Dear Teachers and Librarians,
Happy spring! The snow is melting, the sun is shining and Forests of authors are on the move!
In this issue you will find...
** LAST CALL for entries into this month's draws for autographed books. All previous bookings qualify!!!
** Book and nomination news!
** Our newest member - Rick Book!
** Quick links!
** Meet the Author: Matt Beam!
** We have the cure for Literacy week meltdown!
** THINK! - Last week's solution, this week's puzzle.
** Which out-of-province authors will be visiting soon
** Which Ontario authors will be in your area
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Book and nomination news....
Anita Daher has been named a finalist for the 2007 John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer!
Marsha Skrypuch's Aram's Choice has been nominated for the CLA 2006 Book of the Year for Children!
Anita Daher was pleased to participate in the October taping of a new Canadian literary game show called A Total Write-Off. The show, produced by Alberta's Panacea Entertainment, has been described as a cross between Whose Line is it Anyway, and Just for Laughs. The show has been running nationally each Wednesday on CLT, and each Friday on BookTelevision. Check local listings for Anita's episode.
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Our newest author: Rick Book!
Authors' Booking Service is pleased to announce that children's and Young Adult author, Rick Book, is now scheduling visits to Ontario schools.
Rick is best known for his edgy YA novel, Necking With Louise.
Rick was born and raised on a prairie wheat farm and has spent much of his career in Toronto as a writer and voice actor. Rick started his career with the CBC as a news reporter, and spent many years in advertising, writing campaigns for multinational corporations and threadbare charities. His documentaries have won awards around the world and he's written an IMAX film shown in Japan. His articles have appeared in the Globe & Mail, Today's Senior, Kanawa and OWL magazine. Rick has written several plays for radio as well as screenplays for television dramas. In addition, he's one of Canada's most respected voice actors and narrates television and radio commercials and documentaries.
To read more about Rick, go here.
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Quick Links!
See a complete list of our authors, visit:
http://authorsbooking.livejournal.com/6464.html
Check out information in past newsletters at: http://groups.google.com/group/authorsbooking
To book an author visit, reply to this message or email us at authors.bookingserv...@gmail.com
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Meet the Author: Matt Beam
Are you focusing on developing a love of reading in boys? Matt Beam is the perfect YA author to invite!
Matt was a sports fanatic as a young boy, playing everything from baseball to wall ball, ice hockey to road. His favourite writers at the time were Gordon Korman, John Christopher, and Susan Cooper. He seriously disliked (and still dislikes) turnips, bubble gum and the smell of new cars.
Matt has been writing fiction since the winter of 1999. When he started he had no idea what he was doing. He's only recently been upgraded to the uncertain status of having some idea of what he is doing. How boring would life and writing be if you had it all figured out!
Matt's most recent novel is Earth To Nathan Blue. He is also the author of Getting to First Base with Danalda Chase and Can You Spell Revolution?
To find out more about Matt, go here.
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Literacy nights!
If our inbox is any indication, the first week of May is hopping! Between evening Literacy events and Catholic Education Week, we have been inundated with requests for authors and illustrators who are comfortable speaking in front of a mixed group of students -- K to 8, and their parents, all at the same time.
So we canvassed our authors. As of right now, we still have 17 authors available for evening events in schools during the first week of May as well as other times. Here is a sampling:
Toronto storyteller Laurel Dee Gugler has done lots of literacy events!
Guelph illustrator Robin Baird Lewis says "I would love to do one!"
Robert Sutherland is available for venues in the Kingston area!
Werner Zimmermann just did several wonderful literacy evenings in northern Ontario. He has no openings during the first week of May, but many openings later on in the month.
John Wilson could do an evening event during the week of the Red Maple Awards.
Edo Van Belkom would love to do an evening event to two!
Other interested authors include: Anne Dublin, Lucy Falcone, Celia Godkin, Vicki Grant, Gail Nyoka, Kathy Stinson, Veronica Charles, Gillian Chan, Nancy Belgue, Marsha Skrypuch and Helaine Becker. (plus a brand new author who will be introduced next week...!)
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THINK! Brain Teasers, Word Puzzles, Logic Problems.
Answer to last week's puzzle:
1. The cut on his HEEL won't HEAL in time for the race, so HE'LL have to drop out.
2. The man was so upset about being BALD that he regularly BALLED himself up on the bed and BAWLED his eyes out.
3. I couldn't SENSE any of the SCENTS in the flower shop, because for some strange reason I had 50 CENTS crammed up my nose.
4. A bloodthirsty pirate will wander the SEAS and essentially SEIZE everything he SEES.
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This week's puzzle: Find a rhyme for each word below so you end up with a familiar three-word phrase in the form "__, __, and __"
Example:
Clue = "Took, Sign, Blinker"
Answer = "Hook, Line, and Sinker"
1. Flop, Crook, Glisten
2. Pin, Brace, Though
3. Versed, Beckoned, Heard
4. Leg, Sorrow, Wheel
5. Bawl, Park, Ransom
6. Sprawl, Tedium, Barge
7. Trap, Shackle, Top
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Win an autographed book.
Have you booked an author with us in the past? Then you are eligible for our draw. Send us your details!
Here's how it works:
Your name is entered into the draw once for each session you book with one of our authors. So, if you booked one author for one session, you will be entered once. If you booked one author for three sessions, you will be entered three times, and so on.
Please note that your entry will go into the draw on the month of the visit, and not at the time of booking.
Winners each choose a book, the author inscribes the book and mails it to the winner.
LAST CALL!!! The first book draws (for 10 books) will take place at the end of March and will include all prior author visits arranged by this service. You must send in details of your author visits to be entered in the draw! (Month, author and number of sessions.)
After the first draw, three books will be won each month during the school year.
For a list of books available to win, go here.
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Authors Coming From Out of Province!
Linda Bailey: May for the Blue Spruce Award: tour is now full.
Vicki Grant: Toronto - first week of April; Ottawa - last week of April.
Michael Kusugak: October 15 to 19, 2007. Toronto and surrounding area.
Adrienne Mason: May 10 - 18. Toronto area.
Carol Matas: June 11, 12 & 13: Toronto area.
Valerie Sherrard: Ottawa, April 23. Toronto & within 300 kms: April 30 - May 4.
Art Slade: May 16 p.m. & 18 a.m. Toronto.
Larry Verstraete: April 30 - May 04. Within 250 kilometres of Ottawa.
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Ontario Authors Coming your way!
Matt Beam April 9-12 in Sudbury area, April 16 to May 16 in Southern Ontario, May 17-18 Sudbury area, May 21-23 Northwestern Ontario, June 18 to end of year Southern Ontario.
Werner Zimmermann is available within driving distance of Guelph on the following dates: May 7 - 10, May 15, 17, 18, May 23 - 25, May 28 - 31
Robin Baird Lewis April 12-27, May 7-18, May 28-June 22, within 40 km of Guelph or Brantford but especially devoted to the underserved area south east and south west of Brantford down to Lake Erie. Weekend dates adjoining these dates (for example to visit Public Libraries) are negotiable.
Peggy Dymond Leavey (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) will be in the Ottawa area and available for bookings Tuesday, April 24. She will be in the Toronto area and available for bookings Monday, May 14; Tuesday, May 15; Friday, May 18. She is available for bookings from now until the end of the school year within a 250 km radius of Trenton, Ont. This area includes Ottawa, Petawawa and Huntsville.
Nancy Belgue (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) available for Toronto and London areas on April 23 to 26. She is available in Mississauga on May 1, and is available to travel from Kingsville as far as to the GTA on these dates:Friday, March 23, Monday, April 2, Tuesday, April 3, Friday, April 6, Monday, April 9, Monday, April 16, Friday, April 20
Helaine Becker (Silver Birch non-fiction winner, 2006) available for Barrie, May 8
Marsha Skrypuch (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) available within driving distance of Brantford. Some dates in the spring still available.
Frieda Wishinsky (Red Maple 2007 nominee) is available in the Kitchener area April 25th or 27th. Shared costs. Oakville April 9 and 11th, and Friday May 4th in the London area.
Veronika Martenova Charles will be in Windsor on April 19, and Tillsonburg on June 6.
Cora Taylor be in Sauble Beach and is available for school readings in Ontario from May 20th to the end of June.
Gail Nyoka (Silver Birch 2007 nominee) will be in Innisfil on June 4th and is available for one reading in the area -- Bradford, East Gwillimbury, Keswick -- in the afternoon. She is also available at other times within driving distance of Guelph.
LM Falcone April 12th - Schomberg, April 18th - Etobicoke, April 19th - Mississauga, May 7th - Milton, Windsor availability - Monday, April 30th - Thursday, May 3rd.
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Do you have questions, comments or suggestions about this service? We'd love to hear from you!
All the best,
Marsha & Valerie
