Vancouver Writers Fest (October 18-24, 2021)

The Vancouver Writers Fest is again presenting a stellar list of authors in dozens of virtual, in-person and hybrid events. While many BC readers have been able to partake in the VWF over its 30+ years, virtual events have now opened up possibilities for young readers across Canada to enjoy these same events.  I encourage teachers and parents to check out the plethora of author events at this year's VWF, to be held from October 18-24, knowing that there is something for everyone here.

 

To help get you interested, let me tell you about the events featuring Canadian authors of books for young readers. Then you can head to the festival website, check out this year's Program Guide, look into all their youth events, or book a visiting author as part of their Writers in the Classroom.

 

 

Scheduled Events  

(of Canadian authors for youth)

Monday, October 18, 2021

 

9:30 AM

Caroline Adderson

Sunny Days Inside and Other Stories

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson

When You Get the Chance

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2:00 PM

Wab Kinew

Walking in Two Worlds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

 

9:30 AM

David A. Robertson

On the Trapline

Illustrated by Julie Flett 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

Jen Sookfong Lee

Finding Home: The Journey of Immigrants and Refugees

 

 

 

and 

Lois Peterson

Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

9:30 AM

Ashley Spires

Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!

Reviewed here

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

Sarah Raughley

The Bones of Ruin

 

 

and

Xiran Jay Zhao

Iron Widow

Thursday, October 21, 2021

9:30 AM

David A. Robertson

The Great Bear (The Misewa Saga, Book 2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:00 AM

Susin Nielsen

Tremendous Things

and 

Peyton Thomas

Both Sides Now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2:00 PM

Gordon Korman

Linked

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writers in the Classroom

 

The Vancouver Writers Fest also organizes a program called Writers in the Classroom which provides opportunities for young readers to connect with authors. This year, sixteen authors offer virtual presentations for classes from Grades 1-12. Deadline to apply for an author visit is September 30, 2021 and are booked on a first come, first serve basis, so teachers are encouraged not to delay. Details may be found at https://writersfest.bc.ca/youth#writers-in-the-classroom.

 

Hope young readers get to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to listen to some Canadian authors of books for young people read and speak about their books. 

It's sure to be a great author event.

 

Muddle School

Written and illustrated by Dave Whamond

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0486-6

144 pp.

Ages 8-13

September 2021

For every child who has ever felt nervous about starting a new school, who has been bullied, who's worried they will never make any friends, who feels like their teachers don't understand them, and who wish for do-overs for all those mistakes and embarrassing moments, Dave Whamond has your story. In fact, Muddle School is his story, and it's funny because Dave Whamond is a funny guy but also because it's so real. After all, it's everyone's story from middle school.

From Muddle School by Dave Whamond

In graphic novel format, Dave Whamond gives us David, a kid starting at a new school, wearing his father's powder-blue leisure suit, feeling a bit like an alien. He doesn't even get inside the school before a trio trash talk him and dump him and his belongings, except his new artist pens which they take, in a "Muddle" puddle. Hard to be positive sitting in a ripped and wet suit, being singled out by teachers, or eating lunch in the bathroom. 

Fortunately, he takes great pleasure in pranking his little sister, making up his own swear words and drawing. Unfortunately, his drawing is the only thing he seems to like about school. He does make a plan to take on the biggest kid, Bad Brad, but that doesn't go quite to plan. And his crush on Lisa Jordana becomes a new source of humiliation, especially when he's led astray by her friend and she comes over to his house for a birthday party when he and his trio of acquaintances dress up as the 70s band "Smooch."

From Muddle School by Dave Whamond

Not surprising that when David designs a time travel machine with new acquaintance Chad Chooloo, they set the dial for David to go back to the first day at Muddle School before everything went awry. And it works! Or does it?

From Muddle School by Dave Whamond

I suspect most middle-graders see themselves as misfits, especially as they transition from cute little kids to teens with puberty woes and more responsibilities. Middle school probably seems like a muddle to everyone. But by sharing his personal middle school woes–he appends his story with "Flash to the Future" in which he confesses to the accuracy of many of the anecdotes in Muddle School–Dave Whamond reassures young readers that they can and will get through even if it's challenging at the time and he does so with sensitivity and humour in both his text and his black pen and ink with blue digital watercolour. (Black and blue? Like a bruise? Middle school can be painful.)

 

For middle-graders who are sure they'll never make it through, refer them to Dave Whamond's Muddle School. After all, Dave Whamond became the cool grown-up who actual makes a living with his artwork, contrary to his teacher's pronouncement that he never would, and has won two Blue Spruce Awards (My Think-a-Ma-Jink, Oddrey), a Silver Birch Award (Secret Agent Y.O.U.), a Shining Willow Award (Frank and Laverne ) and numerous Reuben Awards from the National Cartoonists Society. I'd say that's pretty cool.

The 2021 Canadian Children's Book Centre Book Awards: Shortlists announced

This week, the Canadian Children's Book Centre, our nationally-renowned authority on all things related to youngCanLit, announced the finalists for the 2021 Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards. (See their website announcement here with pdf here and video of shortlists here.)

The eight major children's book awards, which will be awarded later this fall, include:

• TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($50,000), Sponsored by TD Bank Group;
• Le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse ($50,000), Sponsored by TD Bank Group;
• Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award ($20,000), Sponsored by A. Charles Baillie;
• Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction ($10,000), Sponsored by the Fleck Family Foundation;
• Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000), Sponsored by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Bilson Endowment Fund;
• Amy Mathers Teen Book Award ($5,000), Sponsored by Amy Mathers' Marathon of Books;
• Le Prix Harry Black de l’album jeunesse ($5,000), Sponsored by Mary Macchiusi; and
• Jean Little First-Novel Award ($5,000).
  

Here are the short lists for each award category, as announced by the Canadian Children's Book Centre:

TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

The Barnabus Project

Written and illustrated by Terry Fan, Eric Fan and Devin Fan 

Tundra Books

The Barren Grounds
(The Misewa Saga, Book 1)
Written by David A. Robertson
Puffin Canada

A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye
Written by Melanie Mosher
Nimbus Publishing

Bloom
(The Overthrow, Book 1)
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins Publishers

When Emily Was Small
Written and illustrated by Lauren Soloy
Tundra Books

Le Prix TD de littérature pour l'enfance et la jeunesse canadienne

Aurore et le pays invisible
Written by Christiane Duchesne
Éditions Québec Amérique

C’est quoi l’amour ?
Written by Lucile de Pesloüan
Illustrated by Geneviève Darling
Éditions de l'Isatis

Colle-moi
Written by Véronique Grénier
Groupe d’édition la courte échelle

Ma maison-tête
Written and illustrated by Vigg
Éditions Fonfon

Pokko et le tambour
Written and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Translated by Nadine Robert
Comme des géants

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

 

The Barnabus Project
Written and illustrated by Terry Fan, Eric Fan and Devin Fan
Tundra Books

 

Golden Threads
Written by Suzanne Del Rizzo
Illustrated by Miki Sato
Owlkids Books

Our Little Kitchen
Written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Groundwoods Books

Swift Fox All Along
Written by Rebecca Thomas
Illustrated by Maya McKibbin
Annick Press

Weekend Dad
Written by Naseem Hrab
Illustrated by Frank Viva
Groundwood Books

Norma Fleck Award For Canadian Children's Non-Fiction

111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl
Written by Rina Singh
Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer
Kids Can Press

Crows: Genius Birds
(Science Comics)
Written and illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt
First Second

The Eagle Mother
(Mothers of Xsan, Book 3)
Written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan
HighWater Press

Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance
Written by Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane
Orca Book Publishers

This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias
Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Illustrated by Drew Shannon
Kids Can Press

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

Barry Squires, Full Tilt
Written by Heather Smith
Penguin Teen Canada

The Brushmaker's Daughter
Written by Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press

Journal of a Travelling Girl
Written by Nadine Neema
Illustrated by Archie Beaverho
Wandering Fox Books

 

The Paper Girl of Paris

Written by Jordyn Taylor

HarperTeen

Under Amelia's Wing
(The Ginny Ross Series, Book 2)
Written by Heather Stemp
Nimbus Publishing

Amy Mathers Teen Book Award

Charming as a Verb
Written by Ben Philippe
Balzer & Bray

Facing the Sun
Written by Janice Lynn Mather
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Followers
Written by Raziel Reid
Penguin Teen Canada

 

He Must Like You

Written by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Penguin Teen Canada

The Silence of Bones

Written by June Hur

Fiewel & Friends

Prix Harry Black de l'album jeunesse

Albertine Petit-Brindamour déteste les choux de Bruxelles

Written by Anne Renaud
Illustrated by Élodie Duhameau
Groupe d’édition la courte échelle

 

Le grand méchant loup dans ma maison
Written by Valérie Fontaine
Illustrated by Nathalie Dion
Éditions les 400 coups 

 

L’horoscope
Written by François Blais
Illustrated by Valérie Boivin
Éditions les 400 coups 

 

Ma maison-tête
Written and illustrated by Vigg
Éditions Fonfon

Le tricot
Written and illustrated by Jacques Goldstyn
Éditions de la Pastèque

 

Jean Little First-Novel Award

Journal of a Travelling Girl
Written by Nadine Neema
Illustrated by Archie Beaverho
Wandering Fox Books

My Name is Konisola
Written by Alisa Siegel
Second Story Press

No Vacancy
Written by Tziporah Cohen
Groundwood Books

 

 

 

 📚📚📚

The winners of the English-language awards will be announced at a virtual event (streamed for all to attend) on October 29, 2021 presented in partnership with the Toronto International Festival of Authors.

The winners of the French-language awards will be announced similarly on October 28, 2021 in partnership with Communication-Jeunesse and featured as part of the Toronto International Festival of Authors.