Thinking ahead pays off!
Valerie Sherrard
Dear Teachers and Librarians,
FALL SUBSIDIES are now available. Schedule your author visit today. Not sure about dates? We can help with that so that you can still get your subsidy application in early!
In this week’s issue:
Meet the OLA Forest of Reading Authors – Vikki Grant and Don Aker
Author Availability Section
AWESOME VISITS!
April book draw winners will be announced in next week’s newsletter.
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Meet Your OLA Nominees: Vicki Grant & Don Aker
Silver Birch: Vicki Grant
Vicki Grant has spent her entire adult life writing first as an advertising copywriter then as a television script writer. But it wasn’t until she wrote her first YA novel, The Puppet Wrangler, that she felt she’d found her calling.
Described as “a superb storyteller” (Canadian Children’s Book News), Vicki devotes herself to creating funny, exciting stories for children and young adults.
Vicki’s presentations begin with a short discussion of
her career. She looks at how her background in advertising and TV have
influenced her writing. She then reads short passages from each of her books and
entertains questions.
White Pine: Don Aker
Don Aker credits his writing success with always being around teenagers. A teacher for more than 20 years, he writes exclusively about issues that impact directly on the lives of his students. He explains, “My teen years were the toughest period in my life, which is probably why I can’t stop writing about characters who are teenagers. For me, it’s the period when human beings experience the greatest challenges and changes.”
In his role as a teacher, Don often encounters students whose life experiences trouble him. “If something bothers me long enough,” he says, “it almost always ends up in a short story or a novel.” In fact, his first novel, Of Things Not Seen, grew out of the moment when Don discovered one of his students was being physically abused by her father. His other novels include issues related to high school bullying, youth crime, teen sexuality, and even suicide, but Don’s stories aren’t all grim. “As much as possible,” he says, “I try to include humour to make heavy subjects like these enjoyable for readers, and I rely on my students to help me recognize what young people find funny.”
Don’s books are read by students across North America, and he’s often amazed by how readers in very different places react in similar ways: “I recently got an e-mail from a teacher in Tennessee whose students were reading Of Things Not Seen, and they were responding to it the same way as students do in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, where the novel takes place.” Don’s audience will continue to grow because HarperCollins is currently translating his novel The First Stone into French. “I won’t be able to read it,” he laughs, “but I can’t wait to see it.”
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AUTHOR AVAILABILITY: OLA Forest of Reading nominees
Sorry! Valerie Sherrard’s spring schedule is now full. Fall dates available.
Vicki Grant (Silver Birch Nominee) is available for one time slot on May 20 from 11:30 – 12:30 in the Bloor/West Etobicoke area.
John Wilson: (Red Maple Nominee) Available in the Mississauga area in the afternoon of May 20th, and the GTA, Peel or Durham areas on May 22nd.
Ann Dublin: (Golden Oak Nominee) Generally available for bookings in the GTA. Ask about other locations.
Veronika Charles (Silver Birch Nominee) Contact us to bring Veronika to your classroom.
ADDITIONAL AUTHOR AVAILABILITY
MAY 2008
Larry Verstraete Thunder Bay area.
Nikki Tate will be touring Southern Ontario (London, Guelph, Kitchener) during the week of May 12 to 16, contact us for further details.
JUNE 2008
Carol Matas is available for library readings or other events on June 26 & 27 in Toronto and outlying area.
FALL 2008 (Remember, you can apply for a subsidy NOW for a fall visit!)
Arthur Slade will be in the Toronto - Guelph area and has availability Sept. 8 – 10. Get your students motivated early in the school year with a visit from this Governor General Award winning author.
Celia Godkin will be in the GTA from October 30 – November 4.
Vicki Grant will be in Toronto and other areas (ask about yours!) November 3 – 7.
Jacob Berkowitz is available in Toronto/Oshawa/Scarborough/Markham the week of November 10 – 14. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Valerie Sherrard is available throughout southern Ontario November 24 - 28
For more information on these and other authors, go to: www.authorsbooking.com and click on Our Presenters. Each name links to details about location, presentations, fees, publications and more.
Our Ontario members are generally available within driving distance of their hometowns during the spring and fall. The Ontario authors (A) and illustrators (I) on our list are:
Tara Anderson (I)
Robin Baird Lewis (I)
Matt Beam (A)
Helaine Becker (A) Fall availability only
Nancy Belgue (A)
Jacob Berkowitz (A) Fall availability in Toronto and surrounding area.
Jo Ellen Bogart (A)
James Bow (A)
Gillian Chan (A)
Veronika Martenova Charles (A)
John Chipman (A)
Svetlana Chmakova (A/I)
Peter Christie (A)
Marina Cohen (A) We’ve been getting fantastic feedback on this new author’s visits!
Ray Conlogue (A)
Anne Dublin (A)
Hadley Dyer (A)
Wallace Edwards (A/I) available in May in the Ottawa/Kingston and GTA areas
L.M. Falcone (A)
Alma Fullerton (A)
Natale Ghent (A)
Rachna Gilmore (A)
Celia Godkin (A/I)
Nate Hendley (A)
Karen Krossing (A)
Jennifer Lanthier (A)
Peggy Dymond Leavey (A)
Deb Loughead (A)
Norah McClintock (A) Fall availability only
Robin Muller (A/I)
Hal Niedzviecki (A)
Gail Nyoka (A)
Liam O’Donnell (A) Fall availability only
Curtis Parkinson (A)
Shane Peacock (A) Shane is available after the middle of May!
Robert Sawyer (A)
Richard Scarsbrook (A)
Richard Scrimger (A)
Jocelyn Shipley (A)
Lesley Simpson (A)
Marsha Skrypuch (A) Spring 2009 availability only!
Martin Springett (A/I)
Kathy Stinson (A)
Robert Sutherland (A)
Cora Taylor (A)
Jan Thornhill (A)
Edo Van Belkom (A)
Joe Weissmann (A/I)
Jessica Westhead
(A)
Frieda Wishinsky (A) Fall availability
only
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AWESOME VISITS!
ABS Authors share their experiences on things educators have done to make their school visits more beneficial, pleasant or memorable.
Laura Langston wrote: The teacher-librarian made sure most of my books were in the school library, and prepared the students well. She read one of my picture books to the younger grades; the older students listened to the chapter of a novel. She also profiled my website and encouraged them to use the school computer to check it out. When it came time for my presentations, the students were well prepared and eager to ask questions. They got lots more out of my talk by being exposed to my work and I had more fun!
Don Aker wrote: Of course, it’s fantastic when students are prepared for my visit (i.e., they’ve actually heard of me and perhaps have even read one of my books before I arrive), but what I appreciate just as much are the efforts of teachers and librarians to ensure that I know exactly how to get where I’m going. I love it when they give me explicit directions to their locations (i.e., “turn left at Sommers, walk two blocks north to Creighton,” etc.) and provide me with MapQuests that take the guesswork out of finding my way around.
More authors’ comments next week!
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We’ve done the groundwork to help make your author visit
hassle free. Let us know how we’re doing and how we can improve this
service!
Marsha & Valerie
If, for any reason, you have difficulty reaching us at ABS, please contact either of us at home. Valerie: val...@nbnet.nb.ca Marsha: mar...@calla.com