This little gem of video footage comes by way of a retired teacher friend of mine in Alaska, Barbie Jackson. Back when Barbie and I first met, in Ottawa in the early 1970’s, we were both a little homesick around Xmas time and went to the sing along version of The Messiah. When she sent me this little treasure made in Quinhagak, Alaska yesterday, it brought all those wonderful memories rushing back. Just so you know, Quinhagak is a tiny community of about 500 located about a mile from the Bering Sea near the Aleutian Islands . This video has broken a million views and I won’t be surprised if it doubles that by this Xmas. You can easily see why. It was made last year, just before Xmas, by the students, some community members and a grade five teacher whose students were too embarrassed to perform the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah in a Xmas concert. The teacher came up with this idea instead. I love teachers. I love how creative and yet how simple this is. It totally warmed my heart. Thank you Barbie. Friendship is a treasure isn’t it.
Quinhagak, Alaska’s version of the Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah
03 Dec 2011 Leave a comment
in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens Tags: Alaska, Hallelujah Chorus, Quinhagak
December 3rd is Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day
01 Dec 2011 4 Comments
in Events, For Kids, For Parents, News Tags: Jenny Milchman, Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day
Saturday is Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which is an absolutely wonderful idea that began in 2010 when Jenny Milchman, a mother an mystery writer wrote a blog post. Within a month, the idea had gone viral. Publisher Weekly reported that 80 bookstores participated in 2010. This year, 150 bookstores plan on participating. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the joy of literature with your children, grandchildren, or the children of a friend.
Writing Contest for Kids & Teens
28 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens Tags: Canadian Children's Book Centre, Writing Contest for Kid & Teens
Book Week 2012 Writing Contest for Kids & Teens
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is running a Writing Contest for Kids & Teens in celebration of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2012 (May 5 – 12, 2012).
The contest is open to students in Grades 4 to 12. One winner from each grade will receive a $250 gift certificate to the bookstore of his or her choice!
Deadline for entries is February 1, 2012.
More information is available here.
Look what the Vancouver Public Library is up to!
27 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens, Help for writers, News Tags: Vancouver Public Library Free For All
Libraries are so cool. Look what the Vancouver Public Library is up to…
Free-for-all: it’s a vibrant mix of your perspectives and suggestions. It’s a new way to discover your Library, and to shape the Library of the Future.
From now through to the Fall of 2012, we’ll be focusing on four different themes that are critical to the future of public libraries.
Join us in person, on line, or take one of our Conversation Kits into the community and take part in the Free-for-all exchange of ideas.
Choose your own adventure: November 29
On Tuesday, November 29 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. we invite you to Choose Your Own Adventure and explore the topic of public places and learning spaces. We provide you with a story to follow, set in the Central Library. You decide where the story leads, based on the choices you make along the way. You will meet fellow adventurers, engage with Library staff, and take part in fun activities. Your comments will be used to help the Library make important decisions about how we operate and what we offer.
You could win one of three prizes:
- An exclusive guided tour of the Central Library green roof – a hands-on adventure
- An iPod nano – an audio adventure
- A bag of new books – a visual adventure
The City of Vancouver supports the Library so that everyone can use it – for free. It’s your library system. Come and join the free-for-all exchange of ideas and shape the library of the future.
Can’t make it down to the Central Library on November 29? Not a problem! Check out ourConversation Kit. Explore the material together with family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues – you too will be eligible for our prize draw on December 15.
Conversation Kits
We welcome your ideas and your participation in our Free-for-all series. We have developed a Conversation Kit, packed with fun activities to get your creativity flowing. The Kit also contains interesting facts about the future of public libraries.
Follow three easy steps:
- Step 1* – Open the Conversation Kit about Public Spaces and Learning Places
- Step 2 – Follow the story and start your adventure! (This is an interactive document. At the bottom of page 1, you will be asked to make a choice. Click the option you like best. The story will continue automatically, based on your choice!).
- Step 3 – Email your Kit to the Vancouver Public Library. Easy one-step instructions are provided once you’ve reached one of two possible endings. That’s it!
*Note: Functionality is limited for Google Chrome users.
For those who would like to take part in a community adventure, join us on November 29. Discover the Central Library like you’ve never seen it before!
Did we mention the PRIZES…?
If you include your name and contact information in the Kit, online or in person at the event, you will be eligible to win a prize. In November, as part of our choose your own adventure theme, we’re featuring three choices for our lucky winners:
- An exclusive guided tour of the Central Library green roof – a hands-on adventure
- An iPod nano – an audio adventure
- A bag of new books – a visual adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure(R) at home, at work, with friends or family…pickup additional copies of our Conversation Kit at any VPL location and get started. Return the Kits to any location of the Vancouver Public Library by December 14. (There are 22 convenient locations across Vancouver).
Good luck, and thank you for exploring the future with us.
A Titanic Launch
21 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in For Kids, For Parents, Publishing News Tags: Book Launch, Julie Lawson, Sarah Ellis
You won’t want to miss this dynamic book launch! Both authors are super presenters, and lifesavers are included!
Limited time offer for two great kid’s magazines
20 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens, Nature Tags: Adrienne Mason, kid's magazines, Know Magazine, Yes Magazine
Friend and former editor of Know Magazine, Adrienne Mason, just sent a heads up on some super pre-Xmas saving subscriptions to two fabulous magazines for kids. If you’re looking for something for your children, for a niece, nephew or grandchildren, these prices are a score! But hurray, the offer is only open for a few short days.
Here is your chance to save big on our award-winning science magazines for kids: KNOW (for ages 6 to 9) and YES Mag (for ages 10 to 15). These high-quality, full-colour magazines bring science to life through vibrant illustrations and photographs, fascinating articles, fun facts, and hands-on experiments.
For the first time in 15 years of publishing, we are having a sale: save 40% on a subscription! But act fast, it could well be another 15 years before we have our next sale!
YES Mag and KNOW are published six times per year. All prices in Canadian dollars. Applicable taxes added to Canadian subscriptions. US and International subscriptions include extra for postage.
- Canada: 1 year for
$24.95$14.97, 2 years for$42.95$25.77 - USA: 1 year for
$26.00$15.97, 2 years for$45.00$27.77 - International: 1 year for
$38.00$27.97, 2 years$69.00$51.77
Sale ends at 9:00 pm (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, November 23.
KNOW (ages 6 – 9)Learn about KNOWSubscribe to KNOW! |
YES Mag (ages 10 – 15)Learn about YES Mag |
Poetry at Play
02 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, for teens, News, Worthy Causes Tags: Poetry at Play
Poetry at Play is a daily blog created by Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults (PACYA), launched in the fall of 2011, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting poetry for every age group . Its growing membership is a combination of poets, authors, teachers, students, scholars, editors, librarians, booksellers, and readers of every age from around the world.
PACYA is run by a team of 17 advisors who will serve from 2011-2013.
The organization is dedicated to:
*Speaking out for the need to engage with poetry at every age level—and addressing the challenges of doing so
*Creating a global online hub for news, reviews, essays, and interviews; learning/scholarly resources; communication and networking; audiovisual archives; collaborative projects; and more
*Organizing and promoting readings, awards, workshops, and conferences in North America and internationally
To learn more about PACYA, visit its blog at poetryadvocates.wordpress.com. You’ll find a poet of the week, on-line and book resources, and a community of like-minded people who believe in the power of poetry. Join today, and spread the word.
Mindy Kaling and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
28 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, Publishing News Tags: biography, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling
Apparently fall is the biography season…I guess I’ve not been paying attention all these years, or else I’ve just not been a big biography fan. But now, it seems there is even a biography that even I’m interested in, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? For those of you not in the loop, Mindy Kaling is both a writer and actress for the hit TV show, The Office. I’ve watched the show on and off for a while, and while I’m not a passionate follower, I do enjoy some of the humor.
Even if you aren’t a big fan of the The Office, you may want to pick up a copy of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? . Kaling is both quirky and funny both on the show, and in her new book which talks about her experience with a little advice thrown in for good measure. So, if you’re in high school and struggling to fit in…and haven’t we all been there at one time or another… this book is for you. And if you happen to be well past high school, as I am, you may enjoy Kaling’s refreshing look back on why success in high school does not necessarily translate into success later in life. If you want a taste of how Kaling reads, check out the except in Publisher Weekly.
GG short-lists announced
11 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Award News, For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, News Tags: awards, children's literature, GGs, short-list
The GG short-lists have been announced. Here’s the lists I’m most excited about…
And for those of you who don’t know about the GG’s, They are Canada’s Top awards in the Arts. You can read more about the full list at Canada Council for the Arts.
Children’s Literature — Text
Jan L. Coates, Wolfville (Nova Scotia), A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk
(Red Deer Press; distributed by Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
(ISBN 978-0-88995-451-9)
Deborah Ellis, Simcoe (Ontario), No Ordinary Day
(Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
(ISBN 978-1-55498-134-2)
Christopher Moore, Toronto, From Then to Now: A Short History of the World
(Tundra Books; distributed by Random House of Canada)
(ISBN 978-0-88776-540-7)
Kenneth Oppel, Toronto, This Dark Endeavour
(HarperCollins Publishers; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
(ISBN 978-1-55468-339-0)
Tim Wynne-Jones, Perth (Ontario), Blink & Caution
(Candlewick Press; distributed by Random House of Canada)
(ISBN 978-0-7636-3983-9)
Children’s Literature — Illustration
Isabelle Arsenault, Montreal, Migrant, text by Maxine Trottier
(Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
(ISBN 978-0-88899-975-7)
Kim La Fave, Roberts Creek (British Columbia), Fishing with Gubby, text by Gary Kent
(Harbour Publishing; distributed by the publisher)
(ISBN 978-1-55017-497-7)
Renata Liwska, Calgary (Alberta), Red Wagon, text by Renata Liwska
(Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; distributed by Penguin Group Canada)
(ISBN 978-0-399-25237-2)
Frank Viva, Toronto, Along a Long Road, text by Frank Viva
(HarperCollins Publishers; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
(ISBN 978-1-44340-620-8)
Cybèle Young, Toronto, Ten Birds, text by Cybèle Young
(Kids Can Press; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
(ISBN 978-1-55453-568-2)
Congratulations to the creators of these wonderful books. Now that rainy days are upon us, I hope you’ll have plenty of time to read them all!
Sheryl McFarlane 