author of more than a dozen books for kids & teens
17 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in News
Today is the beginning of a two day Dragon Boat Festival here in Victoria. Our team has been practicing hard and we are ready to unleash our inner dragons. So, if you live nearby, come and watch the races. There’s something for everyone, a craft tent for kids, food, multicultural entertainment, and fierce dragon boat races. It will be loads of fun and you can even cheer for us. We’re team St’Keya out of Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club (VCKC). Wish us luck.
Go St’Keya!
17 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in News
The Oak Bay Horticulturist is at it again. I’ve seen this flower spider reading, playing tennis, and now working on a construction site. I wonder what he’ll be doing next. Too cute!
16 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in For Parents
For parents who are desperately trying to raise readers, Mo Willems has a few tips to share. Some of his tips are standard stuff like not talking down to kids, but others are very much in keeping with the off the wall author/illustrator of Don’t the let Pigeon Drive the Bus.
And while your at it, check out his upcoming new book.
13 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Writing Life
I love to travel, but I can’t always get away.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy this virtual Google Maps Tour of Famous Authors’ Homes that I happened to come across on Flavorwire. The tour starts out with Ernest Hemingway’s digs at 113 Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs — Paris France, includes the apartment building where Jack Kerouac crashed (his girlfriend’s place) while he was revising On the Road, and ends with Fyodor Dostoevsky’s apartment at 5/2 Kuznechny Lane — St. Petersburg, Russia where he wrote The Brothers Karamazov which he finished shortly before his death in 1881.
It’s not the same as an actual real live visit, but it may give you something to dream about while you save your pennies.
10 Aug 2012 2 Comments
in Award News, News
One of the great things about the being a member of the Children’s Literature Roundtables in Canada is being eligible to vote for the Information Book Award. Here are five wonderful books that have made this year’s short list. 
10 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
Even though the summer started with way too much rain, my garden is going strong and producing more than I can eat. Since my free mini-library has been so successful, I decided that other free stuff might be attractive too. I started with about a dozen baby grasses (3 different ornamental varieties), and a half dozen zucchinis. By the time I trimmed these extra 3 cabbages to put out, most of the grasses and all but one of the zucchinis were gone! The cabbages disappeared within the hour. I guess people like free stuff. Soon I’ll have a whole bunch of baby strawberry plants potted up and ready to go. I wonder how long they’ll take to disappear?
07 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in News
So sad that Simon Whitfield fell during the triathlon. He’s such a class act. I recall him coming to my kids’ school when they were young. He was such an inspirational speaker. We were also following Mike Mason in high jump. He was on the UBC track team with my daughters so we were all so excited for him. He placed in the top 10 which is pretty awesome but we were pleasantly surprised by Derek Drouin who had never competed on the international stage and came away with a bronze medal in high jump. Go Canada!
05 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in News
Next week I’ll be doing my very first Skype library visit with a library in Lahore. I’m quite excited. There is a 12 hour time difference, and I’m a total newbie at this, so I hope all goes well.
04 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in News
Between work and gardening, I’ve been watching the Olympics on TV and have marveled at some of the amazing accomplishments and heartbreaks of athletes from around the world. I admire athletes like South African Oscar Pistorius who had to fight his way into the Olympics and who celebrates his abilities. I also admire the dedication of all those athletes who put in long hours, month after month, year after year yet don’t go home with a medal.
02 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in News
I haven’t blogged much, but I have been busy; an article written, a picture book critique finished and sent to the author, a picture book edited, sugar snap peas and zucchini picked, more lettuce planted and the garden watered. Now it’s time to get back to my young adult novel in progress.
Sheryl McFarlane 