Sarah Ellis nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

20 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Award News

VCFA FACULTY MEMBER SARAH ELLIS NOMINATED FOR LARGEST CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AWARD

Vancouver, BC author  and VCFA Faculty member Sarah Ellis has been nominated for the The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature. Sarah was chosen as one of 207 candidates from 67 countries. This award is named for Astrid Lindgren, one of Sweden’s most important authors.

The recipient or recipients of the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award will be announced on 26 March 2013 at 1 pm.

We’re rooting for you Sarah!

Writing a novel in 30 days

20 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Help for writers

It takes me about two years  to write a novel.  I know, not exactly speedy.  Writing a novel is thirty days is the complete opposite end of the spectrum.  I’m considering giving it a try.  Not right now, since I have too much on my plate right now, but one of these days.  Anyone out there given a go?

Come hear Pamela Porter, author of The Crazy Man

18 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Events, For Educators, For Parents

Author Pamela Porter

Monday Oct. 22nd, 7:30 pm at the Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable

Pamela is the author of four collections of poetry, two verse novels, and a novel and picture book for children. Her most recent verse novel, I’ll Be Watching (2011), was shortlisted for the 2012 Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize.

Pamela’s first verse novel, The Crazy Man, won the 2005 Governor General’s Award, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award, and other accolades.

Pamela lives in North Saanich with her family and a menagerie of rescued horses, dogs, and cats, including a formerly wild mustang.

The VCLR is open to the public. Members free, drop-ins $5, students $4. Meetings are held at the Nellie McClung Branch Library, 3950 Cedar Hill Road. Come early and browse Tall Tales Books’ table, and bring a friend! Doors open at 7 pm.

For more information about the Roundtable, call 250-598-3694, find us on Facebook, or visit:

www.victoriachildrensliteratureroundtable.blogspot.com.

Writing Opportunity

17 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Help for writers

For the writers out there:

The Writer’s Digest has extended the entry date to October 31, 2012 for their Young Adult Fiction Competition so get writing and editing today and get your stories in.

A workshop with Sheree Fitch tomorrow

16 Oct 2012 2 Comments

by sherylbooks in News

What a busy few days…my leaky roof has a temporary fix, my mini-library got hit by a winter storm it’s books are drying out in front of my fireplace, and I hosted one of my dearest Gulf Island friends overnight and  taken her in to the hospital bright and early this morning to have knee replacement surgery.  I’ll be heading back to see her this afternoon before catching the second presidential debate, and then again tomorrow before I head off to Vancouver and a writing workshop with the ever effervescent, joyful and lip-slippery Sheree Fitch, author of Maple Murple, No Two Snowflakes and many other fine books for children and adults.

In the meantime, I’ll be pondering on how to keep my little library open through the wild windy wet weather of the west coast. I’d love to build a little house for it, but sadly, I lack the skill set…but feel free to send your ‘easy and inexpensive to build’ solutions my way.

 

 

Roofing woes disappear

15 Oct 2012 3 Comments

by sherylbooks in News

If you have roofing issues in or around Victoria, BC, the guy to call is John from Bang On Roofing.  He was prompt, efficient, and he gave me the complete lowdown on what I did and didn’t need to do.  I’d use him again in a heartbeat.  Now I can stop worrying and settle down to write.

The blessings and curses of rain

15 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in News

Yesterday was the second day of rain we’ve had in months.  The salmon streams desperately needed water.  So did the forests.  We always have water conservation during the summer months; still, our reservoir was dangerously low.  So the rain was truly welcome.  Unfortunately, it’s the day my  roof chose to leak.  Apparently no one comes out for leaky roofs on Sundays, so I hope I can get someone here today because another storm is on it’s way…

Alif Laila Book Society & IBBY Pakistan support Malala Yousfzai

14 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens Tags: , , ,

Dear Readers,

Nanna Aldrich Murakami’s Photos

I’m sure you’ve all heard about young Malala Yousufzai, the young 14 year old girl who was shot by the Taliban for nothing more than wanting an education and speaking out about it.  Here’s a chance to offer more than outrage.  How about helping creating a library at her school by assisting the Alif Laila Book Bus Society (they also want to set up mini libraries like mine through out Lahore, Pakistan) and  IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People).  You can send donations through the contact below.  But, even if you can’t help finiancially, you can support Malala Yousufzai with cards, drawings and letters so that this she knows that the world is behind her.  Please help if you can.

The letter requesting support follows.

Dear Friends,

I write to share with you news from Pakistan that has saddened the hearts of all. On the 9th of October, Malala Yousufzai ,aged 14, who has been active in denouncing the closure of girls schools by the Taliban in Swat in 2009, and who continued her education despite threats, was shot in the head on her way back from school. Two of her friends, also in the bus, were injured as well.Malala epitomizes courage and allows all of us to see that single acts of bravery can, and, do become movements. We are grateful to this young campaigner for encouraging Pakistanis to stand up and be counted.Alif Laila/IBBY Pakistan is setting up a library in Malala’s school and has organized a KEEP SMILING card campaign for Malala and her two friends. We aim to make this the longest and most colourful card in the world’s history.  For this we need your active support.Please become a member of this campaign by encouraging  children to write messages and create drawings that are full of hope and will make the girls happy, and hopefully, assist in their recovery.  We also want them to know how compassionately the world has responded to their plight and how they are not alone in their struggle.Please email us your contributions by the 20th of October. Emails can be sent to:

aliflaila_lhr@yahoo.com

aliflaila1978@gmail.com

bmk_al@yahoo.com

 Thank you for your time and support. 

Basarat Kazim

President

Alif Laila Book Bus Society

IBBY Pakistan

 

Chek News visits my little library…

13 Oct 2012 3 Comments

by sherylbooks in News

Chek News did a nice little piece on piece on my free mini-library tonight. Thanks to Bruce Kirkpatrick for his visit to my little library.  By the way Bruce, I’ve written 14 books, not just the two you saw in my library.  If you want to catch it, it’s the October 13, 2012 piece on little library www.cheknews.ca

Stop bullying now!

13 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens Tags: ,

If you don’t think cyber bullying is a huge problem for all of us, watch fifteen year old Amanda Todd’s story.  She’s the BC teen who recently took her own life after being cyber bullied by someone who tracked her and made her life hell for three years and through two school changes.  The thing that’s so distressing about this particular young woman’s situation is that she had family and school support.

Isn’t it time that we protected our children from this kind of abuse?

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