Planning Family Nights and who is ABS?

[Authors Booking Service]

Hello ABS friends!!

Are you planning a Family Night or a Literacy event in January or February?

The time to plan is now and here are some things to consider:

Will your event be open to family members of all ages?
Do you want a book sale at your event?
Have you chosen a date plus a snow date?
Have you selected an author or illustrator who can present to a family audience?
Have you considered getting two different presenters, one for primaries and one for older kids? They can present simultaneously in separate rooms.
Not sure exactly what you want to do or whom to invite? Ask us! We are happy to assist you.

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Check out our roster of Tree nominees.

For a direct link to our growing list of nominees, click here:

http://authorsbooking.com/2043/2064.html

And here's a list of Our Presenters:

http://authorsbooking.com/2043/index.html

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News

Sigmund Brouwer's Howling Timberwolves series appear in December's Scholastic Book Clubs catalogue for grades 2-3. These hockey books are filled with hockey and pranks, sure to hook the reluctant boy reader.

Gillian Richardson's Kaboom! has been nominated for the 2011 Rocky Mountain Book Award (Alberta).

At the OLA Super Conference on February 4, Sigmund Brouwer will be presenting Rock & Roll Literacy, based on his upcoming non-fiction book of the same title to be released by Orca Book Publishers in the spring. His session shows how to use the emotional power of story to inspire all students, especially boys and reluctant readers.'

Marsha Skrypuch was this year's recipient of CANSCAIP's silver pin for volunteerism.

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Things you may not know about the creators of ABS: 

Many people know that Authors' Booking Service (ABS) is run by an entity called "Marsha & Valerie". Who are these mysterious people? Valerie & Marsha are YA and Children's authors themselves. Just like the people they help, Valerie & Marsha juggle a heavy schedule of book deadlines, readings and promotions. How do they manage to run ABS? They don't sleep!

If Marsha Skrypuch sees a wall, she likes to break it down

Marsha didn't read until she was nine. Not because she couldn't, but because kids' books back then were so awful (in her opinion) that she didn't see the point. She got hooked on good historical fiction once she got the reading bug and decided to write the novels she couldn't find in the library. She has now written more novels on the Armenian Genocide than any other writer in the English speaking world. Marsha was the first fiction writer to tackle such tough topics as WWI Internment in Canada, the Ukrainian Famine, and the hidden history of WWII. Writing on forbidden topics initially generated hate mail and death threats but the wall of intolerance is gradually breaking down.

Marsha knows that every child is one book away from being a passionate reader. Connecting students with authors creates passionate readers. In addition to her work with ABS, Marsha has mentored dozens of aspiring writers who have gone on to be published. "Assisting others and witnessing their success is one of the deepest pleasures in life."

Before she was a writer, Marsha was a librarian. And an inventor. To read more about Marsha, visit her ABS page here:

http://authorsbooking.com/2043/authors/Marsha_Skrypuch.html

 

Valerie Sherrard - Surrounded by Talent

 

Inspiration is never too difficult to find for the co-founder of Authors' Booking Service.  Valerie's husband Brent is also a young adult author, and her son-in-law, artist David Jardine has collaborated with her on several picture books.  Discussing story ideas over dinner is a natural event for the two writers.

 

Even so, Valerie's foundation for writing for children and young adults comes from years of working with young people.  After fostering approximately 70 teenagers in her own home, Valerie worked for ten years as the Director of a local group home for adolescents. 

 

As is so often the case, it was a teacher, Alf Lower, who first encouraged Valerie's writing.  While decades went by before she began to pursue a writing career seriously, the confidence her teacher had instilled in her never faded.  Sherrard later dedicated a novel, Hiding in Plain Sight, to Lower.

 

You can visit Valerie's page on the ABS site here:

 

http://authorsbooking.com/2043/authors/Valerie_Sherrard.html

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Presenter Availability

Contact us today about booking ANY of our Ontario members for the coming school year!

 

Elliot Moose creator Andrea Beck is available in London for half a day on either December 9th or 10th.

Silver Birch winner Robert Weston is available in Oakville on Feb 15th, 2011.

Jo Ellen Bogart will be in Ottawa and has dates available April 18 and 20, 2011.

Helaine Becker will be in the Ottawa area several times this school year and will waive travel costs for full day bookings (4 sessions). Contact us to be placed on Helaine’s waiting list.
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Out of Province presenters coming your way!

 

Contact us to be placed on ANY of our out-of-province members’ waiting lists and we’ll notify you when they make plans to visit Ontario.

Jill Murray will be in the Ottawa area on Dec. 1, and in the GTA on Dec. 2 & 3.

Multiple session discounts and NO long distance travel costs!

Sigmund Brouwer will be in Ontario for school and library presentations January 25 – 29 and Feb 2 to 3, 2011.

Pam Bustin will be in Ontario for the OLA Superconference. She has availability on Feb 2, 4 and 5 in the GTA and anywhere else that is accessible by public transit.

Silver Birch Non-Fiction Winner 2010 Larry Verstraete will be in Ontario for the OLA Super Conference in February of 2011 and is available for school visits at that time.

Philip Roy (Submarine Outlaw) is available for visits in the GTA, Hamilton and Oakville area in April 2011

Métis children's and YA novelist Jacqueline Guest will be in Toronto at the end of April 2011 and is available for visits at that time.

Art Slade, Silver Birch Fiction Nominee for The Hunchback Assignments will be available in downtown Toronto on the morning of May 11.

 

Lois Peterson: Silver Birch Express Nominee for The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw will be in the GTA May 9-15, 2011.

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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!

Valerie & Marsha

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Authors' Booking Service
Connecting Canadian Creators and Educators
a...@authorsbooking.com

If unable to reach us here, please contact Marsha at mar...@calla.com or Valerie at val...@nbnet.nb.ca