Category: News stories
Does it get any better than this?
What a fabulous Northern Forest of Reading series of events it was last week. The volunteers worked tirelessly. Special thanks to Meredith Gilbert Tutching, our own energizer bunny. The toughest job fell to the students, especially those who carried the signs and made the speeches about their favourite books and authors, like this young lady from North Bay.
Not what it looks like!
If someone just walked by this little sticker, they might think a student had “issues” but as the author of Making Bombs for Hitler, I am thrilled!
Kari Trogen (co-author of Margaret and the Moth Tree) snapped this shot at the Thunder Bay Forest of Reading day.
Thunder Bay Forest of Reading Authors
What a great time with Martin Springett,(myself) Janet Wilson, Kevin Sylvester and Natalie Hyde. Seated is Kari Trogen, Becky Citra and Brit Trogen.
Forest of Reading in the North: A whirlwind week!
I am finally home after a whirlwind week of visits to northern Ontario as part of the OLA Forest of Reading celebrations. Orest flew me to Parry Sound on Sunday night. Here’s a video of us getting ready:
I shared a room with Silver Birch Express nominee, Natalie Hyde. The next day, along with fellow nominees Brit and Kari Trogen, Wesley King, Bill Swan, Evan Munday, Janet Wilson and Steve Pitt we did a dizzy spin of workshops, presentations and signings.
Then Janet Wilson and I loaded into Natalie’s car and headed up the highway to North Bay to do it all over again on Tuesday and Wednesday.
My husband Orest picked Janet and I up at the North Bay airport via Charlie (our little airplane). For the occasion, he dressed in captain’s garb, complete with hat. And he made tickets for us both! Here’s a video of us flying away from North Bay:
It got cloudy the closer to home we got, so for a bit, we were between cloud layers:
We dropped Janet off at the Guelph airport, then flew another 11 minutes to the Brantford airport.
When I got home, I found out that I had WON the BC Red Cedar Award for Last Airlift!
The next day, a bunch of Silver Birch authors flew to Thunder Bay for more fun.
Virtual visit with Manitouadge Public School
I had a very interesting experience last Monday! I was set to do a google talk “virtual visit” with Manitouwadge students 1173 kilometers away. At the appointed time, as the students were assembling, the northern internet reception became very spotty. There was not enough strength to transmit my image to the students, and on my end, I could neither see them nor hear them! But we persevered. Sandra Woodrow, the library technician at Manitouawdge Public School typed me questions and prompts and I answered them. Just goes to show that there’s always a way!
Silver Birch at Ancaster Public Library today
Thank you for all the GREAT questions, you guys!
Thanks for the photos, Omaira!
School visits and a podcast!
I met great students at Wilkinson PS and William Burgess PS in Toronto. The Wilkinson Podcast Team interviewed me about Making Bombs for Hitler. Want to listen?
Here it is.
Visiting Sir Arthur Carty Catholic School
Ms Popovic from Sir Arthur Carty Catholic School in London just emailed me some photos from my March visit.
In this photo, I’m reading the scene when Nadia meets Hitler.
Students had lots of great questions about Stolen Child and Making Bombs for Hitler.
These Sir Arthur Carty students are holding up a variety of books, including the Japanese edition of Hope’s War. I’m holding the Korean edition of Silver Threads and the Ukrainian edition of Enough.
The question was “Which book is your favourite of all that you’ve written?” That is such a difficult question. I love them all! Enough holds a special place because it was such a risky book. Back in 2001 when it came out, I was subjected to hate mail and death threats for writing about the Holodomor — the Stalin-instigated starvation of millions — for the crime of being Ukrainian.