Tag: scholastic

A four school virtual day

Such a pleasure to meet with 4 schools today! First up was Delran Middle School in NJ. Students had just finished reading Making Bombs for Hitler and we had such good discussions about the real people and history behind that novel, that trilogy and also about Winterkill.

I also met with students from Souris School in Manitoba, East Selkirk MS, and Hollyburn School in West Vancouver.

Here are some Hollyburn pics:

This is a pic from East Selkirk

Boo! East Selkirk as well!

#VelshiBannedBookClub

I admire Ali Velshi’s fierce defense of freedom to read. His Banned Book Club sheds light on books that illuminate, educate and irritate. Everyone should be able to read what they want and being able to read a variety of books from all different viewpoints is the cornerstone of a democracy. It was such an honor to have Winterkill featured today on Ali Velshi’s Banned Book Club segment, particularly because Ali is in Kyiv right now, highlighting the injustices of russia’s genocidal war. This is so important with the anniversary of the war fast approaching.

I was particularly impressed with the superb research that went into the Holodomor backgrounder as an intro to Winterkill. Deep respect for Ali Velshi.

Here’s the interview:

And a really good backgrounder on the Holodomor here:

Thank you, Joanne Levy, for taking this pic!

An excellent and terrible book

Thank you Susan Lowell and the Historical Novel Society for this review of Winterkill. You’d think an author wouldn’t like their book to be called terrible, but seeing as I’m immersing the reader in the midst of a largely unknown genocide that’s being replicated by Russia right now, the description is apt. Here’s how the review begins:

This is an excellent and terrible book.

Well-written, it includes convincing and sympathetic characters, and it bears witness to an awful historical event: Stalin’s partially successful attempt between 1930 and 1933 to starve Ukraine to death. Its author, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, is, in her own words, “fierce in her pursuit of truth.” Read more here.

OLA Superconference: signing two books

Library professionals and educators! Are you going to next week’s conference? It’s so wonderful to be doing this in person again. I’ll be signing two books there, so come and say hello. Fitzhenry & Whiteside has just reissued the third redesigned and updated edition of Silver Threads, and I’ll also be signing Winterkill at the Scholastic booth.

First visit of 2023

The wonderful Ms Bartholomew invited me to Riverside Elementary, Suwanee Georgia, for two back to back visits this morning. I think this is the third time I’ve visited Riverside and always, the students are such a pleasure to speak with. Thank you, Ms Bartholomew and Riverside educators for your great prepping!

I didn’t think to ask for a photo until the second session was almost over — that should tell you how excited I was to get back in the class with students after the holiday break. This spring I have a number of in person visits scheduled and I’m really looking forward to that.

Look at these smiling faces!

Koota Ooma!

It was great popping in to Koota Ooma Ukrainian Book and gift store this past Wednesday on my way home from Toronto after an informative brain-picking session with with two knowledgeable academics for my novel-in-progress. I offered to sign any of my books that Koota Ooma had on hand, thinking they might have a half a dozen or so. Much to my delight, they had a PILE — and a great variety! The first pen ran out of ink! So, if you’re looking for an autographed copy of Winterkill etc, you know where to get it!

I also did some shopping. Look at those beautiful necklaces! And picked up a fantastic book, The Zelensky Effect. You can get one too — an autographed copy, no less because later on Wednesday, author Olga Onuch had her book launch!