Thursday, December 4, 2008

Award Winners

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award



On November 6, the $20,000 prize for the most distinguished English book of the year was awarded to Christopher Paul Curtis for Elijah of Buxton.



Nominees for the prestigious award were:

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting by Hugh Brewster, with paintings by John Singer Sargent
Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case by Shane Peacock
Please, Louise! Written by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
________________________________________________________________
Also awarded on November 6 in Toronto:

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction
At Vimy Ridge: Canada’s Greatest World War I Victory by Hugh Brewster

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
Please, Louise! Written by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay

Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse
Un cadeau pour Sophie by Gilles Vigneault, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch.
_____________________________________________________________________________
And in Victoria…

Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize

On October 16, Chris Tougas was awarded $5,000 and named the winner of the 1st Bolen Books prize for his picture book, Mechanimals.

The titles shortlisted:
Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane by Polly Horvath
A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Upcoming Roundtable Events


Canadian Children's Book Week Touring Author Eric Zweig is coming November 17, 2008

Our November meeting features Canadian author Eric Zweig.

Eric Zweig is the author of numerous sports books for young readers. His titles include Hockey Trivia for Kids, Long Shot; How the Winnipeg Falcons won the First Olympic Hockey Gold and Star Power: the Legend and Lore of Cyclone Taylor.

By the age of 10, Eric was already a budding sports fanatic who was filling his school news books with game reports instead of current events. He has been writing professionally about sports and sports history since graduating from Trent University in 1985 with a degree in Political Studies. His articles have been printed in numerous Canadian publications including The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Sun, The Ottawa Citizen, The Calgary Herald and The Beaver. He has also been a writer/producer with CBC Radio Sports and TSN SportsRadio.

Programs are held at Nellie McClung Library, 3950 Cedar Hill Rd. (near McKenzie) in the program room. Access is from the parking lot off Garnet St. & start at 7:30.

Drop-ins welcome. $5/$4 students


Storytelling with Peg Hasted and Jennifer Ferris on December 1, 2008

Our December meeting will feature the storytelling talents of Peg Hasted and Jennifer Ferris.

Peg Hasted is an early childhood educator who has worked with young children for over 17 years. Her well-crafted stories delight listeners of all ages at schools, libraries, festivals and community events. A recipient of the Alice Kane Award (for storytelling research/development) Peg took her tales to Ontario in 2005 as part of the TD Canadian Children’s Book Week Tour. She also gives workshops, offers individual and group coaching, and can help link the art of storytelling to classroom curriculum.

Victoria storyteller, Jennifer Ferris, has been active for 15 years in schools, at community events and festivals. As an Education Assistant she has had an opportunity to share her stories with all grades from K to 12, tailoring the story to the curriculum, to situation and just for fun. She has organized storytelling clubs in elementary school, working with students in different aspects of story and has provided many storytelling opportunities for her young tellers including a storytelling venue at the Commonwealth Games. In high school, Jennifer works with students with Autism and brain injury using story to teach as, a calming tool, to allow students to tell the stories of their lives and as an opportunity for students to perform for peers and in the larger community. Her interest and connection to the history of Vancouver Island has provided many storytelling opportunities. Jennifer’s family arrived in Victoria in 1858 in time for the gold rush on the Fraser River and, later, in the Caribou. Family stories, given to her by her grandmother, and her own research have helped Jennifer to develop a number of stories on that period. Jennifer’s Chinese daughter in law, a new Canadian and also a storyteller, has encouraged her to write stories of the Chinese experience of those early years of Vancouver Island. In addition to her own stories, she also entertains audiences with world myths and tales of magic and transformation from around the world. She gives workshops to adults and children and she is very interested in promoting storytelling in the famil
y.

Finalists for the 2008 Governor General's Literary Awards Announced


On October 21, 2008, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the 2008 Governor General’s Literary Awards. The finalists include authors from ages 28 to 77, several previous finalists and three first-time finalists who are journalists. The awards are in the categories of fiction, non‑fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation.

Click for all the details

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Margriet Ruurs Featured Speaker in September

Join us on September 22nd to hear award winning author, Margriet Ruurs.

Margriet writes children's and educational materials. She has a Master's Degree in Education from Simon Fraser University and has studied the use of technology in teaching reading and writing to children. "I love to use my imagination and to dream up stories" says this creator of many books for children.

Margriet particularly enjoys speaking with school children, teaching them writing and suggesting good books. She has written more than 20 books and had two of her picture books included in the Read Now BC literacy initiative that provides a picture book for every kindergarten student in the province. Her titles include: Animal Alphabet, Big Little Dog, Emma and the Coyote, Emma at the Fair, Emma’s Cold Day, Emma’s Eggs, In My Backyard, Logan’s Lake, Me and Martha Black, Ms Bee’s Magical Bookcase, A Mountain Alphabet, My Librarian is a Camel, No Dogs Allowed, On the Write Track, A Pacific Alphabet, The Power of Poems, Spectacular Spiders,Virtual Maniac, Wake Up, Henry Rooster! When We Go Camping, Wild Babies.

Books will be available for sale during the evening.

Our program begins at 7:30 pm, but come early so you have lots of time to browse.

*Note that our meetings will now be held a the Nellie McClung Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library (3950 Cedar Hill Rd.)

Winners of the 2008 BC Book Prizes


BCLA’s Sheila A. Egoff Literature Prize
The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane by Polly Horvath

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize
A Sea Wishing Day
by Robert Heidbreder, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

More Children’s Literary Winners …

Chocolate Lily Award
The Chocolate Lily is a book award for British Columbia authors and illustrators, chosen by children. Every year, children in grades K to 8 from across the province are invited to read books from the nominated list of BC picture books and chapter books/novels, and vote for their favourite.
Stanley’s Wild Ride by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin (2008 Picture Book)
Chasing the Moon by Penny Chamberlain (2008 Chapter Book/Novel)

Arthur Ellis Best Juvenile Crime
The Arthur Ellis Awards are chosen annually by the Crime Writers of Canada.
Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock

Upcoming Events


  • Word on the Street – Sunday, September 28, Library Square, Vancouver
  • Sylvia Panaleo - October 20th, *Nellie McClung Branch Library* (Cedar Hill & McKenzie), for our Roundtable meeting next month –meeting begins at 7:30 pm, but doors open at 7 pm to browse for books.
    Sylvia is an Associate Professor in UVic’s Faculty of Education and her topic will be “Multiplicity of the Post Modern Picture Book”. The Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable will be hosting
  • Shaun Tan at their Illustrator’s Breakfast – October 25th at Vancouver’s University Golf Club (Registration flyer available in [PDF] or [DOC] format).
  • TD Canadian Children’s Book Week – Nov 15-22
    As part of Canadiann Children’s Book Week, the Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable is hoping to host popular sports author Eric Zweig for our meeting on November 17th. Zweig is a hockey aficionado and has written several books on the topic: Hockey Trivia for Kids and Hockey Trivia for Kids 2; Crazy Canucks: the Uphill Battle of Canada's Downhill Ski Team; Star Power: the Legend and Lore of Cyclone Taylor; Long Shot; How the Winnipeg Falcons won the First Olympic Hockey Gold; A Century of Hockey Heroes; Goals; Saves
  • During November, grade 1 students across Canada will be receiving a copy of Too Many Books by Giles Tibo and illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin
Great Reads

Red Glass by Laura Resau
The author of What the Moon Saw has written another superb book that is largely set in a remote area of Mexico. Living near the Mexican border in Arizona, Sophie's family rescue 6 yr old Pedro after his parents have died of dehydration while trying to cross the border. Reluctant to adopt Pedro without the consent of his Mexican relatives, Sophie ends up making a challenging and life-changing road trip to Mexico with a recently acquainted Serbian aunt, her aunt's Guatemalan boyfriend, and his son. There is romance, adventure and suspense in this book that ends up taking Sophie all the way to Guatemala. Reviewed by Jennifer Rowan.

Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Late 1960’s suburban Long Island is the setting for Holling Hoodhood’s grade seven year. While the rest of his class spends Wednesday afternoons at Catholic lessons or the Jewish synagogue, Holling and his seemingly strict and uptight teacher, Mrs Baker, study Shakespeare. In this beautifully written coming-of-age story, readers are transported to a time when Vietnam was in the news, middle class kids were free from over scheduled lives and teachers weren’t scared to get involved in their student’s lives. Newbery Honor Book, 2008. Reviewed by Jennifer Rowan.

Teens at the Greater Victoria Public Library

We are just wrapping up another great Teen Summer Reading Club at GVPL. 89 Victoria teenagers participated in the online book club where they posted book reviews, participated in discussions about books and reading, and chatted to Canadian authors. Throughout the summer, teens attended programs at various Greater Victoria Public Library locations, including a writing workshop with local author Robin Stevenson, a workshop on drawing and writing graphic novels, and a Teen Council of youth contributed their point of view to library services.
The online Teen Summer Reading Club is part of Canada’s Teen Reading Club (www.teensrc.ca), a library-based initiative that includes almost 3,000 teenagers in seven provinces and two territories (so far!). TeenSRC is run by the British Columbia Library Association with the generous support of the British Columbia Ministry of Education, and the Greater Victoria Public Library. It was developed by library folks for teens interested in reading and connecting with other teen readers across the country.

This summer, Teen SRC included the opportunity to chat online with some of Canada’s leading authors for youth: Martha Brooks, Carrie Mac, Shyam Selvadurai, Polly Horvath, Susan Juby, Arthur Slade and Ann Walsh. Teens all over Canada could log on and interact with these writers. The writers gave lots of great information about how to become a writer, and the teens enjoyed an opportunity to “meet” a real author.

Teen Summer Reading Club appears as TRC, Teens’ Reading Club, throughout the school year. Please email info@teensrc.ca if you would like more information about the program and how to promote it with the book-loving teens you know!

Submitted by Kirsten Andersen, GVPL

Canadian YA Fiction: Honouring Diversity

Teachers working to encourage diversity will find a range of award-winning Canadian YA fiction that encourages teens to look more critically at homophobia in the high school.

Well-constructed, fast-moving sports stories offer good entry points for sports and action-oriented readers. In Diane Wieler’s Bad Boy, the protocols and practices of hockey structure the narrative, but the conflict hinges on A.J.’s appalled discovery that his best friend is gay. A.J.’s homophobic shock and confusion are played out in violence, on and off the ice, before the narrative is resolved.

Susan Juby’s (yes, she of the hilarious Alice trilogy) Another Kind of Cowboy, with its details of training for competitive dressage, will appeal to equine enthusiasts. It is a given that Alex is gay (“Real cowboys dreamed of girls with big hair and tight jeans…His dreams ran more to other cowboys”), but Alex’s real obsession is with his dressage ambitions. The adults in this well-plotted novel, are mainly, (as in the Alice books), feckless and foolish, which will delight the teen reader.

Sometimes gay parents are central. Martha Brooks’ Travelling On Into the Light follows an angry teen’s rapprochement with her gay father. Initially determined to dislike, sulk, and punish, the daughter finds herself won over by the new partner. And by the end, “ I was struck, all of a sudden, by my father’s courage. There is no other word for it.”

Nancy Belgue’s Soames On the Range provides a more lighthearted if sardonic tale. Cisco, the sensible 15-year-old son of flower-child parents, is odd-man-out when his father, the school guidance counselor, announces he is gay and moves in with his new partner.
In Glen Huser’s Stitches, Travis’ courage, talent, humour, and integrity illuminate the lives of his dysfunctional trailer park family and of his best friend, Chantelle, an equally talented girl with physical disabilities. But Travis’ gifts do not protect him from bullying that escalates to almost lethal levels in the unforgivingly macho school culture.

Sixteen-year-old Dylan, the likeable narrator of Beth Goobie’s Hello Groin has friends, a large affectionate family, and a faithful and attractive boyfriend. But her body’s insistent message is that it is her best friend who attracts her. This sensitive, courageous, forthright book conveys the sexual pressures on adolescents who find themselves outside accepted gender norms of the high school world.

Paul Yee’s short stories, each with a different first-person narrator, include the cultural and parental tensions, the struggles with language, sexuality, and sexual orientation experienced by Chinese-Canadian teens. And Shyam Selvadurai sets Swimming in the Monsoon Sea in the Sri Lanka of his youth. Fourteen-year-old Amrith longs to appear in his school’s production of Othello. When he falls in love with his visiting Canadian cousin, the theme of disastrous jealously links art and life, and highlights “the capacities for racism, homophobia, sexism, and other injustices and hatreds present at all levels within a society.”
Written by Wendy Donawa, PhD

Did you know…

Effective October 2008, International School Library Day will be replaced with International School Library Month. Teacher-librarians will then be encouraged to select a day in October that works best for them.

Contests

Esso Imperial Oil Foundation will once again be sponsoring a writing contest for students in Grades 2-6. In honour of the 100th anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, children are encouraged to submit an original story or poem, written during the current school year, for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate to the bookstore of their choice. Deadline is Dec. 15, 2008. For a copy of the flyer and entry form, check out the website at http://www.bookweek.ca/writingcontest.html

Do you love stories?
The Victoria Storytellers Guild meets at 7:15 pm monthly at 1831 Fern Street.
All storytellers, would-be storytellers and listeners are welcome.
Suggested donation: $3.00
www.victoriastorytellers.org/calendar.html

Susan Juby - Coming to a Library Near You!

The Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) and Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) are pleased to announce Susan Juby as their Writer in Residence for 2008/2009. This is a first Writer in Residence for these library systems and a wonderful opportunity for aspiring writers to learn more about the craft of writing.

Juby is an award-winning local writer recognized as one of the rising stars of Canadian young-adult writing. Her "Alice" trilogy: Alice, I Think, Miss Smithers, Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last are known around the world.

Juby started a degree in English Literature at the University of Toronto and finished it at the University of British Columbia. She is an experienced writing teacher, and has most recently been teaching novel writing workshops at the University of British Columbia, UBC Writing Centre.

She will begin her term in September 2008 when the Vancouver Island Regional Library will host her for a three-month residency. In January 2009 she will begin her three-month residency at the Greater Victoria Public Library.

The Writer in Residence is a community resource and literacy advocate. Juby will act as a mentor to writers in the community, reviewing manuscripts and providing criticism and advice about publishing. The program is supported through grant funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and additional funding from the Friends of the Library (VIRL and GVPL) and the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation.

We are always looking for news and reviews relating to children’s books and publishing. If you would like to submit an interview, review, or article, please send your query to:
Jennifer Rowan: jenarowan@yahoo.ca

Authors, publishers, and publicists should send review copies and media releases to:
Editor - Roundtable News,340 Chester Ave,Victoria, BC V8V 4B6
For Roundt

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Reminder: Monday, September 22 is our next meeting!

Margriet Ruurs at the Nellie McClung Library, 7:30pm

Margriet is a seasoned presenter, former school board trustee, and the author of nearly two dozen books for children. She hosts a writing column in the International Reading Association's quarterly journal, and is the editor for KIDSWWWRITE, a web magazine that publishes writing by children.

Margriet, who currently lives in Oregon, will be available to visit schools September 22, 23. Don't miss your opportunity to have Margriet visit your school. Please contact her at margriet@margrietruurs.com.

Drop-ins Welcome! ($5 non-members/ $4 students)

Short-List for the 2008 Information Book Award

The Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Proudly Announces…..

THE 2008 INFORMATION BOOK AWARD FINALISTS (NON-FICTION PUBLISHED IN 2007; LISTED ALPHABETICALLY)





Birds of Prey: An Introduction
by Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs. Scholastic/Madison Press.

Bugs Up Close
by Diane Swanson. Photographed by Paul Davidson. Kids Can Press.

Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose: The Story of a Painting
by Hugh Brewster. Kids Can Press.

How Soccer Works
by Keltie Thomas. Illustrated by Stephen MacEachern. Maple Tree Press.

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth
by Rochelle Strauss. Illustrated by Rosemary Woods. Kids Can Press.

This Is My Planet: The Kids’ Guide to Global Warming

by Jan Thornhill. Maple Tree Press.

ROUNDTABLES ACROSS CANADA WILL CONSIDER THESE FINALISTS AT THEIR FALL MEETINGS & VOTE FOR THEIR TOP THREE CHOICES IN EARLY NOVEMBER. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON NOVEMBER 12 IN VANCOUVER. PRESENTATION OF THE AWARD WILL TAKE PLACE IN FEBRUARY 2009 AT THE VANCOUVER CHILDREN’S LITERATURE ROUNDTABLE SERENDIPITY CONFERENCE.

Further Information:
Lois Brymer, National Chair, Information Book Award Committee, jmbrymer@axion.net OR
Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable: http://www.library.ubc.ca/edlib/table

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Author Margriet Ruurs to kick off our 2008/09 Season in September




Summer is officially here, despite the cool temperatures. While the summer means kicking back with a cool drink and a good book for some of our Roundtable members, its a busy busy busy time for your steering committee. This is the time of the year when we evaluate the response to last year's programs, put together a budget for the upcoming year, and plan next season's program. Contacting, potential speakers, juggling their schedule along with the schedule of our venue, and applying for Canada Council grants are part of the summer work ahead. I am pleased to announce though that we have confirmation from our September speaker; Margriet Ruurs will be our season opener on Monday September 22. Margriet is a seasoned presenter, former school board trustee, and the author of nearly two dozen books for children. She hosts a writing column in the International Reading Association's quarterly journal, and is the editor for KIDSWWWRITE, a web magazine that publishes writing by children. Watch for more details. Margriet, who currently lives in Oregon, will be available to visit schools September 22, 23. Don't miss your opportunity to have Margriet visit your school. Please contact her at margriet@margrietruurs.com.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Can. Lit Award Round-up

Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize

WINNER:

The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane
Written by Polly Horvath
Published by Groundwood Books (2007)

Like her National Book Award-winning The Canning Season, The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane is filled with plot twists and extraordinarily strange characters. It is also a moving meditation on loss and finding family in the most unlikely places. Following the death of their parents, two cousins are sent to live with their distant, scholarly uncle and his eccentric house staff. Told in four characters’ voices, the novel is a layered account of one bad year from multiple points of view linking humour and pain. Polly Horvath has written many award-winning books for children and young adults, including The Trolls and Everything on a Waffle, which won the Sheila Egoff Prize in 2002. She lives in Victoria.

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize
Supported by Kate Walker and Company


WINNER:

A Sea-Wishing Day
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Published by Kids Can Press (2007)

On a hot summer day, a wish transforms an urban backyard into a place of breezy high-seas adventure. As our bold Captain and Skipper ride the salty waves, they encounter a beastly sea monster, buried treasure, a scurvy pirate crew, lovely mermaids and more. The creative pair who brought you the acclaimed I Wished for a Unicorn offer up another celebration of the boundless distances a childhood wish can travel. A retired elementary school teacher, Robert Heidbreder has been enchanting children with his joyful poems and rhymes for more than two decades. His 2005 book, Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, won the BC Chocolate Lily Young Readers’ Choice Award. Kady MacDonald Denton is an author and illustrator of books for children and lives in Peterborough, Ontario

Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award 2008 (NB)

English Fiction

No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn
Written by Julie Lawson
Published by Scholastic Canada


English Non-Fiction

Hiding Edith
Written by Kathy Kacer
Published by Second Story Press

2008 Manitoba Book Awards Winners Announced

The Younger category of this award was deferred to 2009.

McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award—Older Category

WINNER:

Sandbag Shuffle
Written by Kevin Marc Fournier
Published by Thistledown Press (2007)


Results are in for the Red Cedar and Stellar Awards

Red Cedar information book winner:
Bill Slavin for Transformed: How Everyday Things are Made (Kids Can Press)

Red Cedar fiction winner:
Pamela Porter for The Crazy Man (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)

Stellar Award winner:
Diane Tullson, Red Sea (Orca Books)

Finalists for the Arthur Ellis Best Juvenile Crime Award (announced June 5)
Racing for Diamonds Written by Anita Daher Published by Orca Book Publishers
Spider’s Song Written by Anita Daher Publlished by Puffin Canada/Penguin Group (Canada)
I.D. Written by Vicki Grant Published by Orca Book Publishers
Eye of the Crow Written by Shane Peacock Published by Tundra Books
The Night Wanderer Written by Drew Hayden Taylor Published by Annick Press

Martha Brooks wins Vicky Metcalf Award
Martha Brooks of Winnipeg received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature. Sponsored by the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation, this award, which carries a $15,000 prize, is awarded to a writer of children's literature for a body of work.
Jury comments: “Her novels and short stories push the boundaries of the young adult genre in terms of character, situation, and theme, the result of which is works notable for their depth and resonance.”
Jury members: Nora Flynn (St. John’s), Jean Little (Guelph, Ontario) and Susan Perren (Toronto).

The shortlisted titles for the 2008 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award are: Announced May 20.
Ben's Bunny Trouble Illustrated by Daniel Wakeman & Dirk van Stralen (Orca Book Publishers)
Birds of Prey: An Introduction Illustrated by Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs (Scholastic/Madison Press)
ChesterIllustrated and written by Mélanie Watt (Kids Can Press)
Grumpy Bird Illustrated and written by Jeremy Tankard(Scholastic Press)
I am Raven Illustrated by Andy EversonWritten by David Bouchard (MTW Publishers)
Lickety-Split Illustrated by Dušan Petričić Written by Robert Heidbreder (Kids Can Press)
Marja's Skis Illustrated by Jirina Marton Written by Jean E. Pendziwol (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)
Mechanimals Illustrated and written by Chris Tougas (Orca Book Publishers)
My New Shirt Illustrated by Dušan Petričić Written by Cary Fagan
(Tundra Books)
Painted Circus Illustrated and written by Wallace Edwards (Kids Can Press)
Pink Illustrated by Luc Melanson Written by Nan Gregory Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)

CLA Announces 2008 Young Adult Book Award Shortlist (13-18)
The Space Between Written by Don Aker (HarperCollins)

Mistik Lake Written by Martha Brooks (Groundwood Books)
For Now Written by Gayle Friesen (Kids Can Press)
The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane Written by Polly Horvath (Groundwood Books)
How It Happened in Peach Hill Written by Marthe Jocelyn(Tundra Books)
Another Kind of Cowboy Written by Susan Juby(HarperCollins)
Retribution Written by Carrie Mac (Penguin)
Eye of the Crow Written by Shane Peacock(Tundra Books)
Into the Ravine Written by Richard Scrimger Tundra Books)
Better than Blonde Written by Teresa Toten (Penguin)

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Dean Griffiths May 12,08

Dean Griffiths was born and raised in Duncan, on Vancouver Island. His mother claims that when Dean was a toddler he wouldn’t eat his meals until she read him a story. During his elementary school years he was more interested in drama than
drawing. That all changed when, at the age of 12, he bought a copy of Ironman # 135. Halfway through the comic book, he knew that he wanted to be
a comic book artist. For the next few years Dean spent every spare minute drawing, creating his own comics and filling them with his own characters.
He credits the book How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John
Buscema as his main instruction in life drawing during this time.
Dean struggled in school and even failed art in grade ten. Thankfully,
during his last two years of high school Dean found a mentor in his
principal, Jerry Brewer. Mr. Brewer was an accomplished artist himself, and
he encouraged Dean to keep drawing.

In 1986 Dean moved to Vancouver where he worked for a computer graphics company for two years before finding himself back on Vancouver Island. In 1995 Dean dropped off some samples of his work at Orca Book Publishers in Victoria. He was immediately called back and soon after signed on to illustrate his first children's book, The Patchwork House, written by Sally Fitz-Gibbon. He has been happily illustrating children’s books ever since.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Ali & Lora's Must Have Books for Spring 08

Kate Walker & Company’s Best of Spring 2008; a list of must have books from Ali Hewitt and Lorna MacDonald


Art’s Supplies; Mechanimals by Chris Tougas (Orca Books)

Buttercup’s Lovely Day by Carolyn Beck (Orca Books)

Forestry A-Z by Ann Walsh & Kathleen Cook Waldron (Orca Books)

Emily Carr’s Attic by Diane Leger (Orca Books)

Jeffrey & Sloth by Kari-Lynn Winters (Orca Books)

Siwiti by Alexandra Morton (Orca Books)

Chester; Scaredy Squirrel; Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend; Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt (Kids Can Press)

Stanley’s Party; Stanley’s Wild Ride; Stanley at Sea by Linda Bailey (Kids Can Press)

Looking Closely Through the Forest; Looking Closely Along the Shore by Frank Serafini (Kids Can Press)

Bugs up Close by Diane Swanson (Kids Can Press)

One Hen by Katie Smith Milway (Kids Can Press)

Lily and the Paperman by Rebecca Upjohn (Second Story Press)

Maggie and the Chocolate War by Michelle Mulder (Second Story Press)

Lord of the Forest by Caroline Pitcher (Frances Lincoln)

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore (Bloomsbury USA)

Claire and the Bakery Thief by Janice Poon (Kids Can Press)

Elf the Eagle by Ron Smith (Oolichan Books)

Jake the Baker by PK Page (Oolichan Books)

Yellow Blues by Sean Moore (Raincoast Books)

Paleo Bugs by Timothy Bradley (Chronicle Books)

T is for Tugboat (Chronicle Books)

Like a Windy Day; The Sun is My Favorite Star; The Earth and I by Frank Asch (Harcourt Trade Publishers)

A Puppy is for Loving by Mary Labatt (Orca Books)

Klutzhood by Chris McMahon (Orca Books)

Wild Ride by Liam O’Donnell (Orca Books)

Orphan Ahwak by Raquel Rivera (Orca Books)

Still There, Clare; Not Fair, Clare; Double-Dare Clare by Yvonne Prinz (Raincoast Books)

Canadian Flyer Series by Frieda Wishinsky (Maple Tree Press)

Laugheteria by Douglas Florian (Harcourt Trade Publishers)

Time of the Thunderbird by Diane Silvey (Dundurn Press)

Reading the Bones by Gina McMurchy-Barber (Dundurn Press)

All-Season Edie by Annabel Lyon (Orca Books)

Impossible Things; Dead in the Water; Big Guy by Robin Stevenson (Orca Books)

Fouling Out by Gregory Walters (Orca Books)

Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky (Orca Boks)

Gotcha by Shelley Hrdlitschka (Orca Books)

Pauline, BTW Series by Edeet Ravel (Raincoast Books)

XYZ Series by Karen Rivers (Raincoast Books)

Perfect Cut by Julie Burtinshaw (Raincoast Books)

She Loves You by Rhonda Batchelor (Dundurn Press)

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April 7 Program Reminder

Don't miss our next program on April 7 with Ali Hewitt & Lorna MacDonald who will share the best kids books of the season. See below for more details.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

April 7 Program

The Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable is proud to present Best Kids Book Buys with book sales experts Ali Hewitt and Lorna MacDonald on April 7 at 7:30 at Spectrum Community School library, 957 Burnside Rd. $5.00 drop-in, $4.00/students, members free.

We Victorian’s love our booksellers. We rely on them to know our taste and to recommend the next great book for us to read. But who do booksellers love? Who keeps them in “the next great book” loop? Sales reps do according to a bookseller’s blog on Publisher’s Weekly. Lorna MacDonald & Ali Hewitt, two sales reps from Kate Walker’s Books, will give us the inside scoop on some great new titles from more than two dozen presses including publishers from Canada, the U.S., and Britain. Teachers, librarians, and parents won’t want to miss this informative evening.

Lorna MacDonald began her book career with Munro’s back in the days before it moved from its original Yates St. location. She earned her degree in Anthropology & History from the University of Manitoba and has worked for the BC Provincial Museum and for the provincial government in the Human Rights Department. After a stint with Sono Nis Press as a promotions manager, she moved to Stanton & MacDougall, which became later became Kate Walker & Co. Lorna is a favourite of Vancouver Island book sellers.

Ali Hewitt is the newest member of the Kate Walker & Co. team. She graduated from Carlton U. with an honors degree in history. Always a booklover, she began her career in the book business at Cadboro Bay Book Co. She completed the Summer Publishing Institute at Simon Fraser University, has presented “The Best in Kids Books” to Victoria Roundtable members on several occasions, and hosted a highly regarded kid’s book review blog. She is currently working out of Kate Walker’s Vancouver office.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Volunteer Opportunity

Yep, it's that time again; planning time for 2008 Canadian Children's Book Week. I was the Vancouver Island Book Week tour coordinator last year but will be traveling this fall. If you love kid's books, want to meet some great teachers,l ibrarians & children's book creators, & have some free time, this volunteer job is for you! See the job description below for more details.

Book Week Coordinator Needed for Vancouver Island

Canadian Children’s Book Week is Canada’s largest celebration of reading and Canadian children’s books in schools and libraries, organized by the Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC). The first Book Week tour was held in 1977 and since then over 300 Canadian authors, illustrators and storytellers have toured throughout the country.

We have an exciting tour planned for 2008 in honour of the 100th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery’s Canadian classic, Anne of Green Gables. The Canadian Children's Book Centre will celebrate classic Canadian children’s books during Canadian Children's Book Week. Thirty authors, illustrators and storytellers will travel across the country visiting schools, libraries, bookstores and community centres from November 15 to 22, 2008.

The CCBC is looking for a Book Week Coordinator for the BC Vancouver Island tour. In the past, Vancouver Island has hosted a variety of author and illustrators including Ron Broda, Monique Polak, Ian Wallace, Ted Staunton, Ting-xing Ye, and William Brownridge.

This is a volunteer position; however, a $250.00 honorarium and complimentary membership to the CCBC will be provided.

The Book Week Coordinator will coordinate the author/illustrator tour of Vancouver Island by:
- Contacting and selecting host schools, libraries, bookstores and community centres (based on applications that are submitted).
- Acting as a liaison for authors and illustrators; arranging tour itineraries; booking travel and accommodations within budget available; meeting and escorting authors; driving or arranging volunteers to drive authors to locations when feasible/necessary.
- Actively promoting Book Week by contacting regional and local media.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Cora Lee, the CCBC’s British Columbia Regional Officer at bc@bookcentre.ca or 604 506-2693. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please forward this information to them.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

A Perfect Gentle Knight with Kit Pearson



The Roundtable is proud to present A Perfect Gentle Knight with award winning author Kit Pearson. As one of Canada's most accomplished writers for young people, Kit says "I think I have the best job in the world." And who could argue. Kit has been sharing the stories and characters she creates since her first book was published in 1986. Curiosity and a love of story are the creative sparks that ignite Pearson's fiction. If you're curious about her creative process or if you are looking for a perfect way to spend an evening, join us on February 11 at 7:30 at the Spectrum Community School library.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

January 14th with author Linda Bailey



Linda Bailey with SophieDo plan to attend our first program of 2008 on January 14th when we will be welcoming author Linda Bailey. The program will begin at 7:30, but be sure to come early to browse the book table provided by Cadboro Bay Books.

The author of more than twenty books, Linda was born and grew up in Winnipeg. She traveled around the world, worked in England and Australia, and fortunately for us, settled in Vancouver where she earned a B.A. and an M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Linda describes herself as "an ex-college teacher, an ex-editor, an ex-travel agent."

Currently, she is the much loved author of the Stanley picture books (illustrated by Bill Slavin) as well as the Stevie Diamond mystery series, the Good Times Travel Agency books and more. Many of her books have now traveled around the world — just like her. Linda plans to share her passion for story structure and her keen interest in character archetypes, especially as they relate to her stories.