June Recommendations
Upcoming Events
I'm excited and honoured to announce that Penguin Days has been shortlisted for the Chocolate Lily Book Award. This young readers' choice award encourages students across the province to read books written and/or illustrated by BC authors and illustrators.
On July 8th I’ll be taking part in the Whistler Writers Festival’s first-ever hybrid Summer Reading Series. The series kicks off with a Spotlight on B.C. Authors on the evening of July 8th with a hybrid in-person and live broadcast reading event. Featured authors include Joshua Whitehead (Jonny Appleseed), Katherine Fawcett (The Swan Suit), Sara Leach (Duck Days), Mary MacDonald (The Crooked Thing) and moderator Leslie Anthony.
On the afternoon of Saturday July 10th, the series presents an outdoor book celebration for families—with activities, refreshments, and a presentation by Rebecca Wood Barrett (My Best Friend is Extinct).
In the evening of July 10th, a virtual reading and Q&A will feature authors Angie Abdou (This One Wild Life), Hassan Al Contar (Man at the Airport: How Social Media Saved My Life), Francesca Ekwuyasi (Butter Honey Pig Bread), Bruce Kirkby (Blue Sky Kingdom: A Family Journey to the Heart of the Himalaya), and Nisha Patel (Coconut), moderated by Rebecca Wood Barrett. Visit www.whistlerwritersfest.com in mid-June for tickets and more details.
Adult Book Recommendation
Greenwood by Michael Christie
This family saga, stretching from 2038 back to 1908 and then forward to 2038, is told in a format of concentric stories that mimics tree-ring growth. Each multifaceted characters has a connection to trees--protecting them, building with them or cutting them down. The settings, plot and characters are all rendered in beautiful detail. I LOVED this book.
Children's Book Recommendation
The Matilda Effect by Ellie Irving
Young inventor Matilda learns that her granny was once a scientist who discovered her own planet. Granny’s boss took credit for the discovery and decades later is about to be awarded the Nobel prize. Determined to show everyone the truth, Matilda helps Granny escape from her care home and they embark on a romp from England to Sweden via laundry cart, milk truck, boat, hot air balloon, train and motorbike. This book requires a strong suspension of disbelief, but I loved Matilda’s quirkiness, humour, love of science and strong voice.
Behind the Scenes
Sounds of the Ferry
Before I wrote Sounds of the Ferry, my intention was for it to be a book about the machines on a ferry boat, very similar to Mountain Machines. I asked BC Ferries to give me a tour of the boat (it’s amazing what people will agree to when you tell them you’re writing a book). I rode round trip from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo and was given a tour of all the decks, including the engine room and the navigation room. Instead of being wowed by the machines, I was struck over and over again by the sounds I heard. Thus, Sounds of the Ferry was born.
Professional Resource
Podcast: Kidlit Confidential
Canadian author Vicky Grant has started a new podcast about who does what in the children's book biz and how it impacts us as creators. In this episode she interviews agent Fiona Kenshole who has great advice on how to write a query letter. Fiona’s advice would work whether you are sending a query to an agent or a editor at a publishing house directly. One piece of advice that really stuck with me—Fiona says when she reads a query she thinks “Why should I read this book? Why should I read it now? Why is this the author to write it?” Listen here.
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If you’d like to purchase any of these books, you can visit your local independent bookstore, or click on the image for an affiliate link to amazon.ca.