writes about war from a young person's view #bannedbyrussia
It will be so neat to be touring on Book Week on behalf of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre! This is the 4th time in my 28 years of books that I’ve been selected. It is such an opportunity to meet readers in communities I’d not otherwise be able to see in person. Congratulations to every book creator who will also be touring this year.
What an amazing Festival! It was so nice to see so many old friends and present books one and two of my Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy at the Speakers’ Corner.
How nifty is this? Dr. Mateusz Swietlicki, who probably knows as much about my books as I do, found the real-life girl while in Antwerp who became the image of Anya for Prisoners in the Promised Land.
| Sheryl’s book will be released on October 18, 2025. Five out of five stars from me! “A tender, heartfelt, and intelligent coming-of-age story that celebrates quiet strength and trusting your instincts.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Straight A student, talented artist, swim team star — tenth-grader Lexie Moore is a shoo-in for Sunridge High’s prestigious fine art program, if only she can find the right words to tell her dad she wants to apply. Lexie’s dad doesn’t see the point of some overpriced art school. He wants Lexie and her brother at home to help him launch his new renovation business. He says he can’t do this without her, so Lexie agrees to pitch in, just for a little while. If she supports his plan, then he’ll have to support hers, right? It’s only fair. But Lexie’s dad has a very different definition of “fair,” and as his demands increase, his means of getting his way become more and more suffocating. Red Flags and Butterflies is an engrossing story about a young person facing the realities of emotional abuse. | |||||
Standoff, book 2 of my #KidnappedfromUkraine trilogy just popped up as number one for hot new releases in its category on both Amazon.com and Amazon.ca today. Standoff will be published on Oct 7th. Book 3 is also number 5 on the dot com site and 3 on the dot ca site. Readers of Under Attack, book one, have commented that reading it helped them understand on a visceral level what it’s like to be a kid in Ukraine right now.
I’m not writing; I’m not editing. This is a rather strange feeling. Instead, I’m spending a lot of time outdoors.
I watched this great spangled fritillary butterfly coming out of its cocoon this morning. (Update: ack! This is actually the butterfly being attacked by a goldenrod crab spider!! Thanks Linda Mikolayenko for that dose of reality!)
It was such a pleasure to speak with 7th grade students at JL Simpson Middle School this May. This is the second year in a row that I’ve virtually visited with all 11 classes. Students are well-prepared and avid readers and I really admire their teachers because they know how to combo a whole lot of learning for maximum effect. I got this package in the mail — thank you notes from the kids, and also from Jennifer, media specialist extraordinaire. But these aren’t just any thank-you notes. Students created thank you notes for me to use as thank you notes! The outside of each note card has student-created art based on a scene from one of my books. On the back of the cards is the student’s name and the name of the book that inspired their art. So a learning opportunity that combines art, literature, history, communications and courtesy! Wow!
Thrilled to be giving the Claire Mackay memorial lecture at the annual CANSCAIP Packaging Your Imagination one-day conference. My topic: Writing from the Shadows. Before I was published in book-form, this conference was the one that jump-started my career. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in writing or illustrating books for young people. Here’s the full program.
