.]

Neighbourhood Book Exchange

If I was handy with a hammer and nails, I would make one of these. Isn't it lovely? I helped get something similar going at the elementary school — where we have a little bookcase of books available for children to borrow for a few days or forever, but it's not nearly as funky as this.

Telling a Story, Stitch by Stitch

I have a thing for fabric and textiles. I'm not sure where it came from, but whenever I am trolling through thrift shops or yard sales, it is the fabric, needlework, and such that catches my eye. So I was in heaven over the last two weeks as I travelled through Nova Scotia as I took a short vacation and delivered Daughter A to university. So many lovely quilts and, oh, the rugs. I don't have room for a quilt or the cash for the rug I would have loved, but I certainly took time to look over them and appreciate the work. And I thought about the stories, because they all have one. Perhaps it was just a record of a place captured hook-by-hook in wool or there are the stories of who a quilt was made for or why a particular fabric was chosen. But the hand-stitched work that will be forever etched in my memory, is the four panel story of Fort Anne, that greeted me as I walked in the historic site's visitor centre. Here are two of the four panels. [Photo from here.]

This beauty was four floor-to-ceiling panels high. The Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry was designed by Kyoko Grenier-Sago, who then painted the work onto the needlepoint canvas. It took 100 volunteers over 3 million stitches to create this beauty — the story of Fort Anne. If you find yourself in Annapolis Royal, you must go see it for yourself. (Or, you can take a virtual tour of the site, which was fabulous and a must-see for all Canadians. So much of our early settlement history started here.)

Go, Margaret, Go

Margaret Atwood and friends are taking on the Ford Brothers. Love it. Hmmm, who would I choose as a lunch partner? Hard decision. Perhaps Jeremy Tankard; he might doodle something wonderful on the napkin. More here.

Lane Anderson Award Finalists

The shortlists have been announced for the Lane Anderson Award for science writing. Congratulations to the finalists.

Jane Yolen's Tea Party

I adore Jane Yolen and her work and I find this very frightening. I guess I could laugh it all off, but something nasty, perhaps sinister?, seems afoot in our neighbour to the south and I find it deeply unsettling.

Stories in Scraps

My goodness. I hardly know what to say about these and the stories behind them, except that I want to learn more and I want to visit this place one day.

[Thanks for Wild Muse and Cafe Cartolina for their links.]

Library Love

Libraries are under attack in Toronto at the moment. (Well, they are under attack in many places, but Toronto is the latest Canadian victim that I know of.) To counter the lack of vision, we can celebrate a bit by looking at these beauties.

A New Book!

Well, sort of. Motions, Magnets and More is a compilation of the four books in my Primary Physical Sciences series that I completed a few years ago. It has been repackaged by my publisher in one handy-dandy volume and should be available asap. In the interim, I am very stoked that Kirkus Reviews has decided to take a peek. And here's what they had to say. I'll let you read the full review if you so wish, but here are my two favourite sections:

Mason has crafted what could easily be adopted by primary classrooms as their sole physical-science textbook.

Gathering in one place the physical-science concepts typically presented to primary children, this is ideal for the youngest scientists and explorers, a worthy addition to school and library collections.

Self-Promo for Writers

Today, with all of the social media options available and with marketing budgets shrinking at publishing houses, marketing is falling more and more to writers. This is likely overkill for most of us, but author Jenny Blake has shared her spreadsheet for self-promo. Almost exhausting to look at (and think about), but certainly lots of ideas and options for every writer, self-published or not.

A Random Sunday

I've been busy with several writing projects - a new children's book, the last details on the Tofino walking tour, and finally finalizing the details on a book I affectionately call The Long Suffering Beach Book, but I've been trolling the Net as per usual too, and here are a few links I've been meaning to share.

Three new takes on the alphabet book.

Recently bought to satisfy the wannabe field naturalist in my nature, at least voyeuristically.

Incredible images from plastic cups, repeated words, plastic dolls.

My absolute favourite new go to website. (With the best name.)

Another new favourite, New to Nature.

Look what you can do with 35,000 staples.

Ten things I should really try to do.

Thoughts on darkness in YA fiction from writer Jocelyn Shipley.

Canadian Children's Book Centre Shortlist Announced

Congratulations to all of those Canadian writers and illustrators on the CCBC's shortlist.

(But an especially huge whoot whoot to my friend, fellow Clayqout Sound writer and local lightkeeper (!), Caroline Woodward for her wonderful picture book, Singing Away the Dark, which is short-listed for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.)

A New Book: 18 Meditations on Chesterman Beach

I have a new little book out. This is published through Postelsia Press and it is a beautifully hand bound chapbook of an essay on Chesterman Beach that I starting working on about four years ago.

You can find out more here.

Typewriters of the Literati

There's something about the clackity-clack of a typewriter. It's nostalgic, but I seem to recall having to really whack the keys of the old style models. It probably hurt. Good therapy perhaps?

I dropped French to take typing, so I'm a pretty good typist and know my way around the keyboard (but I really wish I knew French too), but I'm glad our current keyboards are quiet and don't require carbon copies (actual ones), White-Out, and re-typing a new version every time you make a mistake.

Here are some writers and their typewriters. I do love my grandmother's though.

Dictionaries!

I have a soft spot, not to mention a substantial section of my office library, devoted to dictionaries.



I am the sort of person that thinks giving a good dictionary as a wedding or birthday gift is a good idea. I know this skews my personality firmly towards "nerd," but I'm okay with that.

The photo above isn't showing all of them. I have my beloved COD and a whomping huge old copy of The Concise English Dictionary right beside my desk, ready to access at all times. I have two dictionaries for children, which helps at the magazine when I am trying to simply explain terms for young people. They are also great for phonetics.

I use the science dictionaries all the time, and the etymology dictionary, too. I picked up the Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms in university; it's essential reading for any biologist, especially students trying to remember all those phyla. If you understand what echinoderm breaks down to, it's much easier to file it away forever.

Some are just quirky. Gould's Pocket Pronouncing Medical Dictionary? Because you never know when you need to define edeoptosis (a prolapse of the genitals). Wet Coast Words? Because nothing says British Columbian by understanding the origin of skookum. (And nothing says Islander, than using "up island.")

You never know where these dictionaries will lead. The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics, helped me craft this.

When I troll the second-hand stores, I am always looking out for unusual dictionaries. I picked up four new ones this past week.



I'm not sure quite why I got this one, but it did come in handy as I was reading The Hare with the Amber Eyes, the latest choice of our book club, with its netsuke, vitrines, and bibelots. (It's a great read, by the way.)




And this find was perfect because I've decided that I am going to try and wade through The Bible. My understanding of religion is, frankly, pathetic, and I'm going to try and rectify that over the next while. A conversion is not imminent, however. This dictionary was immediately useful as I tried to figure out what an "unclean animal" was and why only one male and one female of the unclean animals were allowed on the ark, while seven of each "clean" animal were permitted passage.



I don't see any immediate use for this, but for $2 it can take up space on the shelf for awhile.


And then I found this little gem.



I couldn't resist. It is totally falling apart and someone has attempted to stitch the linen covers together. Plus it is the size of about 3 1/2 matchboxes and cost me a loonie.



So what is your favourite dictionary?

My First Published Work

Although I am trying to reform, I am a bit of a pack rat. But, in my defense, I think I come by that honestly. My father is an archivist and my mother, well, she keeps the best things. I was just home for a few days and I promised my soon-to-graduate daughter, A, that I would find my high school grad photos. Well, lo and behold, I also found two of my first attempts at writing, which were published in the Doncaster Gazette (or something like that; I can't find the original student publication although I'm sure it's stored away somewhere). So here, for your reading pleasure (or not), is my first story, The Story of a Elephant and a Canary.



As you can probably tell, we must have been studying Aesop's Fables in my grade one class (with my beloved Miss Little and her beautiful mini beehive). I think this must have been a riff on Androcles and the Lion (or maybe it was The Lion and the Mouse?)You can see how I sort of forget half way through and change the elephant to a lion? Where was the editor? Anyhow, this cracks me up every time I read it.

Here is Miss Little and her circa mid-1960s not-quite-as-much-as-a-beehive-as-I-thought:


And here is moi in the same era:

Atwood on Librarians

In this blog I often go on about librarians and how integral they are to schools and communities. Today, I'll let Margaret Atwood have her say.

Kwisitis Interpretive Centre

Over the past few years I've had the pleasure of doing some writing, research and editing work for the newly redesigned interpretive centre for Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre is being re-named and has re-opened as the Kwisitis Interpretive Centre. The overall design of the centre was done by Donald Gunn, along with park staff of course, and the panels were designed "in house" at Parks Canada by Shouresh Jalili and Guy Parsons. Here are a few of the panels I worked on. This was a great project to work on and the first one that was trilingual — English, French, and Nuu-chah-nulth.

I will post some more photos of the exhibits after the grand opening, which will happen in a few weeks. For now, here is a brief blurb about re-design.

Canadian Science Writers Unite!

A group of science writers who write for children have joined together to start a blog. You can find it here. I did my first post today. Hope you enjoy it and keep checking back. There is a slew of writers in the line up, getting ready to post.

Letter to the Tooth Fairy

Once upon a time, I wrote the tooth fairy and she answered.



It is very faded, so this is what it says (with spelling intact):

Dear fairy cod
you draw a Picture
of yourself and
your name.
From Adrienne

your name [The tooth fairy wrote "Twinkle" in this space.]

picture [with arrow pointing down]

The tooth fairy drew a self-portrait in red crayon.

Canadian Books For International Women's Day

A belated post, but every day can be International Women's Day can't it? I asked some of my writing colleagues for their recommendations of books written by Canadian authors that feature strong female characters. Here are some of their responses with links.

Sydell Waxman has two titles for young reachers: Changing the Pattern: The Story of Emily Stowe
(Illustrated by Linda Potts).
When Emily Stowe was born in 1831, every girl's future was limited to housework and child care. Women were not allowed into universities. They were not allowed to vote. Yet, Emily Stowe became Canada's first woman school principal, the first woman to practise medicine in Canada and a fighter for women's rights. How did she do it? Recommended for grades 4-8.

and

Believing in Books: The Story of Lillian Helena Smith
Every time you walk into the children's section of your local library, you should be thanking Lillian H. Smith. When Lillian was young, libraries had reading rooms with signs that often said, "No children or dogs allowed." Yet, Lillian H. Smith became Canada's first children's librarian and set up one the best collections of fine children's books in our country. How did she convince people that children's books matter? How did she choose "good" children's books? Recommended for grades 4-8.

The Trouble with Dilly by Rachna Gilmore (Grades 3 and up).
Dilly is strong, feisty, scatty and wildly imaginative, and plays hockey in a mixed team. Here's a review from CM.

And here's a picture book from Rachna: Catching Time.
When Sara's family can't find time to take her to the park, she sets about trying to catch some time for them all.

Marthe Jocelyn's Scribbling Women: True Tales from Astonishing Lives. Here is a blurb from Gillian O'Reilly, a fan of this title: "It's about women who were writers but not the ones we usually think about. It includes a woman transported to Australia in the early 1800s, a wonderful African explorer (you should see the photo of her in her bonnet), the 10th century Japanese courtier Sei Shonagon, a crusading American journalist who disguised herself as a mentally ill patient to expose New York treatments in the early 1900s, and Ada Blackjack, an Inuit woman who was part of a polar expedition. And more... It's a great read"

From Margriet Ruurs there is a novel, Me & Martha Black. Protagonist Melanie wanders through the history of the Yukon, with Martha Black - who became the second woman in Parliament - as her guide.

lian goodall's Singing Towards the Future: The Story of Portia White, tells the story of this Nova Scotian contralto.
(ages 11 and up)

From editors, Jocelyn Shipley and Deb Loughead, Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, a book of stories about teens and their moms and body images issues. This title made the ALA's 2010 Amelia Bloomer Project List.

For an emotionally strong character that must overcome incredible personal challenges, look to Cheryl Rainfield's Scars. "Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself--before it's too late...." Scars was a finalist for the Governor General Literary Award.

And here are two titles from Frieda Wishinsky:

Make It Fair!, which is #15 in the Canadian Flyer Adventure Series. This title features a great Canadian female: Nellie McClung. "Can Emily and Matt help suffragette Nellie McClung in the fight for women's rights? In Make It Fair! Emily and Matt land in Premier Rodmond Roblin's office in Winnipeg in 1914 and discover Nellie McClung confronting the Manitoban politician on the issue of women's rights.

Manya's Dream: A Story Of Marie Curie introduces the life of this two-time Nobel Prize winner (for physics and chemistry, no less) to younger readers. Here's a review.

And, finally*, I'd like to mention Elizabeth MacLeod, who has written a number of biographies about inspiring women, including Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Marie Curie. And, of course, she also wrote, The Kids Book of Great Canadian Women!


*Finally for now. Please send along any other titles you'd like to suggest.

BC Book Prizes Announced

Congratulations to all those BC writers nominated for BC Book Prizes, but especially to Deborah Hodge, John Vaillant and Maggie deVries, who is nominated twice!

How to Yarn Bomb a House

Sadly, I had to miss the yarn bombing event at Joy Kogawa House, but writer Jacquie Pearce was there. Here's her recap of the day.

What's In Your Notebook?

So worth a watch. Just have tissues nearby. (This is a documentary from CBC's The Passionate Eye. Below is part one of five. All are available on YouTube.)

Resource Link's Best of 2010

If you're looking for some new Canadian resources for children for your library, classroom or home this list is a great place to begin your search.

You Never Know When (and How) Opportunity Will Come

I love this story. It's one of those serendipitous events where some nice things happened to a hard-working person (in this case, the artist Patricia Storms) and those good things happened in a circuitous way. Patricia says it best, so I'll leave it to her, but just in case you aren't tuned into the kid-litosphere, it involved Martin Amis, some snarky, tossed off words, a London paper, and a maelstrom (mael-Storm?) of drawing that included, amongst others, The Cat in the Hat, Madeline, and a few wild things.

A Room of My Own (2)

Okay, the second wall. My office is such a mess (an organized one, mind you) that I have been putting off posting this, but here I am; the truth of it all. This is my second desk, where I usually shift when I want to spread things out (ahem, once the surface is cleared as much as possible) or write by hand. It is also where I dump my junk when I come into the office.



When we had our house renovation done (which is when I got a real office and not just a corner in another room) we added these cubbies as an after-thought. I am so glad the carpenter suggested them. Some of them are specifically kept to file the papers and books I need for a specific project —



Others are kept for little vignettes because, well, I'm a bit of a pack-rat and like any self-respecting pack-rat, I like pretty and interesting things.



(The cubbies also are a great surface for sticky notes, something that breed in my office environment.)



The Golden Book of Biology is my gem. I love it, because I love Charlie Harper's art (plus, I'm a biologist) so I was delighted to find out it was worth a bit of cash. Only when I am absolutely desperate will I part with it. (Or maybe not.) Other things here are two hearts (one in stone, one in wood) carved by men (well, boys, actually) other than my husband (see note above about pack-rat-itis), rarely used lipstick, round stones I love, ear phones, iPod, etc. and a great little change purse that says, "old enough to know better...young enough to give a rat's ass." (Apologies to any young ears.)

Vancouver Legacy Books

To celebrate Vancouver's 125th birthday, ten classic books about Vancouver are being republished. You can find the details here.

A Room of My Own (1)

Besides, "How old are you?" or "How much money do you make?" (favourites of younger audiences), one of the most common questions I get asked is "Where do you work?" (Or, "What is your writing routine?")

Routine? I guess I have one, but since I do other things than just write books, it depends at bit on what is going on. Generally (read: on the best of days!) I try to rise fairly early, about 5 or 5:30. I am a morning person, so can easily get a cup of coffee and get right down to work. That's when I do my most creative work. By mid-morning I switch over to editing or research and by mid-afternoon I'm usually down to paying bills and sorting piles. I try to fit in some sort of exercise in between it all - yoga or some light weights, a walk, or a bit of time on my "tread desk." (More on that coming soon.) This schedule, such as it is, goes to hell when I have a looming deadline. Then, I work when I can, including evenings and weekends.

As to where I work, I am lucky to have a room of my own. It is frequently overflowing with piles of papers and books, but there is a semblance of organization and is possibly my favourite room in the house. (I do love my work, but it's good to shut the door at the end of the day.) I thought you might want to take a peek, so I'll be posting pictures of various angles. I did not clean up before pressing the shutter. (That is probably more than apparent.) First up:



This is my "filing system" for a very large project I've been working on for several years. I had huge amounts of research to organize and this is only a part of it. I originally had piles all over my office floor, then finally hauled this old bookshelf out of the shed and put it to good use. This photo was taken when I was finally finished (as finally as I can be for the moment; there are lots of edits to do) so I was sorting and cleaning. Each shelf once had three piles about the size of the one in the lower right corner. I've now squeezed them in to five bankers boxes. The two large flower paintings (one only partially visible) done by Daughters A and P. The smaller one is a thrift store find. I have another large flower painting from Daughter A to add to the wall.

(By the way, the little book you can see on the top shelf in the upper left, is The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin as a BOARD BOOK, which I find hilarious. Honestly, what baby would care less? And I would love to see parents trying to explain it all to their wee one. (And having written quite a bit about evolution, I can't imagine that someone would think condensing it in to five pictures was an easy thing to do.) The book is one of a series of four board books, "Children's Condensed Classics." I also have Shakepeare's All the World's a Stage and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in board book version!)



On the top shelf is my grandmother's old Underwood typewriter. It is just so beautiful and so heavy. I could build some serious biceps by bench pressing it! I love having it nearby and will have to track down from tape so I can actually use it.

New Resource for Reluctant Readers

Do you have a young reluctant reader in your house? If so, you might want to check out this new youth literacy website, developed by YA author, Pam Withers. The site includes interviews with middle grade and young adult authors and well as book reviews.

Yarn Bombing at Joy Kogawa House

Having just dusted off my knitting needles in a big way, with the resolution to finish up all of the half-completed projects I have around here, I would love be able to attend this event! I've also just learned to crochet and am looking for a second project so I can remember what I just learned. Perhaps a pink posie is in order?

Help writing blossom at Historic Joy Kogawa House! Join Leanne Prain and Mandy Moore, co-authors of the book Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti (Arsenal Pulp Press), as we cover the Joy Kogawa cherry tree in hundreds of knitted blossoms.

You are invited to come and knit or crochet pink cherry blossoms to help cover this historic tree, whose story is told in Joy Kogawa's Naomi's Tree, a picture book about friendship. Knitters and crocheters of all levels are welcome to attend these FREE events.

Join our community knit-in at the Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver, on:

Saturday, February 5, 2 to 3:30pm

Or help to stitch all of the cherry blossoms into place at Historic Joy Kogawa House on:

Sunday, March 6, 2 to 3:30pm

Leanne and Mandy will entertain stitchers with daring tales of yarn bombing feats from around the world, books will be available for sale and signing, and refreshments will be served. Yarn and needles will be provided; however, donations of pink yarn are appreciated!

Can't make it to the event? Mail in your knitted or crocheted cherry blossoms to be added to the tree, as follows:

Historic Joy Kogawa House
1450 West 64th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V6P 2N4

Or drop your blossoms in the covered bin you'll find just down the steps from the sidewalk in front of the house at 1450 West 64th Avenue. Submissions will be accepted up until March 1, 2011. All cherry blossoms should be made out of pink yarn. Patterns to use are available here.

For more information see our Facebook page or visit here.

Ann-Marie Metten
Executive Director

Historic Joy Kogawa House
1450 West 64th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6P 2N4
Telephone 604-263-6586

Please send mail to:
8107 Cartier Street
Vancouver, BC V6P 4T6

www.kogawahouse.com
www.conservancy.bc.ca

Happy Literacy Day!

Did you know it is Family Literacy Day? Perfect. Just what I need - a very good excuse for dropping everything to read for a bit.

Is Your Blackberry Working?

This reminds me of a cartoon I saw years ago with a duck holding a mallet above his computer. The caption read, "Hit any key."

Two Great Vancouver Events

If you live in or near Vancouver, there are two great events to check out in the next few months. The first is Authorfest, which takes place February 1 from 4 to 5:30. Come meet the writers Deborah Hodge, Ellen Schwartz, Robert Heidbreder and Shar Levine.
(The Event is at WOOD 2 (Woodward Instructional Resources Centre-IRC), 2194 Health Sciences Mall.)

The other is Serendipity, which is also at UBC on February 26 from 8 to 3:30. This year's theme is graphic novels and these are the presenters:

Gene Yang: author of American Born Chinese (winner of the Printz Award) and the forthcoming Level Up
Raina Telgemeier: author of Smile (an ALA Notable Book for 2011)
Matt Holm: co-creator of Babymouse (the most checked out kids title at NYPL)
Aaaron Renier: author of The Unsinkable Walker Bean (and Spiralbound)
Jason Shiga: author of Meanwhile (an ALA Notable Book for 2011)

Early bird registration closes on February 1. To register, go here.

For details, on both events, visit the blog of the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable.

What's On Your Bookshelves?

When I pick up a home design magazine and find a bookshelf in the picture, you can find me holding the magazine sideways as I scrutinize what is on the shelves. And I am mildly suspicious of homes without bookshelves. Personally, I can't imagine. We have one (at least) in every room in the house except the bathroom (and there is a basket there, of course). I know some people think I'm nuts, but we love reading around here and, well, I am a writer so if writers don't support other writers by buying their books, then there's not a lot of hope.

So you can imagine my delight when I came across this time waster.

Book Craft

Sometimes, books have met the end of their life as something to be read. Especially mass-market paperbacks, unless they have a precious lineage or are heavily annotated or have some other reason for occupying real-estate on your shelves. But, a craft with said book might have some appeal. I still have a Rolodex, which is currently exploding with cards and needs an overhaul. This is probably not a solution for me, but it's pretty to look at. (If you like books, of course). This is from Andrea Rodgers, via Cafe Cartolina.

What's the Longest Word in the World?

Combining my love of science and words, this post from NPR.

Great Deal for KNOW and YES Mags

I am totally biased here, especially since I edit KNOW, but this is a great deal for Group On members anywhere in Canada or the US.

Congratulations, Dennis Foon!

This just in via CWILL-BC - BC YA writer, Dennis Foon's screenplay for the film, Life, Above All is nominated for an Academy Award. Fabulous news; congratulations, Dennis Foon! More here.

Books are Better Than Hockey

It must be true if the Globe and Mail says so!

TD National Reading Summit II (Vancouver option)

For anyone in Vancouver interested in literacy and reading, you might want to take in a live webcast of the TD National Reading Summit II: Toward a Nation of Readers. It is sponsored by UBC's School of Library, Archival and Information Studies and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and Education Library.

It will be held:

Thursday January 20, 2011 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Friday January 21st, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Dodson Room, Room 302, Chapman Learning Commons I.K. Barber Learning Centre,
1961 East Mall, University of British Columbia

It is a free event and no registration necessary.

Here is blurb on the even from UBC's Jo-Anne Naslund:

In 2008, a group of concerned librarians, parent activists, authors, booksellers, teachers, publishers and corporate leaders came together with a common goal that of developing a national reading strategy for Canada. As a first step a National Reading Summit was launched in Toronto and plans made for a second summit in Montreal, January 2011 and for a third in Vancouver in 2012.

The first National Reading Summit examined reading on an international level and explored the link between reading and engaged citizenship. This year's summit in Montreal will raise several questions. How are we supporting a culture of reading? What works? What doesn't, and where do we go from here?

New Rules for Writers

Having just submitted a manuscript that has been about five years in the making—two and a bit intensely so—this was a refreshing read and timely arrival in my IN box. (Thanks greg b.)

These "rules" totally go against every prescription for writing success you'll hear as a young writer from all quarters: the conformity-driven MFA system, the publishing industry's hype-machine, successful writers who act either like prima donnas or untouchable mystics, the marketing experts who seek to impose advertising rules on the writing product. Overpaid editors, illiterate agents, arrogant gatekeepers, and stupid reviewers want you to bargain away your soul for a pittance -- the bids in the market escalate downward, a reverse auction where you compete with the lowest of the low to be acknowledged as an entity that counts.

Aiming for the lowest of the low...

New Year, New Website

It was time for an overhaul of my website (at least something could get overhauled for the new year). You can find it here. I needed something that covered all of the kinds of work that I do, not just writing books for children. Comments welcome! Thanks to PYFO web design for such a great job.

(PS The link to the site should go to a blue site with a large moon snail. If you get the site with a picture of me on it, refresh your browser. I keep getting to the old site first, but I think it must be because of "cookies." Please let me know if you get the old site.)

AAAS Science Book Awards

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) had just announced the titles of the children and young-adult books honoured in 2010. Check it out here. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is on my "to read" list.

Profile of ... Me!

The Children's Writers and Illustrators of BC has a regular feature readBC where BC writers and illustrators are profiled. It is my turn. You can read the Q & A here. Check out the other writers too! I'm still waiting for my call from Pippi Longstocking.

On living creatively...

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a new year's resolution post. Well, not really. As I friend of mine said, "I don't resolute." (I don't believe resolute is a verb, but I like it!) Rather than resolution, I like the word often used in yoga: intention. I have several intentions for this day, this week, maybe this year, but the one I'll share here is to live more creatively. Yes, I already have a pretty creative life — I am a writer with a lot of flexibility in my days and life. I realize how privileged and lucky I am. What I'm talking about though is pushing my boundaries, not playing it so safe. I could learn a lot from daughter P. That girl is creative. She cooks without recipes, sews without patterns, and plays the piano without music. I should do that more. Live with a little fear of failure. I'm working on it. I actually started late last year with a painting course. I learned a lot about technique and such, but I learned more about myself. I really had to let go and just assume that it wouldn't work out. In the end, this painting did "work out," (a subjective term if there ever was one) but a few I've tried since haven't so much. That's okay. There's always gesso and a new clean canvas.



On the point of creativity, I really enjoyed this blog post — an interview with the artist, cartoonist, writer, etc. Lynda Barry. I love this quote:

When What It Is came out, Amazon didn’t know how to categorize it, so they categorized it as science fiction, which was so boss. If I was going to write a science fiction story, this is such a good one — a culture that shames people out of doing the very thing that will give them new neurons. If you draw a chicken on a piece of paper, there’s going to be some interesting neural activity — but people are too scared to draw a chicken, even if they’re just gonna throw it away. What the hell is that? When did that happen?

For 2011, I resolute to draw more chickens. How about you?

Aldana's Order of Canada

Congratulations to Patsy Aldana, publisher of Groundwood Books, on being named a member of the Order of Canada.

Cookies and Books

Not much free time around here to do a Christmas post, but head on over to Sheryl McFarlane's blog where she's been posting contributions by children's authors about their favourite holiday books (with recipes). My post went up today.

Happy holidays!

On Writing a Novel . . .

Oh my goodness . . .



Funny (in a pathetic kind of way).

[Via Bookninja}

Secrets Shared

Here is a great blog post from Keri Smith for any self-employed artist needing a boost or inspiration. Good advice that.

Bill Slavin - Great Artist for Great Moments

One of my favourite features at the mag., is when our regular comic arrives in my IN box. Bill Slavin creates Great Moments in Science for us and he always does such a fabulous job. It's a pleasure to have him onboard. For the last cartoon, Bill wrote a blog post telling us more about the process and the subject of this month's column: Winsor McCay. Check it out!

2010 Information Book Award Results

Congratulations to Valerie Wyatt and Hugh Brewster for their accolades from the 2010 Information Book Award from the Children's Literature Roundtable. Val was the winner for How To Build Your Own Country and Hugh was the Honour Book for Dieppe: Canada's Darkest Day of World War II.

More info. here.

If you care about books for children — particularly Canadian children's books — literacy and reading, then please consider supporting/joining a Literature Roundtable near you.

Science in Society Book Awards

If you, or someone you know, has published a science book this year (and you're Canadian), don't forget to submit it for the Science in Society Books Awards, administered by the Canadian Science Writers' Association. Info. here.

Celebrate Science! The Movie

Here's a great video that encapsulates the Celebrate Science! event BC children's science writers*, including me, took part in at UBC's Beatty Biodiversity Museum. Thanks again for all who put it together.



[*There's got to be a better way to say this. BC Children's Science Writers is a mouthful and could be confusing, but I guess it's better than "writers who write for children about science."]

Making a Book

When I visit children I find they are often quite confused over how a book is actually put together. They can understand the writing and the illustration part, but the physical part of putting the books together is a bit of a mystery. The younger children, in particular, think that I put together each book. Although this is a more "old-fashioned" type of printing, this video provides a glimpse into some of the steps. I love the offset, letterpress look so it was fun to see how the Field Notes booklets are put together.

Wings: Making the Field Notes 2010 Fall Edition from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.

Many Moons Ago, We Started KNOW . . .

[Cover art by Bill Slavin.]

The latest issue of KNOW is out. The theme for this issue — our 29th — is moons. Not just Earth's Moon, but the other moons in our solar system, too. Over 60 "moons ago" we started KNOW. It's hard to believe I started with Peter Piper Publishing in August 2005. The Jan/Feb 2011 issue will be our 30th and we're celebrating our fifth birthday. Just like the astronauts on this issue's cover, bouncing along in their Moon buggy, it's been a great ride.

If you haven't checked out KNOW, I hope you'll do so. I am, of course, totally biased, but I would argue that you would be hard pressed to find more value for your buck in a children's magazine.

Congratulations to BC writer, Polly Horvath, for winning the Vicki Metcalf Award for Children's Literature. We're big fans of Everything on a Waffle in our house.

Hycroft on November 9

For those of you living in the lower mainland, mark your calendars for the annual CWILL event at Hycroft. It's a great chance to see your favourite BC authors and illustrators at a group launch/announcement/celebration of their new titles. Information here.

Like I Don't Have Enough to Do

Thanks, Kelowna! I'm having a great time here, visiting schools full of curious kids. One day down, three more to go. And like I don't have enough to do, I think I will sign up for this, just for the heck of it. I mean, how hard can writing down ideas? The execution is where I bog down!

And I received some exciting news from a publisher yesterday. I'll post more with details, but it seems like after a few years' hiatus busy with other writing, I have a new book for children in the pipeline.

Silver Birch Shortlist Announced

Congratulations on all who are on the short-list for Ontario's Silver Birch award, but especially to my buds, Jude Isabella (for Hoaxed) and Valerie Wyatt (for How to Build Your Own Country).

readBC

CWILL-BC (Children's Writers and Illustrators of BC) has a great blog that you should visit if you want to know more about the writers and illustrators of British Columbia. The blog (and website) is a wealth of information. This great new feature, readBC, gives short interviews with writers. Check it out.

More Fun Things to Do with Books (Besides Read Them)

Annick's Spooky Blog Tour Next Week

Annick Press is hosting a "Spooky Halloween Blog Tour" October 25-29. More details here but during the tour you can virtually visit five blogs, read interviews with authors and book reviews. There will be giveaways, too.

More Respect for Science Writers

Not that awards are the end-all and be-all, but it's nice to see some recognition for excellence in science writing. Here's an interview from Wired Science with E. O. Wilson and Harrison Ford, who endowed the prize. I'm especially thankful to Ford, who, unlike many other uber-wealthy citizens of this planet, has chosen to do something helpful with his money. (And, Wilson? Well, he's always been my hero.)

Readings in Tough City (aka Tofino)

For those of you on the west coast there are two readings next week by local writers.

On October 28, Chris Lowther launches her new book of poetry, My Nature. 7 pm at the Darwin's Cafe in the Tofino Botanical Gardens.


On October 29, Caroline Woodward launches Penny Loves Wade, Wade Loves Penny. 7 pm at the Salal Room at the Wickaninnish Inn.

GG Awards - The Kids' Lit Version

Since most blogs and newspaper articles usually relegate the Governor General Awards nominees in the children's categories to afterthoughts (if at all), I will post them here and send you here for the full list. Congratulations to all of the nominees, writers and illustrators.

Children’s Literature — Text

K.L. Denman, Powell River (British Columbia), Me, Myself and Ike
(Orca Book Publishers; distributed by the publisher)

Me, Myself and Ike is a gripping novel full of surprises. K.L. Denman’s masterfully-crafted first-person narrative on schizophrenia sweeps the reader along as Kit Latimer descends into a terrifying world where the real and imagined have no discernible divide. Denman manages to portray Kit in a way that is both realistic and sympathetic.

Lesley Fairfield, Toronto, Tyranny
(Tundra Books; distributed by Random House of Canada)

Tyranny is a powerful piece of writing crafted as a graphic novel.
Lesley Fairfield convincingly delves deep into the psyche of a young woman suffering from anorexia. The strength of the book lies in its simplicity, which carries the reader along on Anna’s horrifying journey to wellness.

Gina McMurchy-Barber, Surrey (British Columbia), Free as a Bird
(Dundurn Press; distributed by University of Toronto Press)

Free as a Bird is a poignant journey through the life of
Ruby Jean Sharp, a child living with Down syndrome. In this compelling tale of perseverance, trust and hope, Gina McMurchy-Barber takes the reader from the isolation and abuse of an institution, to the warmth and opportunity of a home, to the danger and camaraderie of the streets.

Wendy Phillips, Richmond (British Columbia), Fishtailing
(Coteau Books; distributed by Publishers Group of Canada)

Fishtailing is the story of four teenagers, four lives intertwined in the complex world of relationships and power struggles. In passionate poetic language that both chills and caresses, Wendy Phillips breathes life into these unforgettable characters whose stories offer insight, warning and endless possibilities. This compellingly-crafted poem is impossible to put down.

Cheryl Rainfield, Toronto, Scars
(WestSide Books; distributed by Chapters / Indigo)

Cheryl Rainfield’s Scars asks: When hurt is deeply buried, how do you bring it to the surface? For Kendra, the possibilities lie between
self-destruction and the redemptive powers of creativity. Teetering between these polarities until the very end, she is a memorable character whose struggle captivates.

Children’s Literature — Illustration

Kristi Bridgeman, Victoria, Uirapurú: based on a Brazilian legend,
text by P. K. Page
(Oolichan Books; distributed by University of Toronto Press)

Kristi Bridgeman’s evocative illustrations draw us into the exotic rainforest of Brazil. Her lively and rhythmic design playfully combines vibrant colours and patterns that reference Brazilian textiles and ancient Mayan imagery. On the pages of Uirapurú, the illustrator’s rainforest magically comes to life.

Julie Flett, Vancouver, Owls See Clearly at Night: a Michif alphabet / Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: l’alfabet di Michif, text by Julie Flett
(Simply Read Books; distributed by Publishers Group Canada)

In Owls See Clearly at Night, Julie Flett’s beautiful and elegant illustrations eloquently describe the Michif alphabet. Each letter’s vignette is thought-provoking, depicting elements of the natural world in an illumination of meaning. The letters appear deceptively simple at first glance, but in fact each contains its own mysterious, lyrical story.

Matt James, Toronto, I Know Here, text by Laurel Croza
(Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)

The “howl of the wolf and the smell of the fox in his cage and the stare of the old moose…” are boldly captured in Matt James’ intense illustrations. I Know Here speaks a universal, yet markedly original artistic language about a child’s sense of place.

Jon Klassen, Los Angeles [originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario], Cat’s Night Out, text by Caroline Stutson
(Simon & Schuster / A Paula Wiseman Book; distributed by
Simon & Schuster Canada)

In Cat’s Night Out, Jon Klassen creatively arranges pulsating patterns, lines and shapes to express a fantasy mood. He uses different tones and textures to contrast the mysterious night scene with the many vivid dancing cats. The illustrations match the content perfectly.

Renata Liwska, Calgary, The Quiet Book, text by Deborah Underwood
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; distributed by Thomas Allen & Son)

Renata Liwska’s method of using soft edge drawing to portray lovely and simple images is perfect to express the story of The Quiet Book. Each composition is creative and each page draws the viewer into a fresh mood. The illustrations are elegant with a sweet gentle tone.

Becker Wins Inaugural Lane Anderson Award

Congratulations to Helaine Becker who won the first Lane Anderson prize for children's science writing for her book Insectofiles. Details here. It is so nice to see science writing (and children's science writers) getting some serious attention!

E-Books for Kids

I was wondering how e-books are translating to children's books. Here's one article that discusses it.

While adult readers bemoan the death of print — and make much of e-books availability across different devices (and the functionality of said devices) — Apple’s (APPL) iPad and other touch screen mobile devices are fertile ground for publishers to cultivate a whole new e-reading customer -– kids.

Think about it. Touch screens are tailor-made for the tactile exploration of the scooter set. You won’t hear them complain that they miss the smell of a book’s pages. And show me a smart phone loving teen or tween who doesn’t constantly have the device under their thumbs.

Another reason to go the app route lies in the limited functionality of the .epub format. The standard for e-books right now is designed to support traditional narrative text only. Without color and video capabilities, illustrated books suffer not only from lack of pictures, but the potential for interactive engagement.

This is primarily about board books and picture books, but I wonder how it would translate to non-fiction for children. Anyone out there with any examples/experience in this regard?

Canadian Writers and Books Boost a California School's Library

ACCESS BOOKS AND "AIR LIFT TO L.A." DELIVER BOOKS TO COMPTON SCHOOL ON OCTOBER 2

Los Angeles – As part of their ongoing commitment to strengthen inner-city school libraries throughout Los Angeles and beyond, Access Books has joined forces with a team of Canadian authors to help impoverished families gain access to books. The event will take place at Ralph Bunche Elementary (16223 Haskins Lane, Carson, CA 90746-1092) on October 2, 2010 at 9 a.m. This school is one of 25 elementary schools in the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) that is in desperate need of books for its 450 students.

Access Books, "Air Lift to L.A." and a team of volunteers from Bunche will spend October 2nd revitalizing the library by painting murals and cataloging brand new books. In addition to the books, Access Books will provide a reading rug, rocking chair and sofa to create a warm and inviting environment for students. Five authors from Canada will be on hand for the event and to give fun and exciting presentations to the students.

The participating authors are:

Rob Weston, author of Silver Birch award winner Zorgamazoo

Kari-Lynn Winters, author Jeffrey and the Sloth, On My Walk, and other award-winning books.

Jill Murray, YA author of Rhythm and Blues and Break on Through

Wendy Kitts, Freelance Writer, Book Reviewer, and author of a soon-to-be published picture book from Nimbus Press

Helaine Becker, author of more than 40 books for children including Silver Birch award winners Boredom Blasters and Secret Agent Y.O.U.

Sadly, only 48 percent of Bunche's students are scoring "proficient" or "advanced" in English & Language Arts on the California Standards Test. Research has shown that the best predictor of how well a child will learn to read is the number of books to which he or she has access, but 61 percent of economically disadvantaged children don't have age-appropriate books at home. The students of Bunche Elementary fit this profile: 90 percent live at or below the poverty line. According to a 2009 report from the Jumpstart Foundation, communities ranking high in achievement tests share a common denominator: an abundance of books in their libraries.

California's Department of Education recommends 28 library books per student, according to the February 2010 draft of its School Library Standards. Bunche, however, has a mere three books per student. Therefore, Access Books has set a goal: Collect at least 5,000 books for Bunche's library and classrooms. Many of these will be brand new, popular fiction titles – books that have been carefully selected to get students excited about reading.

Access Books' partner for this endeavor, "Air Lift to L.A.," grew wings after Canadian children's author Helaine Becker visited a Long Beach elementary school and saw the empty shelves. Shocked and saddened, she rallied her Canadian colleagues and started a book drive. "The conditions [in Los Angeles] are on par with the worst of the Third World countries," she writes on the "Air Lift to L.A." Facebook page. "Actually, they are worse, because in much of the Third World, people are doing their best to raise their standards, while in Los Angeles, conditions have deteriorated abysmally in the last ten years."

Bunche has just moved its campus library into a new, larger space to afford room for growth, but unfortunately, many of the shelves are bare. The library assistant nicknamed the library "The Dream Shop," but with so few books, its dreams have yet to be realized.

California ranks last in the nation in funding for school libraries, spending less than one dollar per child. Although the 2011 federal budget proposal includes a $400 billion investment in education, there's no mention of federal funds specifically geared toward school libraries. According to Sandra Barnett, head of the American School Library Association, "the budget is proposing to take away the last access to literacy for these kids in high-poverty areas." The American School Library research data clearly shows that students with access to school libraries and good books score higher in state reading scores and are more interested in reading.

"I think the big issue is that we really need to make reading part of school and make reading fun and interesting," said Rebecca Constantino, P.h.D., the founder and executive director of Access Books. "And that starts with having a good library."

About ACCESS BOOKS: Access Books provides quality, high-interest books to Southern California's most impoverished school libraries. Since 1999, they have donated more than a million books to school and community libraries in the greater Los Angeles area. Access Books has been featured in USA Today, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and School Library Journal among many other media outlets. Access Books' founder, Rebecca Constantino, is a recipient of Oprah's "Use Your Life" award. She has published over 100 articles and a book in the areas of literacy development, equity in education, urban school and cultural perspectives of language acquisition.

Give a Child a Book, She'll be Happy

Give a Child a Library, She'll be Literate

P.O. Box 64951, Los Angeles, CA 90064

310-284-3452

www.accessbooks.net

Finally, an award for science writers . . .

and children's science writers too! The short-list for the inaugural Lane Anderson Award has just been released. Congratulations to all the nominees.

It's a Book

Very funny, but prescient!

Picturing Canada: A Discussion on the Importance of Canadian Books for Canadian Children

There was a great discussion on the Canadian children's books on CBC yesterday. The guests were Judith Saltman and Gail Edwards, authors of Picturing Canada: A History of Canadian Children's Illustrated Books and Publishing.

From the CBC site:

Picture a Children's Story

For most of us our first encounter with a book was when we were very young. Odds are it was a big thing, or at least seemed so to our tiny hands. It was filled with pictures, some words and usually involved a parent or two along side trying to help us navigate this exciting new world called reading.

And while we moved on to different types of books and different types of reading as we aged, this first encounter may well have defined not only what type of reader we were going to be but also implanted some pretty strong ideas of what type of person we might be. So you would think that given the importance of that first contact the world of illustrated children's books would be a much studied and analysed experience. But you'd be wrong. For the most part, the illustrated children's book has been,the orphan child of academia.

That's something that Gail Edwards and Judith Saltman have set out to correct. Gail Edwards is Chair of the Department of History at Douglas College. Judith Saltman is an associate professor in the school of Library, Archival and Information studies and Chair of the Masters of Arts in Children's Literature Program at the University of British Columbia.

And they are the co-authors of Picturing Canada: A History of Canadian Children's Illustrated Books and Publishing. They joined us from our Vancouver Studios.

You can listen to the show here.

Here is a review and the authors also have a Facebook page.

I know what's on my Christmas list this year.

Fun Things to Do With a Sharpie

If I ever find myself with a free month or two (I wish), I might have to try this in Canada. There are a few signs around here I'd like to take a Sharpie to.