Tag: kidnapped from Ukraie

London: Still Alive launch and Vyshyvanka Day

It was a wonderful event last night in London Ontario. Many thanks to the volunteers and organizers from London UCC and the London Ukrainian Centre. It was great to see the students and educators from Woodstock’s St. Sophia Ukrainian school as well!

 

Friday afternoon: my last bookweek visit at Sherwood Park

My final school visit for Book Week was on Friday afternoon at École Sherwood Park ES. Students had so many interesting questions and observations about writing, world history, the war in Ukraine, and dyslexia. Often, by Friday afternoon, students are tired, but these young readers were animated and interested. Thanks so much, Patricia Laursen, teacher-librarian!

Tuesday afternoon: Lynne Valley PL and Kidsbooks

After speaking to big groups in the morning, it was a refreshing change to speak with a small group of homeschooled students and their parents. It was more like a conversation than a presentation and each person there had the opportunity to ask questions and comment. Thank you, Rachel Brown, librarian! I loved every minute of it!

I dropped by Kidsbooks on Edgemont to sign stock copies of my books and asked Alex to pose with me by the outdoor sign! I LOVE independent bookstores! What would authors do without the expertise and passion of independent booksellers?

After signing, I headed out to the Sea to Sky highway and drove to Pemberton — a 2+ hour GLORIOUS drive! I would have loved to take photos. The mountains and the sea were breathtaking. I kept my eyes glued to the road!

 

Under Attack shortlisted for 2 readers’ choice awards

I am thrilled that Kidnapped from Ukraine book #1: Under Attack has been shortlisted for both the Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award and the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Northern Lights Award. I love readers’ choice programs the best because young readers themselves select the books instead of adults on a jury.

Triple Book Launch at Mabel’s Fables!


So excited to be launching book #3 of my Kidnapped from Ukraine
trilogy at a triple book launch with fabulous Canadian children’s
writers, Anna Rosner and her newest, Last Year with Maddie, and Lorna Schultz Nicholson and her newest, The Man in Motion! Hope to see you
there!

Bond Academy virtual vist

Loved visiting with grade 6-8 students from Bond Academy in Scarborough ON yesterday. We talked about learning challenges, what makes an interesting story and my Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. My favourite question was a writers’ craft one: how do you fix it when you know the whole story that you’re writing but there are blank spots and details that need to be filled in.

My answer? I said that I hate to break it to you, but what you’ve got there is an outline, not a story. And then we discussed what goes into knowing your character and their world.

Another great question was what does it mean, being banned by Russia!

Another one? Why do you write?

Last week’s webinar

It was such an honour to be a reading series presenter for the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National University of Cherkasy last Thursday. The session was via Zoom and made available to the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies.

The questions were perceptive and wide-ranging. I was particularly heartened by this feedback from students Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National University of Cherkasy.