Today, the legendary Jim Henson would have been 75. It’s almost hard to imagine a time without his wonderful muppets…Big Bird, Bert, Earnie and the Cookie Monster. If you’re a big fan too, you can vote for your favorite character at this link. I’m a little partial to Miss Piggy because she’s just so out there. Who is your favourite Jim Henson character? – Your Community.
Who is your favourite Jim Henson character? – Your Community
24 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in For Kids, News Tags: Jim Henson, The Muppets
End of the summer
23 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Nature, Writing Life Tags: my garden
I deserved an hour in the garden today after spending most of the day working on my novel…
Here are a few pics.
Flash Fiction Contest over at Austin Briggs’ blog
23 Sep 2011 4 Comments
in News Tags: Austin Briggs, Brad Magnarella, Flash Fiction contest, Marg Brown
I’ve mentioned flash fiction a few times recently, but here I go again.
Ok…so I’m a little obsessed. But why be obsessed alone! Austin Briggs has set up a flash fiction contest. Not only can you check out some very cool short short stories, you can write your own…in this case, flash fiction consisting of 55 words or less. I gotta tell you that some of the stories posted are amazing. One called “Paradise” by Brad Magnarella totally blew me away. Another one that I really liked was “The Possibility of Albert” by Mark Brown.
I love Maurice Sendak but…
22 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in For Educators, For Parents Tags: Maurice Sendak, Mo Willems, Neil Gaiman, new kid's book, New York Times interview of Maurice Sendak
At 83, Maurice Sendak has a new book out and he’s still making waves. Check out his recent interview in The New York Times where he admitted that he hasn’t been keeping up with children’s books but finds there to be “a certain passivity.” I’m not sure that I entirely agree though; not when I think of books like Mo Willems Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Neil Gaiman’s The Wolves in the Walls to mention just a few that break boundaries in the same way that Sendak’s books did. I’m wondering what others think about this. Any comments?
Hurray! Philippa Gregory has a young adult novel coming
21 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in For Kids, Publishing News Tags: Philippa Gregory, Simon & Schuster UK, young adult books
Great news for historical fiction fans. Philippa Gregory will be releasing her first book for young adults next summer with Simon & Schuster UK Children’s. I’m so excited as I totally loved The Boleyn Girl (FYI, the book was so much better than the movie). And I devoured her other books including: The Queen’s Fool, The Constant Princess and The Virgin’s Lover. With a PhD in 18th Century Literature, it’s no surprise that Ms. Gregory is a master at creating richly layered stories with authentic historical backgrounds while maintaining tension and intrigue. I can hardly wait to see what she produces for the young adult market.
The Importance of School Librarians by Joyce Valenza: A TED lecture
20 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in For Educators, For Parents Tags: Joyce Valenza, online strategies for K-12 students, Super Searchers Go To School, TED, The Importance of School Librarians
I have to admit that I was really blown away by this TED talk on The Importance of School Librarians by Joyce Valenza who works as a librarian at Springfield Township High School, PA. So, set aside a little less than 20 minutes of your time and you’ll probably have a much better picture of why cutting librarians in schools is a really bad idea.
And if you happen to be an educator, after you’ve heard Joyce speak, you may want to follow-up by purchasing one of her books on the powerful tools she uses with students. They’re available at Amazon.
And, if you haven’t discovered TED talks before, you’ll want to poke around a little after hearing Joyce. There are hundreds of fascinating lectures on every topic imaginable.
***FYI, I have no affiliation with Ms. Valenza ***
Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition for Developing Writers
19 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Help for writers, News Tags: Developing Writers, Short Prose Competition, Writers' Union of Canada
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
19th Annual Short Prose Competition
for Developing Writers
PRIZE $2,500
The Writers’ Union of Canada is pleased to announce that submissions are being accepted until November 3, 2011 for the 19th Annual Short Prose Competition for Developing Writers. The winning entry will be the best Canadian work of up to 2,500 words in the English language, fiction or non-fiction, written by an unpublished author.
PRIZE
$2,500 for the winning entry, and the entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted to three Canadian magazines.
JURY
Writers Kevin Chong, Anne Emery, and Sylvia Fraser will serve as the jury.
ELIGIBILITY
This competition is open to all Canadian citizens and landed immigrants who have not had a book published by a commercial or university press in any genre and who do not currently have a contract with a book publisher. Original and unpublished (English language) fiction or non-fiction is eligible.
HOW TO SUBMIT ENTRIES:
- · Entries should be typed, double-spaced, in a clear twelve-point font, and the pages numbered on 8.5 x 11 paper, not stapled.
- · Submissions will be accepted in hardcopy only.
- · Include a separate cover letter with title of story, full name, address, phone number, email address, word count, and number of pages of entry.
- · Please type the name of entrant and the title of entry on each numbered page. This is not a blind competition.
- · Make cheque or money order payable to The Writers’ Union of Canada. Multiple entries can be submitted together and fees can be added and paid with one cheque or money order, $29 per entry.
- · Entries must be postmarked by November 3, 2011 to be eligible.
- · Mail entries to: SPC Competition, The Writers’ Union of Canada, 90 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1.
Results will be posted at www.writersunion.ca in February 2012. Manuscripts will not be returned.
Charlie Chaplin and the Quest for the Holy Gravy
18 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in News Tags: Charlie Chaplin and the Quest for the Holy Gravy, Library cuts, Toronto Public Library cuts
The Toronto Public Library system has been under the gun for a while now. Council and particularly the mayor want to see big cuts. They have no idea why libraries are important or just how important they are. Fortunately, a significant group of creators started a “save the libraries contest.”
Here’s one of the video submissions… “Charlie Chaplin and the Quest for the Holy Gravy”
Hoping that it just might help council members and the esteemed mayor figure out why they are on the wrong track; there simply isn’t any gravy in the system…it’s already been cut to the bone!
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
17 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in News Tags: animated, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, stop motion shorts
My daughter Katie sent me the link to this seriously fantastic animated, stop motion short called Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. It’s the 2010 the collaborative effort Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate. This brilliant documentary-style short is about Marcel, an anthropomorphic child-like shell character whose biggest regret is not having a dog. I loved Marcel, and I loved the creative spirit these two writers/film-makers demonstrated in making a film with so much content and so little hype. But don’t just take my word for it. It was an official Sundance Film Festival pick!
I can’t wait to see Jenny Slate’s children’s book version with the same character to be released in November of this year.
Proceeds from a children’s book, Sock Wars will support Raise-A-Reader
16 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in For Kids, Helping Hands, News, Worthy Causes Tags: Canuck Place, Erika Quiroz, Hannah Christensen, literacy, Make A Wish Foundation, Raise a Reader, Sock Wars
The loss of a child is a difficult thing for any family, but the Christensen family of British Columbia have chosen to remember their son and brother, Jonah by raising funds for children’s charities. The Make-A-Wish-Foundation and Canuck Place (a pediatric hospice that provides palliative care children and support for their families) are two charities that have benefited from this family’s admirable efforts to cope with their grief by supporting others in need. Since Jonah’s dad was a magician, it was a natural to raise funds through magic shows. This year, the family has expanded their fundraising efforts to include a children’s book inspired by Jonah’s playfulness. Sock Wars is the story of a sister and brother who have fun even before the chores are done. Written by Jonah’s twelve year old sister, Hannah Christensen and illustrated by Erika Quiroz, this charming picture book is as joyful as it is heartfelt. This year, the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Raise-A-Reader, a children’s literacy program that has raised millions in a little over ten years.
You can read an on-line version of Sock Wars but don’t forget to boost literacy in BC with a generous donation.
Sheryl McFarlane 
