BC Book Prizes On Tour
April 15, 2008
Today less events than yesterday for me, but it seems even more new people, questions and presentations. Did I mention it is ex-cellent fun getting to know so many talented and nice people? Due to this I am starting to build a fantastic collection of autographed books myself! Today I had a lot of fun doing my presentations and the kids seemed to be into it as well, which is always THE (obviously) best thing about this. The weather seems to love us as well, and so me Robert, Shaena and Gillian Wigmore had another day full of sunshine and happiness. Could we possibly get any luckier? (This is what I also asked myself after temporarily freaking out thinking I had lost my camera/which isn’t really even my camera… technically, ... but of course it ended up being in the tour van! Ha! ... Good thing I didn’t make a big fool out of myself calling the last school I was at and making them search the washrooms, staffroom, and library for it…. ..... .... heh.
Posted by Lisa Cinar | Filed under: Greater Vancouver Leg 2008 |
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April 15, 2008
As I am writing this it is already the end of my second day on tour but so much has happened in two days that I feel both deserve separate entries since both were chock-a-block full of amazing events!
First of all tough I would like to thank the lovely Jamie from BC Book Prizes for driving me around all day in the BC Book tour van and contributing to making me feel immensely special, nice work! 
At Hastings Elementary which was our first stop of the day I got to meet the ever so animated and kind Robert Heidbreder, which was really fun for me since I have read and enjoyed several of his books! However… if you are a fan of Roberts work I HIGHLY recommend actually seeing the man do a live reading (especially for kids), since he is a regular slapstick and comedy act and covered amongst others bunny-hopping, peeee-yuuuu-ing, falling down as well as various unconventional ways of making wishes in his presentation! A real treat!
My own presentation went well at Hastings Elementary and I decided not even to use the overhead projector for the images since the amount of children was just right so that they could all see the images from me simply holding up the book while reading.
Our second stop of the day was Charles Dickens school. It ended up being a lovely sunny day and since Robert had volunteered to drive me as well as himself to this event we had plenty of time to take a nice stroll around the school which we agreed was very beautiful. It was highly enjoyable to sit in the sun and talk about making Children’s books as well as getting to know each other a little. Then the bell rang and we knew it was time for our second reading of the day….
I enjoyed myself a bit more at my own reading this time, perhaps because I had just been sitting in the sun, but also because I was now much more comfortable with myself, and of course the children were all little angels, behaved very well and also had some very good questions to ask. For example, ‘Can children be authors?” YES! and ‘How long did it take you to make this book’ as well as ‘Will there be a sequel?’ ... Oh the children of today, so smart,so hip Also worth mentioning was the lovely librarian at Charles Dickens Elementary who certainly made me and Robert feel extremely welcome and at ease.
The last event of the day consisted of an evening of all the Authors from the Lower Mainland leg doing readings at the Downtown VPL. It was fun to meet some people who were buying my book and it was also nice to see some of my friends who had come to this event which was a nice surprise for me.
A busy day in which so much happened! I talked to so many children AND adults that I still can’t believe it was just one day, ... the first day that is.
Posted by Lisa Cinar | Filed under: Greater Vancouver Leg 2008 |
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April 15, 2008
Mary Novik speaking to students at Prince Rupert Secondary School.
Posted by Bryan Pike | Filed under: Northern Leg 2008 |
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April 15, 2008
Running in Terrace
7 a.m.
The town comes alive. People begin to bustle.
Only two days and already I recognize familiar faces.
What will today bring?
Who will I meet today?
I can’t wait to start my day….
Posted by Kari-Lynn Winters | Filed under: Northern Leg 2008 |
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April 14, 2008
Keri-Lynn signs a card for Kelsey Brown and Delaney MacDonald at Seal Cove Elementary
Posted by Bryan Pike | Filed under: Northern Leg 2008 |
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April 14, 2008
Here we are at Van Tech Secondary with authors Gillian Wigmore and Shaena Lambert. Gillian Wigmore reading from her book Soft Geography
Robert Heidbreder, author of A Sea-Wishing Day entertaining the troops at Charles Dickens Elementary
Posted by Jaimie Tait | Filed under: Greater Vancouver Leg 2008 |
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April 14, 2008
Yesterday Mary, Theresa, Nan, and I presented at the Terrace Public Library, in a gorgeous art-gallery. On the walls were some incredible quilts, created by Betty Doering, Jan Goodwill, and others. Theresa Kishkan’s presentation included a reading from her book, Phatom Limb. This essay was about quilt-making. I couldn’t help but feel completely engaged. As she read, I studied the quilts around me and I came to the conclusion that writing is quiltmaking.
Here are some similarities between quiltmaking and writing (for reference—anything in quotes is Theresa’s writing, p.p. 18-21)
-“A quilt takes months.”
-A story takes months.
-“You choose a pattern, something formal or an idea to cobble together.
-You choose a theme, ideas that you will piece together.
“You try to think how much fabric you will need…”
-You try to think how much material you will need and how long your story will be.
“Cut out fabric into required pieces…”
-Write out the material into required blocks of text. You can fill in the gaps later.
“Fit these [blocks of fabric] together in an agreeable way…”
-Fit these blocks of text together in an agreeable way.
“Baste together with big stitches…”
-Baste your writing together with rough transitions.
“Then you can quilt.”
-Then you can draft and re-draft.
“Make the tiny stitches which draw the layers together and create texture.”
-Make tiny edits which draw the layers together and create texture.
Then be sure to share your creation with others. Hang up your writing, share it with everyone who will listen.
Posted by Kari-Lynn Winters | Filed under: Northern Leg 2008 |
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April 14, 2008
This is Lisa Cinar, author of The Day It All Blew Away, with Hastings Elementary Librarian Frances Renzullo. It’s day one of the BC Book Prizes Lower Mainland Tour!
Posted by Jaimie Tait | Filed under: Greater Vancouver Leg 2008 |
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April 14, 2008
We had a beautiful run along the Skeena River this morning from Terrace to Prince Rupert. The mountains were glorious—snowy and backlit with watery sun. Mary and I visited Prince Rupert Secondary School where the kids were eager and the staff welcoming. I’ve been to Prince Rupert before and love the air; it’s redolent with the ocean, loud with eagles. This evening we read as a group at the library. It’s fun to see the B.C. Book Prizes posters all around town (and I realize I’m wearing the same sweater as in my author photo). When Bryan was collecting us all from Cow Bay earlier this afternoon, a school bus passed with many of the kids who’d attended Nan and Kari’s event at the local elementary school. Instant stardom—excited faces at the windows, arms waving…!
Posted by Theresa Kishkan | Filed under: Northern Leg 2008 |
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April 14, 2008
Hello BC BookTour Blog readers, Meg Tilly here. I’m afraid the blog postings from me, shall not be literary or clever, or well-crafted. The reason is not because I don’t admire the people who blog like that. It is because I know my own limitations and phobias and I know that if I felt I had to be those things, I would not blog at all.
I shall merely do as I do on my own personal blog. Log in, and post what-ever it is that decides to fly out of my fingertips.
I picked up David Jones: Baboon: A Novel this weekend. I intended to read a couple of pages every now and then, since we are going to be visiting and reading at a bunch of Kootenays Elementary Schools together. I figured this way, I could hold a reasonably intelligent conversatation about it, and he’d never need to know that I’d been unable to plow my way through.
Plow my way through? HA! It was anything but a “plow.” I love his book, couldn’t put it down. It was everything I believe a middle school book should be.
“So, what did you think?” My husband asked when I reluctantly finished Baboon and placed it with a sigh on our coffee table.
“It’s so good,” I said, still half lost in the world that David created.
“Not as good as yours though,” my husband said, not like a question. More a statement of fact.
“Maybe even better,” I said. “I don’t know. It’s hard to say. His book and mine are totally different. The only way I can describe it is that if David wins the prize, I wouldn’t feel bad, or like I was robbed or anything. I’d feel happy for him. It is a beautiful book.”
And here I am, two days later, images, sections of his book still dancing around me. I loved how he combined the mystery of the unknown with science. The harsh reality of life, nature woven into fiction, learning without the reader even being aware that they are, so caught up in the story. I think everybody would enjoy this book. Unless you’re a squimish sort. Then this book is not for you.
Posted by Meg Tilly | Filed under: Kootenays Leg 2008 |
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