Honour Book Honour for Robots

Robots: From Everyday to Out of This World, my most recent chlidren's book, was one of the finalists for the Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award. The short-list had six books on it. One Peace was the winner, but Robots was named one of two "honour books."

Orca Books

Here's an update on a great Canadian (and British Columbian) publisher surviving in these tenuous times. Long ago I published a book with Orca. It's still one of my favourites, but is sadly long out of print.

Sell One, Give One Away

Awesome Book Tour from Dallas Clayton on Vimeo.

So what do you think of this? In an era when book publishing is in such flux, it's an interesting story of someone finding a new way. Of course self-publishing is not new, but he's also created what looks like (I haven't seen it) a great book that is well produced and, obviously, one that has struck a chord.

Remembrance Day Trio

This will come late to anyone hoping to plan something for the classroom or library, but, honestly, these books are good enough to haul out whenever you are discussing war, peace, poetry, history, and the lives of children here and there. I have just emerged from a very long book project and this was the earliest I could get to making this post, but these titles have been a diversion in the past for weeks for which I've been very grateful.

Linda Granfield, one of the finest non-fiction writers in Canada, has one new book out this year: Remembering John McCrae: Solidier, Doctor, Poet and, from last year, there is The Unknown Soldier.

I suspect that almost every child in Canada can recite at least the first few lines of "In Flanders fields, the poppies grow / Beneath the crosses, row on row...". Granfield's book brings depth to this poem as we learn the story of John McCrae, the man who scribbled it on a scrap of paper in honour of his friend, Alexis Helmer. This is just the kind of book I love—a running story line supported by a plethora of photos, paintings, journal excerpts, ephemera (even a photo of bone forceps) which adds graphical, and textual, interest to the pages. I can imagine a child browsing through the book, being drawn in by these images. Quotations from McCrae's letters and journals allow us to hear from McCrae himself.

This book is many things, but one thing that struck me after I finished is how it helps bring context to poetry. I think poetry if often intimidating to people, young and not so, and there is somehow a feeling of inadequacy when trying to "understand" it. But poetry is a source of expression — be it of joy or grief — and this book helps give context to that expression and somehow, I hope, make poetry — or at least the idea of poetry — more accessible to everyone.

Here's a review from Canadian Materials.

Apropos to this book, there is a show discussing Remembrance Day on the radio and one of the hosts just said that one of the greatest sorrows of veterans is to be forgotten. Was is such a tragic waste of life — usually young life — and with each death, a bit more of the human potential is lost. Memorials to the Unknown Soldiers help to remind us of those who were lost, and, tragically, never repatriated. These monuments give a place for people to remember all of the men who died and buried on the battlefield.

The Unknown Soldier also brings us to "The Unknown" monuments throughout the world as Granfield describes the monuments in 15 countries. The traditions surrounding these monuments was most interesting to me. In Moscow, for instance, it is a wedding tradition for newlyweds to leave flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Being one who enjoys visiting graveyards — they always seem very beautiful to me — I also enjoyed the spread explaining the symbols on gravestones. These sorts of details may be the perfect conduit to bring children into this book. The Unknown Soldier is another valuable addition to any bookshelf.

Here's a review from Canadian Materials.

Finally, the book Too Young to Fight: Memories From Out Youth During World War II compiled by Priscilla Galloway. I suspect this book is out of print now as it was first published ten years ago and, its publisher, Stoddart, is no longer with us. It is a gem, however, so worth searching for. (Wait! It's been republished by Fitzhenry and Whiteside!) Books about war are almost always about people fighting the war, but there were many ways in which people were affected. Perhaps a parent went to the battlefield, or your town was bombed, or you were interned because of your ethnicity. This book includes the remembrances of 12 Canadian writers who "were too young to fight." I'll confess that it's awhile since I've read this book, but it's on my stack for later today.

I'm not sure exactly how to sign off, but I can't help but remember a childhood friend of my sister's who brought my parents a "Happy Remembrance Day" card. Perhaps she didn't quite have the sentiment of the day right, but it was certainly memorable!

Letter to a Scientist (a "top" one)

Something to make your day, from Letters of Note, via BookNinja. Oh, so fabulous.



Read more about the letter here. It was sent in 1957 in a young person's bid to bring Australia into the space race. I love the: "You put in the other details."

Support for BC Bookworld

Four times a year I look forward to a new edition of BC Bookworld. Each issue profiles BC authors, illustrators and publishers, including self-published authors. It is an invaluable resource and a wonderful way to profile all things literary about BC. The magazine is available free through bookstores and on the BC ferries as well, so it is sure to get into peoples' hands and, no doubt, helps put new writers in readers' hot little hands. You can also subscribe to BC Bookworld for the very reasonable price of $25. Given the latest round of funding cuts BC Bookworld's future is a bit shaky. Please take a minute to read this letter and consider supporting BC Bookworld.

Dear Friend,

For more than twenty years, Alan Twigg and David Lester have produced B.C. BookWorld, Canada?s most-read independent publication about books. It?s an educational newspaper that serves 100,000 people per issue, via more than 900 distribution outlets around the province.

With the onset of the Olympics, the B.C. provincial government has suddenly withdrawn all its annual support, terminating a 22-year partnership with the non-profit society that sponsors B.C. BookWorld. The news came in a brisk phone call in October, without any explanation, and no paper trail, with less than one month?s notice.

Similar calls were made, on the same day, to the B.C. book publishers? association and the B.C. magazine publishers? association.

The future of B.C. BookWorld is now in jeopardy.

If you value and enjoy B.C. BookWorld, I invite you to help preserve and embolden this essential publication by sending a Supportive Subscription cheque of $25 to:

Pacific BookWorld News Society
3516 West 13th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C.
V6R 2S3

In return, B.C. BookWorld will be mailed to your home or office address throughout 2010.

Please act now. As legendary Canadian publisher Jack McClelland put it, ?In all sincerity, let me say that I have never encountered a book journal as engaging as B.C. BookWorld.?


Sent on behalf of Pacific BookWorld News Society; publisher Howard White (president), historian Jean Barman, Simon Fraser University chief librarian Lynn Copeland, Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing director Rowland Lorimer, Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia executive director Margaret Reynolds, author Andreas Schroeder, bookseller Don Stewart, Vancouver Public Library chief librarian Paul Whitney. In conjunction with the Coalition for the Defence of Writing and Publishing in British Columbia.

More Word on the Street

Thanks again to the fab. CWILL-BC blog — here's a list (with links) of all of the BC writers and illustrators creating children's books who will be appearing at Vancouver's Word on the Street event. Thanks, Tanya!

Win a Writer or Illustrator!

Head on over to the CWILL-BC blog to learn more about the Fall Book Harvest and to learn how you can win a visit by a BC writer or illustrator.