author of more than a dozen books for kids & teens
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
*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:
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.
16 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Parents, News
This trailer for picture book month is as brilliant as it is poignant. It was designed by Carter Higgins, a motion graphics designer and former elementary school librarian who describes herself as loving pictures and words and how they communicate. For More about Picture Book Month follow the link.
10 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Parents, Helping Hands, News, Worthy Causes Tags: art education, Blue Horse Charity Auction, Eric Carle, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse
If you believe in and want to support art education and you have some wall space in need of the perfect piece, look no further than the Blue Horse Charity Auction where original works by Eric Carle, Mo Willems, David Small, Leo and Diane Dillon and numerous other talented picture book artists works are up for bid. The pieces are a tip of the hat to Carle’s new book, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse where Carle pays tribute to the painter Franz Marc. The book and the auction pieces are a celebration of artistic inspiration and mentorship. The profits will fund arts education in public schools in the US through grant programs run by the NEA Foundation. Bidding is under way so don’t wait too long.
03 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Parents, News Tags: Michael Kuzugak, Storytelling, Victoria Children's Literature Roundtable
Monday Nov. 14th, 7:30 pm
at the Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable
Michael Kusugak, an award-winning author and storyteller originally from Repulse Bay, Nunavut, writes fiction for children. His body of work ranges from his most recent book, The Littlest Sled Dog, to his first book, A Promise is a Promise, co-authored with Robert Munsch.
He grew up living in igloos, traveling by dogsled, catching his food to eat and listening to his grandmother’s stories. Michael will weave these experiences into his storytelling.
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 Cadboro Bay Books’ table, and bring a friend! Doors open at 7 pm.
For more information about the Roundtable, call 250-598-3694 or visit:
13 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Award News, Events, News Tags: Bolen Books Children's Book Prize, City of Victoria Butler Book Prize, Jack Hodgins, Kristi Bridgeman, The Mster of Happy Endings, Uirapurú
Victoria, BC is not only one of the most beautiful places to live, it’s also teeming with literary talent. The 2011 Victoria Book Prize winners were announced last night. Too bad I couldn’t make the gala, but I was delighted with both the adult and kid’s book prize winners. Both are long-time Victoria residents and both are super talented in their fields. Kristi Bridgeman, the illustrator of Uirapurú (pronounced oor-a-pur-u), was named winner of the Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize and Jack Hodgins, author of The Master of Happy Endings was named the winner of the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. Congratulations to both winners, and to the short-listed authors as well. Visit Victoria Book Prize Society for the short-list, and past prize winners.
12 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Parents, Helping Hands, News Tags: Orca Book Publishers, Reaching More Readers-The Book and Beyond, School Library Journal
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/…
Reaching More Readers—The Book and Beyond SPONSORED BY: Orca Book Publishers with School Library Journal EVENT DATE: Thursday, October 20, 2011 – 3:00-4:00 PM EDT Reaching struggling readers has always been a challenge and that is truer now than ever before. Find out how new books, approaches and technologies can work for you in assisting and connecting with struggling readers.Panelists include:
Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and adults. As a tireless presenter with his Rock and Roll Literacy Show across North America, Sigmund knows first-hand what it takes to reach a reader.
Tori Jensen is a high school Library Media Specialist in St. Paul, Minnesota and past-president of the Minnesota Education Media Organization
Denise R. Lyons is Director of Library Development for the South Carolina State Library.
Andrew Wooldridge is Publisher at Orca Book Publishers and editor of the Orca Soundings series of teen novels for reluctant readers.
Moderator: Rocco Staino is the retired director of the Mary I. Keefe Library at the North Salem School District, North Salem, NY and is a past president of the New York Library Association. He is currently the chair of the Empire State Center for the Book and a contributing editor for School Library Journal.
***If you are not able to make the live webcast of Reaching More Readers—The Book and Beyond, register now and you will get an email notification from School Library Journal after the event when the webcast is archived and available for viewing at your convenience.
Follow us on Twitter! @SLJEvents
And be sure to follow the conversation for this event: #reachmorereaders
01 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Kids, For Parents Tags: book bloggers awards, children's lit, The Cybils
Yep. It’s that time of the year again. You have just two weeks to nominate your favorite kids’ books. TWO WEEKS folks! Nominations close October 15 @ midnight, so get on over to the Cybils site and get nominating! There are categories to cover all of your reading interests:
Just in case you haven’t heard of the Cybils, here’s the low down. A few years back, six I think, a group of kids’ book bloggers got together to give out awards for the books they thought were the cream of the crop; the Cybils awards. It started out small, but it’s grows exponentially. Bloggers from near and far wade through piles of books for no other reason than interest. Although there is zero monetary value associated with the awards for either authors or publishers, the winners garner huge prestige and of course bragging rights as well as a fountain pen in an engraved box.
Finalists will be posted January 1st, 2012. Winners will be announced February 14th, 2012.
Even if you aren’t interested in nominating, the Cybils site is the place to be as the judges will be randomly posting excepts from their reviews throughout the judging period. Personally, I can’t wait to find out what’s hot and what I’ve missed.
28 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Events, For Educators, For Parents, Worthy Causes Tags: Brian Franciis, National Reading Campaign YouTube Channel, Robert Rotenberg, Terry Fallis, the importance of reading
27 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in Events Tags: Dragon Boat races, The Gorge Water Way, Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club
coming in from our winning race. I'm 4th back on the left
I’ve really been missing dragon boating, as our team is finished the season. But this morning there were dragon boat races on the Gorge Waterway here in town. Even though our team was not participating, myself and a few of the female members of our mixed dragon boat team helped fill out an all women’s team that was short of paddlers. It was a beautiful day for racing, and we had so much fun. We even won our first race despite the fact that half of us usually paddle on one team, and half of us usually paddle on a different team. We did lose our second race, but the beer garden and the sunshine helped to cheer us up.
Sheryl McFarlane 