Orca Book Publishers Blog

Bilaal Rajan meets Nelson Mandela

Julia — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:56:07 +0000

Last week Orca author Bilaal Rajan had the honour of meeting Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela. Bilaal says this of his meeting with Nelson Mandela “Meeting Nelson Mandela was an experience I will never forget, one that I will take with me and talk about with my children and grandchildren one day, far into the future.” To read more about Bilaal’s experience click here.

Daniel Pennac’s Reader’s Bill of Rights

Julia — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:15:04 +0000

In case you haven’t seen it in a while (if you don’t already keep a copy in your back pocket at all times) here it is:

1. The right to not read

2. The right to skip pages

3. The right to not finish

4. The right to reread

5. The right to read anything

6. The right to escapism

7. The right to read anywhere

8. The right to browse

9. The right to read out loud

10. The right to not defend your tastes

(Reblogged with permission from the Library Voice Blog)

Best Children’s Books of the Year…

Julia — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:40:37 +0000

The Children’s Book Committee of the Bank Street College of Education has announced the 100th anniversary edition of the Best Children’s Books of the Year. This special expanded edition of the annual booklist will be published in September, 2009.

The following Orca titles made the list: First Time (Orca Soundings) by Meg Tilly; Maybe Later (Orca Echoes) by Ingrid Lee, ill. by Gabrielle Grimard; One Peace: True Stories of Young Activists, written and illustrated by Janet Wilson; and Pain & Wastings (Orca Soundings) by Carrie Mac.

(One Peace has already been listed by Smithsonian Magazine as a Notable Book of the Year and is shortlisted for the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award.)

They write, they paint and they run!

Julia — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:14:12 +0000

Orca Illustrator Graham Ross shares with us his story of running in the Boston Marathon.

“Qualifying for the Boston marathon has been a goal since taking up marathons 5 years back. The Boston marathon is somewhat mystical in running circles as it is one of very few marathons that you need to qualify to run. For my particular age group I needed to have a qualifying time of under 3 hours and 30 minutes. I have qualified two years in a row, but 2009 was the year I chose to head to Bean town to join 26,000 of my closest friends in a run from Hopkinton, Mass to downtown Boston.

Boston is notorious for challenging the runners with not only a tough course, but also the wild swings in potential weather on race day. Past marathons have been run in 32′C heat waves, Nor’easters that bring with it torrential rain and winds that could knock you over. This years edition of the marathon was to be visited by cool temperatures and mild winds. I can deal with that.

Heading in to the marathon I had had some doubt as to whether I would be able to run the race. The previous month and half I had been plagued by a foot injury that I couldn’t shake. I only learned recently through bone scan that I have a stress fracture. No wonder my foot hurt!

Race day came with me biting my nails and whining about being able to finish. My wife, Jenn was probably glad to see the back of my head as I headed out the door to catch the shuttle to the race start.

I had no expectations of what I would experience along the course as we ran from 42 kilometres outside of Boston into the city core. I was completely overwhelmed by the cheering throngs out three deep on either side of the course for the complete marathon. Buoyed by the unqualified support of all lining the streets I plugged away at the run, hoping my foot would hold out before letting me know that it wasn’t having anymore fun and it was going back to the hotel without me to sit by the pool.

Just at a point where I would consider packing it in. Someone in the crowd would yell “Go Canada” in response to the maple leaf on my hat.

Okay then, I’ll keep going. It was that support that saw me through to the finish, a little disappointed in my finishing time, but thrilled with the experience.”

Chocolate Lily Award winners announced

Julia — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:31:05 +0000

The Chocolate Lily Book Award is a choice award that showcases and celebrates the best of BC children’s fiction by encouraging BC grade school students to read the shortlisted titles and vote for their favourite at the end of each school year.

This years Chocolate Lily Book Award picture book category was won by Chris Tougas, author and illustrator of Mechanimals, by Orca Book Publishers. Mechanimals also won the Alcuin Design Award children’s category . Congratulations Chris!

Northwords Festival 2009

Julia — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:01:32 +0000

This year Orca has three authors participating in the Northwords Festival in Yellowknife. Richard Van Camp, Anita Daher and Fran Hurcomb will all be there reading, hosting workshops, providing one-on-one mentorship sessions, and discussing (via Panel) what makes writing for young people special. If you are in the North make sure to check out this great event. More information about the authors and festival can be found here.

Last chance to win a FREE book!

Julia — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:57:54 +0000

Katie’s Bookshelf is a book review blog that focuses primarily on young adult books. The one thing we really like about her blog is the frequent author interviews and contests she posts. Right now she has an interview with Darlene Ryan, author of Orca’s Five Minutes More and an opportunity to WIN THE BOOK.

For more information go here.

And thanks to Katie for having such a wonderful site.

A visit to Crumbly Hall

Melanie Jackson — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:24:32 +0000

Dinah Galloway is determined to sing one day at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall, or “Crumbly” Hall, as the redheaded sleuth called it when she was little. Recently her author, Melanie Jackson, stopped by Carnegie Hall – can Dinah be far behind? Not according to a mysterious, if slightly scattered, fortune teller named Madame Sosistris, who in Queen of Disguises definitely sees the famous performance venue in Dinah’s future.

Millionaire philanthropist An dre w Carnegie donated $2 million for the concert hall’s construction, finished in May 1891. Famous for its rich, precise acoustics, Carnegie Hall seats 3,000. Its début concert was conducted in part by none other than Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. But the Carnegie Hall performance Dinah most likes to hear about – and listen to – is Judy Garland’s, from 1961, called “the greatest night in show business history.”

2010 MYRCA shortlist announced

Julia — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:22:06 +0000

The Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Awards Inc. (M.Y.R.C.A.) aims to promote reading and Canadian literature by giving young people the opportunity to vote for their favourite Canadian book from an annual preselected list. The books are nominated based on their quality and reader appeal. All young people in grades 5-8 who have read or heard read at least 3 titles from the list can vote.

2010 Nominees

After by Hazel Hutchins (Smith, Bonappétit & Son)
The Ancient Ocean Blues by Jack Mitchell (Tundra Books)
Breathing Soccer by Debbie Spring (Thistledown Press)
Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji (Second Story Press)
Death in the Air by Shane Peacock (Tundra Books)
Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee (Scholastic Canada)
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (Square Fish)
Greener Grass by Caroline Pignat (Red Deer Press)
Libertad by Alma Fullerton (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Res Judicata by Vicki Grant (Orca Books)
The Séance by Iain Lawrence (Random House Canada)
The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton (Doubleday Canada)
Tweaked by Katharine Holubitsky (Orca Books)
War Brothers by Sharon McKay (Puffin Canada)
What World Is Left by Monique Polak (Orca Books)
Withershins by Susan Rocan (Great Plains)
Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen (Tundra Books)
Would You by Marthe Jocelyn (Tundra Books)

2009 International Reading Association Conference

Julia — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:17:59 +0000

We recently attended the 2009 International Reading Association Conference. While we were there middle school media specialist Cathy Nelson was kind enough to talk about her experiences using Orca Books with her students (on film).