Napoleon Publishing

TRUE COLOURS REVIEW

2011-02-18T11:13:00.004-05:00

From the latest "Resource Links" magazine, a highly respected chldren's review organ, which gave the novel an "E" for excellent!

"What makes this book so appealing is not the reasonably strong plot but the very fresh new voice of the author. With strong witty characterizations, this is an utterly believable teen adventure that is often truly laugh out loud funny as Zoe deals with all the usual teenage conniptions and the bizarre predicaments she finds herself in. Complementing the whole story line in the best irritating sibling in fiction to be encountered in a long while. Zoe's younger brother Dylan (Dillie-Billie) creates some of the best hi-jinks ever to annoy his sister and the reader gets to enjoy every diabolical moment.

While True Colours is essentially a book which will to appeal to teen girls, with its snappy dialogue, teen boys could be dragged along for the ride and enjoy themselves. With its positive but realistic portrayal of today’s teenagers, smart talk and a very believable story line, True Colours is crying out for a screenplay. Think "Easy A"!"

NO MORE DRAGONS a "BEST BET"!

2011-01-31T10:53:00.003-05:00

Each year the Ontario Library Association Best Bets committee chooses the top 10 Canadian books for children and teens in the categories of picture books, junior fiction, junior non fiction and teen fiction. The titles are featured in the OLA store at the conference. Congratulations to Rie Charles, author of No More Dragons, for making the grade!

TRUE COLOURS LAUNCH!

2011-01-25T11:18:00.004-05:00

Lucy Lemay Cellucci’s debut novel True Colours celebrated its official launch on Friday, November 26th, 2010. The Ottawa, Ontario author entertained an audience of 150 with amusing stories about her process of writing and journey to publication. Cellucci, who has been a Dance Educator in the nation’s capital for over a decade, also had her students present to perform dances that had been specifically choreographed for the launch. One, a “cheerleader-style” routine, complete with a ridiculously over-sized alligator mascot, represented a character’s fascination with being accepted into the cheerleading squad, and another, a contemporary choreographic work, was set to the song “True Colours” (Glee Cast recording) to highlight the novel’s message to teens about the value of self-empowerment and standing up for one’s beliefs, no matter how unpopular.
Also on the roster was a brief presentation from the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS). A portion of book sales for the evening was donated to the OHS, as the social issue of animal rights is one of the novel’s predominant themes. The night was a tremendous success, resulting in a complete sellout of books!

PATTY GALLINGER

2011-01-13T10:56:00.004-05:00

An update about Patty Gallinger, a fine illustrator who has done a lot of work for Napoleon:

As a professional children's book illustrator for over 19 years, Patty brings a keen eye for detail and expression to her renderings, whether its for a picture book or a biography or pet theme Christmas cards. Her career began as a fine artist, award winning wildlife artist and book designer. She has taught children's editorial workshops at Dundas Valley School of Art and drawing classes for adults in her own home town.

Patty lives with her husband, two children and Jack Russell Terrier, in Burlington, Ontario. Her work includes:

Book Illustration Published Works (Children's Anthologies)
Many Windows, Napoleon Publishing 2008
Muslim Child, Napoleon Publishing and Albert Whitman & Co.

Book Illustration Published Works (32 page picture books)
Yesterday’s Santa and the Chanukah Miracle, Napoleon Publishing 2002
My Mannequins, Napoleon Publishing 2000

Book Illustration Published Works (Children's Biographies)
Believing In Books, Napoleon Publishing 2002

Book Illustration Published Works (Covers for Children's novels)
Finding My Own Way
Hiding In Hawk’s Creek
The Path Through The Trees
Running Scared
Finding My Own Way
A Circle in Time
Dream Dad

Awards
Chryslers Search for Canadian Wildlife Artists
First Place and Overall Best in Birds Division

Outstanding Achievement Award
Sheridan College
Available For:
Library and school presentations in the Halton area
pattygallinger@sympatico.ca
Memberships:
CANSCAIP
Sheridan College alumni
ACCESS Copyright

Exhibitions
2009, 2010 Burlington, Ontario
Art In The Mews: A Diverse group of 7 artists celebrating their passion for paint, pottery and fabric
(20% of show proceeds donated to the Burlington Art Centre)

Rie Charles in Penticton

2011-01-04T13:39:00.001-05:00

Rie Charles, author of the fall 2010 title "No More Dragons", pictured at Hooked on Books in Penticton, BC, during a promotional appearance.

Rie Charles Appearance

2010-12-14T14:15:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, November 20, 2010 at the Penticton Lake Resort, the second annual Authors & Artists Christmas Faire brought together artistic and literary talent from the Okanagan Valley and beyond. It was a time for artists and authors to connect and support each other and a place for the public to meet their creative neighbours and purchase locally produced items.

Our own Rie Charles was at the event promoting "No More Dragons"

Nifty New Review for the Latest Gargoyle Book

2010-11-15T09:21:00.004-05:00

The highly respected Resource Links mag loves The Gargoyle Overhead!

"Philippa Dowding has followed The Gargoyle in my Yard (2009), with a gripping tale of suspense, perfectly moulded for the 8-12 year old reader. The story incorporates magic delightfully into a well-constructed, realist presentation of modern Toronto... 
...Dowding's protagonists are genuine and interesting… and readers will fall in love with both of them. I would love to see an illustrated edition, as the body language of Dowding's gargoyles is so much a part of their characterization. 
… The ending of the novel, while not precluding further tales, leaves the two gargoyles free agents in their lives: a happy ending, but certainly not what the reader will expect. Overall, I would highly recommend this story to young independent readers with an interest in magic and magical creatures.”

RATING: E (Excellent)

JENNIFER MARUNO's WARBIRD

2010-10-18T10:24:00.002-04:00

Here's an article plugging Jennifer's upcoming title, Warbird...out this month!

Friends in High Places

2010-10-06T13:22:00.002-04:00

Author Nav K. Gill presented former Ontario cabinet minister and Toronto mayoral candidate George Smitherman with a copy of her book, Under the Moonlit Sky.

The Summer of Nav

2010-08-17T11:31:00.003-04:00

Book tours for Nav K. Gill's YA novel "Under the Moonlit Sky" began June 13th in her hometown of Brampton at Chapters. At the Brampton event, local political representatives attended, including Linda Jeffrey, MPP for Brampton Springdale and Minister of Natural Resources for Ontario, and Ruby Dhalla, MP for Brampton Springdale.

The next stop was Vancouver, BC, at Black Bond Books. Again the turnout was incredible and only increased in numbers compared to Brampton. Some readers waited in line for over 2 hours, ensuring that they got a book, after they heard that Brampton sold out quickly. It was a whirlwind of a trip in BC that spanned a full 10 days. Nav visited radio shows, TV networks like OMNI TV, and met with local community leaders, human rights activists, print journalists, and political leaders. The signing was attended by children to seniors, and again local political leaders showed up to show their support. Once again, "UMS" sold out during the signing.

After BC, the next stop - due to popular demand - was Calgary, Alberta, and the signing was held at Chapters. This signing saw a total of 148 books sold. Once again, young and old came out, along with local media such as City TV and OMNI TV. Print journalists, local community leaders and radio hosts came out to support the book, conduct interviews and take in the overwhelming response. Readers were lined up early again and drove from as far as Edmonton to attend the signing.

There will be more stops in the future. So far, the three signings done so far have demonstrated that "Under the Moonlit Sky" is receiving a great reception. It made the regional Top Ten in Calgary and is listed as a Teen Bestseller at the Brampton Chapters.

Brenda Chapman Ottawa Signing

2010-08-03T10:06:00.002-04:00

Brenda Chapman signed copies of the Jennifer Bannon series at Pinecrest Chapters in Ottawa on Saturday, July 17th.

Philippa Dowding in The Literary Review of Canada

2010-07-07T14:20:00.003-04:00

Napoleon children’s author Philippa Dowding has her poem, Ripple, appearing in the July/August 2010 issue of The Literary Review of Canada. Ripple is a thoughtful rewiring of a parent’s dementia from a grown child’s experience.

Philippa’s poetry has appeared in many journals, including The Adirondack Review, MotherVerse Magazine, Blue Skies Poetry and others. She has written two children’s novels for Napoleon: The Gargoyle in My Yard (2009), and The Gargoyle Overhead (2010).

CHRISTOPHER DINSDALE SCHOOL VISIT

2010-06-21T12:24:00.003-04:00

Christopher Dinsdale was at Sharon P.S. to enhance their literature-based unit on First Nation history. The Grade 6 and M.I.D. students used Christopher Dinsdale's first novel, Broken Circle, to investigate first contact between European and First Nation cultures. After finishing the novel, the students then took a field trip to Ste. Marie among the Hurons to further investigate its significant moment in Ontario history. Christopher was pleased to sit down with the students and discuss how he went about creating the storyline for Broken Circle. It was an enjoyable morning for all. Christopher was very impressed with the novel-based artwork and writing that covered most of the classroom. Well done, Sharon P.

BRENDA CHAPMAN HONOURED

2010-06-15T10:37:00.004-04:00

Monday, June 14th, the Ottawa Public Library Board presented the Ottawa Public Library Order of Friendship to five deserving volunteers, including Ottawa mystery author Brenda Chapman. Jan Harder, City Councillor and Chair of the Library Board, presented these prestigious awards during a meeting of the Board in the newly renovated Cumberland Branch.

The Order of Friendship Award recognizes "outstanding volunteer contributions made to the Ottawa Public Library by individuals, groups and/or institutions".

Brenda judged the English short story category in this year's Awesome Authors contest. In addition to reading and judging approximately one hundred entries, she conducted a short story writing workshop at Carlingwood Library in January, and presented the short story awards during an evening ceremony at Nepean Centrepointe on May 31st.

CHRISTOPHER DINSDALE HONOURED

2010-06-15T10:37:00.003-04:00

Congrats to Christopher Dinsdale, who has been given the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario Writer's Award. It's the second time Christopher has been given this honour.

Christopher Dinsdale is the author of the three titles for Napoleon, Broken Circle, Stolen Away and Betrayed: The Legend of Oak Island.

KRISTIN BUTCHER TO HOST FREE WRITING WORKSHOP

2010-06-14T09:20:00.002-04:00

On Saturday June 26th, Kristin Butcher (The Last Superhero) will be running a free seminar for aspiring authors entitled The Truth About Writing. The workshop will talk about critical elements of writing, editing and getting a book published. From tips on creating a work that you will be able to sell to publishers, to avoiding the common pitfalls, this workshop will help writers reach their full potential. There will be a Q & A period for participants to have their specific concerns addressed.

Kristin's previous title Return to "Bone Tree Hill" was nominated for a BC Book Prize and a Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award. Her Zach and Zoe series has also been nominated for a number of awards recently.

From 9-11am Kristin will be available to autograph her books. The public is invited to stop in and meet her. The workshop will run at 9 am on June 26th at Coho Books located at 1074 Shoppers Row in Campbell River. Pre-registration is recommended as space is limited. info@cohobooks.com or phone (250) 287-2336.

NAV GILL LAUNCH

2010-06-11T10:23:00.003-04:00

Nav Gill's fabulous "Under the Moonlit Sky" will be launched at Chapters in Brampton, Ontario on June 13 at 1 pm.

WHEN THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS FELL EVENTS

2010-06-10T16:03:00.002-04:00

Not far from where the story began, the employees of Chapters welcomed Jennifer Maruno to their store at Grenville and Broadway in Vancouver on May 21, 2010. Many of the customers knew families that had the same experience as the Minigawa family in her novel When the Cherry Blossoms Fell.

On May 28, The students of Mount Albert Public School, York Region District School Board, enjoyed a spring walk to the Mount Allison Community Centre. Here, in honour of Asian Heritage Month, they visited with author Jennifer Maruno. Jennifer related the family history of Michiko Minigawa, the 9 year-old girl central to the story of When the Cherry Blossoms Fell. The students also asked questions about being an author and what books Jennifer read when she was a child. They even suggested titles for books for her to write!

BRENDA CHAPMAN OTTAWA EVENT

2010-06-07T11:03:00.001-04:00

Brenda Chapman will appear at Chapters in the Pinecrest Mall, Ottawa on July 17th, 2010, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. She will be signing books from her Jennifer Bannon series for young adults, including Trail of Secrets.

The Gargoyle Overhead flies into Chapters!

2010-05-25T14:34:00.003-04:00

Philippa Dowding and her gargoyle puppet visited Chapters (Runnymede) in Toronto on Saturday May 22, 2010.

Philippa read from her books The Gargoyle in My Yard (2009) and The Gargoyle Overhead (2010), both published by Napoleon. Reading from her first book, Philippa gave the audience a taste of what it might be like to have a naughty 400-year-old gargoyle named Gargoth living in your backyard.

After giving clues from her second book, Philippa asked children and their parents to guess where Gargoth’s best friend, another gargoyle named Ambergine, was searching for him throughout Toronto.

Philippa signed lots of books, gave out plenty of bookmarks, and as usual was happy to share her gargoyle puppet with fans!

The Gargoyle Overhead takes flight!

2010-05-11T08:56:00.002-04:00

Philippa Dowding launched her new children’s book, "The Gargoyle Overhead" at the Bloor/Gladstone Library on Saturday, May 8th. A full house of nearly eighty people, both children and adults, listened attentively as she read about Gargoth the gargoyle’s first (unfortunate) meeting with a human boy named Philip, 400 years ago.

A lively question and answer period followed, in which Philippa got to explain what it was like to write a sequel, and that no, as far as she knew, gargoyles did not ride dinosaurs!

Lots of books were sold and signed, and a good time was had by everyone in attendance. Thanks to Emma Dolan of Napoleon for playing bookseller for the day.

Heather Kirk Event

2010-04-30T11:01:00.001-04:00

Heather Kirk, author of two Napoleon novels for teens will be offering a one-day seminar on writing for children on Saturday May 29, 2010 on the Barrie campus of Georgian College. Recently Heather's YA novel, "Warsaw Spring", set mainly in Poland in 1979, received an endorsement from a distinguished professor of East European and Russian history. Professor Anna M. Cienciala of the University of Kansas wrote: "I liked it very much and I think the italicized thoughts of Eva are a great plus. They explain without being preachy. The drabness of Warsaw at that time is well rendered and Hanna is very intriguing."

Christopher Dinsdale at OLA

2010-03-01T13:49:00.004-05:00

Christopher Dinsdale attended the OLA Superconference on February 26th, 2010. He enjoyed the luncheon with Napoleon publisher Sylvia McConnell and the enthusiastic gathering of authors, publishers and librarians. It was also an unexpected pleasure for Christopher to catch up with some old friends, including Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh. Christopher is the author of the Napoleon-published kids' novels Broken Circle, Stolen Away and Betrayed: The Legend of Oak Island.

Nap fall preview!

2010-02-17T09:35:00.004-05:00

Here the covers for our fab new lineup of children's fiction and YA for Spring 2010!

2009-11-09T12:17:00.001-05:00

The launch of Christopher Dinsdale's new book, Betrayed: The Legend of Oak Island, took place at Chapters Newmarket on November 3rd, 2009. It was an exciting evening for all as many came out in support of the new book. Christopher Dinsdale was pleased to also use the launch as a fundraiser for the Clearmeadow P.S. School Council. The money raised will be used to enhance Clearmeadow's extracurricular school activities.

Brenda Chapman review online

2009-10-30T10:18:00.002-04:00

"Highly recommended" by Canadian Materials magazine:
HERE

Brenda Chapman at Shirley Leishman

2009-10-30T10:12:00.001-04:00

Saturday, October 24th, Brenda Chapman and C.B. Forrest, held a booksigning at Shirley Leishman bookstore in the Westgate Shopping Centre, Ottawa. This was their second successful co-signing, with many people stopping by to chat or to buy books.

Photo one: Brenda signing a copy of Trail of Secrets to a woman who had previously bought the other books in the series for her daughter.

Photo two: Interested shoppers stopping by.
Photo three: Brenda and C.B. Forrest (left) posing with a mystery fan.

Brenda Chapman at the Children's Lit Gala

2009-10-30T09:50:00.003-04:00

Thursday, October 22nd, Brenda Chapman was one of ten local authors and illustrators invited to present from their latest work at the annual Children's Lit Gala in Nepean, Ontario. Afterwards, the authors and illustrators met with young readers and signed books in the Atrium of Ben Franklin Place. This was Brenda's third time participating in the Gala, which is sponsored by the Ottawa Public Library, the Ottawa Literature Roundtable and Capital Parent magazine.

picture one - With two Ottawa Public Library helpers.
picture two - Brenda reading from Trail of Secrets.

2009-09-01T11:03:00.001-04:00

Brenda Chapman will be reading from her latest young adult novel, Trail of Secrets, on
Friday, September 11, 7 pm, at the Lighthouse Bookstore, 349 Main Street, Shawville.

2009-08-10T12:10:00.000-04:00

Heather Kirk, author of two teen novels published by Napoleon, will be offering a course in "Creative Writing Fundamentals" at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario this fall. The course, which is held on Monday evenings, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., runs from September 21 to December 14, 2009. Heather will also give a one-day seminar called "Writing for Children" on Saturday November 7, 2009. The seminar takes place on the Barrie campus of Georgian College. Heather's courses are part of the Continuing Education program of Georgian College. For more information see the program's web pages.

2009-07-27T09:34:00.001-04:00

Brenda Chapman has been visiting Ottawa Public Libraries as part of the TD Summer Reading Club. Her interactive workshop introduces kids to the fun of mystery writing.

2009-07-13T14:09:00.002-04:00

Jennifer Maruno was one of twelve authors invited to The Mimico Party in the Park held on June 23 in Toronto. Amid the sounds of jazz and bagpipes and the smell of hot dogs and candy floss, the authors met the neighbourhood and signed copies of their books. Over 1500 residents of all ages visited The Books in the Park area.

Michael Ignatieff, on hand to present his book as a raffle prize, visited with Jennifer to discuss her novel When the Cherry Blossoms Fell and left with a copy.

2009-06-30T12:08:00.002-04:00

Celebrating Citizenship
lian goodall, author of Photographing Greatness: the Story of Karsh, has an article about Karsh, Prime Minister King and the first Canadian citizenship ceremony appearing in the June/July issue of The Wayback Times www.waybacktimes.com.

She will be speaking about Karsh and Prime Minister King at 1pm on Sat. July 4th, 2009 at Woodside National Historic Site, Kitchener, 538 Wellington St. North.

In addition, lian is moving to Picton on July 11th. She's excited that she will be living there and exploring Prince Edward County for the next year.

2009-06-23T22:17:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, June 18th, at the Picton Library, Peggy Dymond Leavey gave a presentation to a Grade 5 class from Queen Elizabeth Public School. They were a delightful group, who didn't mind walking to the library in the rain TWICE! There was a miscommunication about the time and they showed up both morning and afternoon. They got it right the second time. Their teacher had been reading Treasure at Turtle Lake to the class, and they were happy to discover that the book Peggy was reading from, Trouble at Turtle Narrows, was actually a sequel.

2009-06-09T13:06:00.001-04:00

Did you know that at the first Canadian citizenship ceremony on January 3rd, 1947, immigrant photographer Yousuf Karsh was granted certificate Number Ten? Author of Photographing Greatness: The Story of Karsh, lian goodall, has an article about the first citizenship ceremony that will appear in the “Wayback Times” on June 23rd, 2009. The article looks at the historic event in 1947 through the eyes of Yousuf Karsh, and also from the point-of-view of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, recipient of Canadian citizenship certificate Number One. You can check it out at: wwww.waybacktimes.com

2009-06-08T11:20:00.003-04:00

Bernda Chapman visited Natalie Shorkey's Grade two/three class at Churchill Public School in Ottawa on June 2, 2009. Two other classes joined in to hear Brenda talk about mysteries and read from Trail of Secrets.

2009-06-03T10:25:00.002-04:00

On June 2nd, Peggy Dymond Leavey was one of the guest panelists discussing children's literature in Cobourg, ON before a meeting of the Retired Teachers of Ontario, District 30.
In the photo, left to right: authors Caley Fiddick, Ted Staunton, Richard Scrimger, Linda Hutsell-Manning, Peggy Dymond Leavey and illustrator, Brenda Clark.

2009-05-25T10:16:00.002-04:00

Christopher Dinsdale was honoured to be a part of the 2009 Markham Public Library "Battle of the Books". Christopher's Stolen Away had been selected as one of the 25 "battle" books. Over 100 students participated in the big evening of book trivia and it was amazing to see the teams fire off correct answers for all 25 novels. After a brief question and answer session with the team players, Christopher enjoyed meeting many of the families at the end of the contest.

A week later, Christopher participated at Denne Public School's "Literacy Night" in Newmarket. Christopher discussed through a powerpoint presentation the steps he takes to develop a historical adventure novel. The library audience greatly enjoyed the visit and wished Christopher all the best with the launch of his new novel "Betrayed" in November.

2009-05-19T08:39:00.002-04:00

Philippa Dowding’s new children’s novel, “The Gargoyle in My Yard”, got a great start in life at the beautiful McNally Robinson bookstore on Saturday, May 16, 2009. The book launch drew more than sixty friends, family and neighbours, who bought every book in the store – the bookstore SOLD OUT!

Philippa read a few chapters (and brought the gargoyle’s dry, gravelly voice into the world for the first time), signed dozens of books, and enjoyed every minute.

Thanks to Napoleon Publishing, and to everyone who came out in support of a naughty gargoyle! Look for a sequel coming soon…

2009-05-05T18:47:00.003-04:00

“What a successful book launch! The joy and excitement about your book are contagious.” These were the words of Daria Sharanewych, librarian for the Children’s Department, Mississauga Central Library. She was describing the launch of When the Cherry Blossoms Fell by Jennifer Maruno, published by Napoleon Publishing.
Sprays of cherry blossoms, pots of green tea and trays of mochi welcomed those who wished to hear Jennifer read. Mochi, made of pounded rice and sweet red bean paste, is a special Japanese treat featured in the novel. For some it was their first taste.
On hand to welcome the guests were 8 year old Emiko Arai and 15 year old Jamie Aitken wearing traditional Japanese kimonos and carrying paper parasols.
In 1988, Jennifer, contracted to write a teacher’s guide for a book especially created to commemorate the events of the war in Canada, she found it difficult to do the necessary research. The history books had left out most of the truth.
When Jennifer met Eiko Kitagawa Maruno, she was unaware of Eiko’s history. At times, Eiko referred to “camp” and the hardships that went with it. Soon her story became the key to unlocking this historical secret. Eiko shared it, along with her photographs, over time.
This episode in Japanese-Canadian history became a novel. When the Cherry Blossoms Fell is the story of nine-year-old Michiko Minagawa. She wants to be proud of her heritage but can’t be. The world is at war. The Government of Canada has taken unprecedented actions against her community and treats all Japanese people as enemy aliens.
On May 2, Napoleon Publishing launched When the Cherry Blossoms Fell, a book for middle-grade readers. The launch coincided with the beginning of Asian Heritage Month. 93 year old, Eiko Maruno attended the celebration, along with members of her family Pat Adachi; one of the interment camp teachers was also present.

2009-05-04T08:24:00.003-04:00

Brenda Chapman held a very successful launch for Trail of Secrets on Sunday, May 3rd at Whispers Pub and Eatery in Ottawa. Over a hundred people came to help celebrateand buy books. Brenda is pictured with Sally and Diane from Shirley Leishman bookstore.

2009-04-27T18:20:00.002-04:00

Philippa Dowding shared her book, The Gargoyle in My Yard, with the grade 4 and 5 students at Hawthorne II Public School in downtown Toronto. Over the course of four visits, Philippa shared the story about Katherine and the problem gargoyle living in her backyard. The children were interested in the description of their neighbourhood and city, and asked questions about how a writer comes up with stories. They also liked the books about gargoyles, and the gargoyle puppet Philippa brought along as a sidekick.

lian goodall Photographing Greatness: the Story of Karsh

2009-04-20T08:09:00.001-04:00

Yes Oui CANSCAIP, the Quebec chapter of CANSCAIP, hosts its last meeting of the spring on Monday, May 25th at 7 p.m. at the John A. Simms Community Centre at 8 Westminster South in Montreal West. At 7:30 p.m., Lian Goodall, author of four non-fiction books for children, will give a talk entitled "The Joys of Non-fiction: What Elvis Knew". Free Admission. Open to adult creators of children's material (ie. books, magazine articles, etc.) of all levels of abilities and experience. For more information, please contact one of the Yes Oui CANSCAIP's co-representatives: Carol-Ann Hoyte at kidlitfan1972@yahoo.ca or Alastair Reeves at a_reeves@videotron.ca.

2009-04-07T10:42:00.004-04:00

On March 30th, Christopher Dinsdale ran a day-long writing workshop for the Grade 7 and 8 students at Ashton Meadows P.S. in Markham, Ontario. Christopher walked the students through an interactive program that explained how research drove the storylines of his novels Broken Circle and Stolen Away. By the end of the session, the students had in hand the framework to begin their own historical stories. A good time was had by all and Ashton Meadows wished Christopher good luck with his soon-to-be-released third novel, Betrayed.

2009-03-27T10:58:00.002-04:00

On March 17th, Peggy Dymond Leavey visited the Warkworth Public Library in Warkworth, Ontario to do a presentation for the children gathered there. This picture, courtesy of The Shield newspaper, shows some of the 14 children who came out for the event. That's Peggy, wearing the green, St. Patrick's Day outfit.

From Rona Arato ...

2009-03-18T18:07:00.001-04:00

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site

written by Rona Arato,
Author of "Working for Freedom: the Story of Josiah Henson"

Last month I had the privilege of reading from my book, Working for Freedom, the Story of Josiah Henson to 7th and 8th grade students from the Winston Churchill Public School at the Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site in Dresden Ontario.

Josiah Henson had a major impact on Blacks who escaped from slavery in the United States to freedom in Canada in the years before the U. S. Civil War. I love telling his story because it shows how one dedicated person can make a great difference in the lives of others. Josiah’s fierce conviction that everyone deserves to be free, his strong work ethic and his belief in education, helped escaped Blacks make the most of their newly acquired freedom.

Everyone at the Site was wonderful. Steven Cook, Site Manager and Barbara Carter, Josiah’s great great granddaughter was each a great help when I was writing the book. The students were happy to learn more about Josiah. They followed the reading with a tour of the museum and a pizza lunch. It was a terrific day for all of us.

Rona Arato

2009-02-25T12:22:00.003-05:00

Heather Kirk is busy writing a new book for young people at present, so she does not have time for some of her other, more visible activities like teaching creative writing or giving booktalks. Heather, the author of two teen novels published by Napoleon (Warsaw Spring and A Drop of Rain), is working on a book about the must successful passive-resistance movement of the twentieth century. For those who would like to SEE Heather doing something, this painting of Heather by her friend Indra Sharma, a fine poet and painter, living in Elmvale, Ontario shows Heather THINKING. Heather is seen from behind. The autumnal landscape represents Heather's birthsign of Libra which reaches its zenith in the autumn.

2009-01-28T20:00:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple of photos taken yesterday (Family Literacy Day), January 27th, at the Quinte West Public Library where Peggy Dymond Leavey gave a presentation to two Grade 5 classes from Trenton schools.
The occasion was also the official launch of "Trouble at Turtle Narrows". Children's librarian, Rosemary Kirby, really made it a special occasion, making sure the press was there and providing refreshments. It was a great group of kids. One picture shows Peggy talking to the group, and the other was taken during question & answer time--always good fun!

2009-01-12T11:06:00.002-05:00

After reading The Ghost of Northumberland Strait by Lori Knutson, 13-year-old Kelly Lepchuk remembered the old floppy sunhat she owns. Donning it and a blue shirt, she dressed up as Charly. She’s pictured here posing in her backyard last July in Beaverlodge, Alberta.

2009-01-08T08:42:00.001-05:00

Teaching writing is something author lian goodall lives. Beginning Jan. 27, 2009 for 7 weeks from 7 pm to 9:30 pm she'll be at the Learning Enterprise in Orangeville, Ontario teaching "Creative Writing/Children's Books." This will be the fourth time lian has taught this class, and each time she learns something new from her students.
The course costs $95 and students may register by calling the Learning Enterprise at 519-941-2661.

2008-12-09T18:39:00.000-05:00

Heather Kirk, author of two novels for teens with Napoleon, Warsaw Spring and A Drop of Rain, recently gave a 12-week course for adults in creative writing at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. The course, which stretched from September 15 to December 8, 2008, offered the fundamentals of writing non-fiction, poetry, plays, filmscripts, short stories and novels. More information about Heather's various publications and activities can be found on her website at www.heatherkirk.ca.

2008-12-09T18:37:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday December 3rd, Christopher Dinsdale participated in a Christmas fundraising event for Clearmeadow Public School at Chapters Newmarket. Many books were signed and a good time was had by all. The school council at Clearmeadow P.S. was very appreciative for the effort put into the event. The money raised will go directly into enhancing the academic programs at Clearmeadow P.S..

Brenda Chapman at Bouchercon

2008-10-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

Brenda Chapman attended Bouchercon 2008 in Baltimore in October. This annual mystery conference draws about 1500 authors and fans for four days of panels, parties, schmoozing and fun. Brenda was part of an author panel discussing young adult mysteries and censorship - a most interesting discussion. An annual highlight of the conference is 'Meet the Canucks' when the American hosts show their appreciation to the Canadians and British for their support after 9-11 by throwing a party. Brenda is pictured at the event with UK author John Harvey and Ottawa author Rick Mofina.

2008-09-09T10:03:00.002-04:00

Phillippa Dowding, a Toronto writer who will publish her children's novel The Gargoyle in my Yard with Napoleon in the spring of 2009, is a featured poet this month on the American website bestpoem.wordpress.com

2008-09-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

Heather Kirk will be giving an illustrated talk on world-famous Canadian author, Mazo de la Roche, on Tuesday October 7, 2008 at the Peter Gzowski Branch of the Georgina Library in Sutton, Ontario. Heather will also be giving talks on de la Roche at the Elman Campbell Museum in Newmarket, Ontario on November 4, 2008 and at the Aurora Public Library in Aurora, Ontario on November 11, 2008. The talks in Newmarket and Aurora are part of the National Reading Series sponsored by the Writers' Union of Canada and the Canada Council. Heather Kirk is the author of two recent books on Mazo de la Roche, including a biography for teens and adults. Heather is also the author of two novels for teenagers published by Napoleon.

Lori Knutson launch

2008-08-13T11:37:00.002-04:00

On the evening of Thursday, August 7th, 2008 Alberta author Lori Knutson launched her children’s novel The Ghost of Northumberland Strait.
The launch was held in the village of Hughenden in the southeast part of the province, where Lori lives and teaches school.

The launch was well-supported by the community and the local media was very cooperative in helping to promote the launch prior to the event. Lori was interviewed in The Provost News by publisher Richard Holmes and also on radio by Key83 broadcaster and literacy advocate Jeff Newland.

People attending the launch enjoyed refreshments and entered the draw to win a copy of The Ghost of the Northumberland Strait. Lori read from the new novel and signed copies of it and her previous work.

The launch was co-hosted by the Hughenden Public Library. Staff and board members helped serve snacks, visited with guests and cleaned up afterwards. Other community libraries lent their support by posting information regarding the launch in their library buildings and by distributing bookmarks featuring cover art from The Ghost of Northumberland Strait.

Peggy Dymond Leavey reading

2008-06-30T11:15:00.002-04:00

On June 22nd, Peggy Dymond Leavey was one of three authors who read at Children's Day, day two of the County of Prince Edward Authors' Festival. The event was held upstairs in the bright new loft space over Books and Company in Picton. After a break of four years, the festival hopes to become a yearly event once again.

2008-06-18T08:47:00.001-04:00

Brenda Chapman visited numerous bookstores on a roadtrip across New England. She is pictured in front of Eight Cousins bookstore in Falmouth (Cape Cod) and in front of Where the Sidewalk Ends bookstore in Chatham (Cape Cod).

PEC Authors' Festival

2008-06-07T09:46:00.000-04:00

After a four year hiatus, The Prince Edward County Authors' Festival is on again. It will be held June 21st & 22nd at Books & Company, 289 Main St, Picton. Children's Day is Sunday, June 22nd from 1 to 3 p.m. One of the presenters is Peggy Dymond Leavey, who will be reading from her latest novel, "Treasure at Turtle Lake". There is no charge for Children's Day Readings. It is sponsored by the County of Prince Edward Public Library.

2008-06-04T16:49:00.000-04:00

Heather Kirk, author of Warsaw Spring and A Drop of Rain, two linked teen novels published by Napoleon, spent Monday June 2, 2008 talking about her books at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. Heather and five other writers from Simcoe County set up displays of their books in the cafeteria of the hospital and chatted with hospital staff and visitors. Heather, who is also the author of a recent biography for teens and adults about world-famous Canadian writer, Mazo de la Roche, gave three talks on de la Roche over the past six weeks. Heather spoke to the Simcoe County Historical Association on March 18, the Orillia Historical Society on May 21, and to the Stroud Book Club at the Innisfil Public Library on May 28. On April 12, 2008, the Historical Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a plaque to Mazo de la Roche at Benares Historic House in Mississauga, Ontario. De la Roche (1879-1961), author of the Jalna novels, is now officially a "person of national significance." De la Roche was born in Newmarket, Ontario, and grew up mainly in Newmarket, Orillia, and Toronto.

2008-06-01T16:56:00.002-04:00

Christopher Dinsdale was invited to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga for the final event in this year's Festival of Reading celebrations. It was an energetic afternoon with cheerleaders, rappers and dancers showing their stuff between author presentations. Fellow Napoleon author Peggy Dymond Leavey was also part of the festivities as highlights from last year's celebration were presented on the big screen. It was an exciting end to an amazing festival. Thank you OLA!

2008 Red Maple Awards

2008-05-29T13:38:00.001-04:00

Christopher Dinsdale was honoured to participate in the 2008 Red Maple Awards at Harbourfront. The event was both exciting and well-organized. Christopher and nine other selected authors started the day off by speaking to the thousands of students who attended the event before the winner was selected. Congratulations to Eric Walters for winning the 2008 Red Maple Award! After the ceremony, the authors signed autographs and participated in the many story-based activites organized by the Ontario Library Association. It was a chilly but fun day for all!

2008-05-23T17:10:00.003-04:00

Brenda Chapman visited the Stittsville Public Library on May 22nd along
with Ottawa authors R.J. Harlick, Barbara Fradkin and Margaret Stoddart
to read from their latest books and to discuss the writing process.

Day's Lee reading

2008-05-19T13:44:00.002-04:00

I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival's first ever Children's Festival this year. The kids from the grade 2 class from Westmount Park school came to my reading at Westmount library. They watched the pictures on screen as I read my book The Fragrant Garden. After a lively Q&A, and a short documentary on how a restaurant works, they set about creating a menu for their own restaurant. It was a fun morning!

Christopher Dinsdale Presentation

2008-05-12T23:02:00.003-04:00

Christopher Dinsdale was honoured to be part of the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board Forest of Reading celebration. Red Maple participants from across the region converged on Bowmanville for fun activities, pizza and a visit with a Red Maple author. Christopher enjoyed leading the presentation entitled "Developing a Storyline through Research". The students and teachers wished Christopher all the best as he heads off to Harbourfront next week for the Red Maple awards.

More from Brenda Chapman

2008-05-03T10:16:00.001-04:00

Brenda Chapman as Chair of Capital Crime Writers is being introduced by RJ Harlick at Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis shortlist evening on April 30th at the Ottawa Public Library. The Audrey Jessup short story contest shortlist was also announced during the evening, and Brenda's entry "Evening the Score" made the final five.

Christopher Dinsdale presentation

2008-04-09T09:58:00.001-04:00

On Thursday April 3rd, Christopher Dinsdale was invited to the Newmarket
Public Library for an author presentation. The students, parents and
librarians enjoyed the talk that detailed the research required to write
his latest novel Stolen Away. He ended the presentation with a reading
from the novel itself. The Newmarket Public Library is Christopher's
home library and many of his stories are born within the bowels of the
building's non-fiction basement. As always, he finds it a pleasure to
present to the home town crowd!

Heather Kirk news

2008-03-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

Heather Kirk gave an illustrated talk on the fabulously successful Canadian writer, Mazo de la Roche, on March 18, 2008 to the Simcoe County Historical Society in Barrie, Ontario. Heather will be giving talks on de la Roche at the Orillia Historical Society on May 21 and at the Stroud Book Club in Innisfil on May 28. From April 28 to July 28, Heather will be offering a Creative Writing course at Georgian College in Barrie. On May 31, she will give a one-day seminar on writing for children at Georgian College.

Christopher Dinsdale at Reading For The Love Of It 2008

2008-02-25T10:18:00.002-05:00

Chris Dinsdale was honoured to be a presenter at this year's Reading For
The Love Of It 2008, Canada's largest language arts conference, at the
Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto. Chris was asked by the organizers
to present on the topic "Using Literature to Investigate Canada's
Aboriginal Peoples and Early European Explorers". After explaining to
the audience how he developed and researched the storylines for both
Broken Circle and Stolen Away, Chris then tied the novels to the Native
Studies expectations of the Ontario Grade Six curriculum through a
series of successful cross-curricular, novel-based activities. Finally,
the delegates met with Chris as he signed books at the Bacon and Hughes
booth on the exhibition level of the conference facility. It was a
memorable day for Chris, for not only did he have the chance to present
to his colleagues but he also formed friendships with many of the other
authors attending the conference.

Brenda Chapman in the flesh!

2008-02-20T16:29:00.001-05:00

Brenda Chapman visited Amanda Gray's Grade Six class at Elmdale Public School in Ottawa on Wednesday, February 20th as part of Bookfest Week.

Literary Evening Series

2008-02-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

Napoleon and Company author Brenda Chapman was a guest of the Ottawa Public Library Foundation's 2007/2008 Literary Evening Series in November, entitled "An evening with author Jane Urquhart at the Chateau Laurier". Brenda is pictured with Jane and fellow RendezVous author R.J. Harlick, among other local authors.

lian goodall on the radio

2008-01-30T14:09:00.000-05:00

Kettleby, Ontario writer Lian Goodall is experienced in writing the life stories of well-known people for younger readers. Her most recent work, PHOTOGRAPHING GREATNESS: THE STORY OF KARSH (Napoleon) follows the seventy plus year career of the world's finest portrait photographer. Lian will be on CKCU FM 93.1, Ottawa, this Thursday evening, January 31st, at 6:30 p.m.

PHOTOGRAPHING GREATNESS is a well-researched, attractive and informative biography. It includes examples of Yousuf's famous portraits, photos of the Karsh family, as well as a timeline for both the photographer's life and for his famous photographs. Readers of any age are directed to the Library and Archives website which has an alphabet of Karsh's photographs. Yousuf Karsh was, as author Lian Goodall notes, a humanitarian whose special focus was sick children.

Lian Goodall is an experienced children's book reviewer, who continues to teach creative writing. She has written several biographies for young readers, one of which, SINGING TOWARDS THE FUTURE: THE STORY OF PORTIA WHITE (Napoleon) was shortlisted for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Award in Atlantic Canada. It is also an Our Choice selection of the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

Yousuf Karsh spent many years in Ottawa and readers may be surprised to learn of some of his 'not so well-known' Ottawa interests. Tune into your community radio station, 93.1 FM this week and find out more from biographer Lian Goodall.

www.ckcufm.com

lian goodall creative writing course

2008-01-12T11:33:00.000-05:00

There's still time to sign up for lian goodall's popular creative writing courses with the York Region District School Board Continuing Education. "Creative Writing: Children's Books" will be running again this semester, Monday nights from 7 pm to 9:30 beginning January 21, 2008. lian will also be offering a new course on Wednesday nights from 7 pm to 9:30 beginning January 23, 2008. The course is called "Writing the Past" and is designed to help those working on memoirs, creative non-fiction pieces or similar projects. Contact the YRDSB Continuing Education for more information of e-mail lian at lian_goodall@sympatico.ca.

Two Very Different Book Signings

2008-01-06T11:53:00.000-05:00

lian goodall has had two very different book signings for her new book Photographing Greatness: The Story of Karsh.
December 8th was a lovely, sunny day in Fergus. A nice-sized crowd attended the signing at Roxanne's Reflections and enjoyed eating a piece of cake to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the photographer's birth.

December 16th was a blizzard! lian and baby Amzie made it to Nicholas Hoare bookstore in downtown Ottawa. The kind staff were there too, but few people were able to attend due to the treacherous conditions. Those that made it had stories to tell, as did some people who tried to make it!

lian will be hoping for great weather at the official launch of Photographing Greatness: The Story of Karsh which will be held on January 10 in Ottawa at Laurier House National Historic Site.In advance, lian would like to thank Parks Canada for hosting the event. She is sure it will be sunny!

lian goodall on the move!

2007-12-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

Author lian goodall has been pretty busy. Her Fall 2007 "Creative Writing/Children's Book" course wound up with a get together. It was a great group and lian looks forward to teaching the same course in January in Newmarket for the York Region District School Board Continuing Education, as well as a new course called "Writing the Past."

Wednesday, December 5th lian goodall gave a presentation from her book, Portia White: Singing Towards the Future to Dale Matsushige's Choral Music class and some Writers' Craft students at Sir William Mullock High School. Shown in the photo are lian, her baby son Amzie and the wonderful music teacher Ms. Matsushige.

lian goodall's new book, Photographing Greatness: the Story of Karsh, is about to be launched and lian's dad is ready! The first book signing will take place at Roxanne's Reflections on St. Andrew Street in Fergus from 1 pm to 2:30 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2007. Free cake will be available in honour of Mr. Karsh's birthday month. lian will be signing at Nicholas Hoare on Sussex Drive in Ottawa on Sunday, December 16, 2007 from 2 to 3 pm. The book is dedicated to lian's father.

Mazo de la Roche

2007-11-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

"The main inspiration for the bestselling Jalna novels of Mazo de la Roche was her own family tree," says Napoleon author, Heather Kirk, pictured here beside the black walnut tree in her own back yard. Kirk's recently released scholarly book, "Who Were the Whiteoaks and Where Was Jalna?" (Tecumseh Press), reveals new sources for the origins of the famous fictional Whiteoak family. Heather, who published a nonfiction book for teens about Mazo de la Roche last year, also writes novels for teens. "Warsaw Spring" and its sequel, "A Drop of Rain", were published by Napoleon. On October 16, 2007, Heather talked about her books to an audience of 200 people at the 18th annual Authors' Night of the Gryphon Theatre Guild in Barrie, Ontario.

more from lian goodall

2007-11-22T11:26:00.000-05:00

lian goodall will be speaking about singer Portia White to the vocal music classes of Sir William Mulock High School in Newmarket on December 5, 2007. She's going to enjoy hearing their thoughts about Portia's development as a singer in the 1930s and '40s.

Peggy Dymond Leavey reading

2007-10-31T12:42:00.000-04:00

Napoleon author Peggy Dymond Leavey will be reading at the Brighton Public Library on Thursday, December, 6th as part of a new monthly series called "Upstairs at the Library". She will be reading from "Treasure at Turtle Lake" and talking about books for children.

2007-10-17T18:43:00.000-04:00

Whenever Holly Haggarty visits bookstores, libraries or schools to talk about her book, Summer Dragons, an impish dragon is often seen with her. Many readers wonder how Holly met this dragon. In fact, Holly met him in the boreal forest around Thunder Bay. Believing, like Beth, that dragons exist, Holly and her family had gone searching for dragons. They captured photos, which show how Holly met and befriended her dragon.

2007-10-16T09:40:00.000-04:00

On October 10th, Brenda Chapman participated in a Capital Crime Writers panel discussing the mystery market. Pictured left to right are Michael Steinberg (Storyteller Magazine), Bev Panasky (author), Linda Wiken (owner, Prime Crime), Brenda and Rick Mofina (thriller author).

lian goodall on display!

2007-10-12T08:51:00.001-04:00

lian goodall will have her work on display at the Schomberg Public Library as part of King Township's celebrations for Ontario Public Library Week, Oct 15-21, 2007. lian's new book, Photographing Greatness: The Story of Karsh, will be published as part of Napleon's Stories of Canada series just after the display closes. It will be represented by showing the manuscript at various stages so that library patrons can learn about some of the publishing processes.

Peggy Dymond Leavey

2007-10-08T20:48:00.001-04:00

Napoleon author Peggy Dymond Leavey enjoys the company of some young fans after a summer 2007 reading at the Picton Public Library.

Day's Lee reading

2007-10-08T16:29:00.000-04:00

Pictured: Napoleon author Day's Lee with a young fan (the lucky winner of a copy of The Fragrant Garden) after her reading on September 29th.

Holly Haggarty reads at Chapters

2007-10-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

Holly Haggarty, author of Summer Dragons, appeared at Chapters, Thunder Bay, on Saturday September 29, along with a dragon, who roamed through the store all afternoon, beguiling young and old. Many customers successfully answered skill testing questions of dragon lore, which enabled them to search for dragon treasure. Holly enjoyed the opportunity to chat with many keen readers.

lian goodall hard at work!

2007-10-02T10:53:00.001-04:00

New book! lian's newest book Photographing Greatness: The Story of Karsh in the Stories of Canada will soon be out. Here she is at work on the edits for the book with the assistance of her baby son, Amzie Cooke-Goodall, and Nelson the cat.

lian goodall update

2007-10-01T15:33:00.000-04:00

It's back to class this September with Napoleon author lian goodall as teacher. Once again, goodall is leading a group of keen students taking Creative Writing/Children's Books with the York Region District School Board Continuing Education in Newmarket. We'll tickle our creativity and see what happens over the next eight weeks!

More from Heather Kirk

2007-09-10T12:53:00.000-04:00

Heather Kirk, author of two novels for teens published by Napoleon, Warsaw Spring and A Drop of Rain, is scheduled to teach a course in creative writing at Georgian College on Monday evenings from September 17 to December 3, 2007. Heather is also offering a one-day seminar on writing for children at Georgian College on Saturday October 20, 2007. On October 16, 2007 Heather will be taking part in the 18th annual Authors' Night sponsored by the Gryphon Theatre Guild in Barrie, Ontario. This event, also featuring authors William Stevenson (Spy Mistress) and Karolyn Smardz Frost (I've Got a Home in Glory Land), will take place at the MacLaren Art Gallery in Barrie. Heather will be reading from her two latest books: Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer (XYZ Publishing, 2006) and Who Were the Whiteoaks and Where Was Jalna? (Tecumseh Press, 2007). All Heather's books will be available for sale at this event. See Heather's website at www.heatherkirk.ca for more information about her books.

Holly Haggarty on the move ...

2007-09-05T18:47:00.000-04:00

Holly Haggarty has been busy over the past few months touring Summer Dragons. Everywhere she goes, a summer dragon seems to appear, beguiling youngsters at libraries, bookstores and summer festivals.

New Karen Krossing events

2007-08-30T13:51:00.001-04:00

Young Voices Writers Conference
Teens aged 12 to 19 are invited to join author Karen Krossing for an Editing Workshop at the Young Voices Writers Conference to be held at the North York Central Library in Toronto on Saturday, October 20, 2007. For more information go to Young Voices Writers Conference.

WordPlayer Writing Workshops
WordPlayers is a ten-week writing workshop for kids and teens held at Pegasus Studios in Toronto and led by author Karen Krossing. If you like writing poems or stories, come play with words using masks, story dice, photos, character games, and more. Classes start in September. For more information, go to Pegasus Studios.

Writing for Children Course at Centennial College
Do you want to write for children or teens? Join Karen Krossing on October 24, 2007, to learn how to generate ideas, develop believable characters, understand genres, edit your writing, and market and promote your work. For more info, go to Centennial College.

New Brenda Chapman events

2007-08-25T17:24:00.000-04:00

International Plowing Match - Saturday, September 22nd
Brenda will be reading from Where Trouble Leads and will be appearing with authors Rick Mofina, Therese Greenwood and Maggie Wheeler between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. The Plowing Match is held in Crosby Ontario from September 18th-22nd.

2007 Kids' Lit Gala - Ottawa Public Library Event - Tuesday, October 16th
Brenda will be one of ten guest authors and illustrators presenting at the seven annual gala to be held at Ben Franklin Place on Centrepointe Drive in Ottawa. The event begins at 7 p.m. All welcome.

New Holly Haggarty Events

2007-08-13T19:10:00.001-04:00

Old-Fashioned Book Fun

Book signing -- Oxford Book Shop -- August 22

Drop by the Oxford Book Shop, 740 Richmond Street, London, on Wednesday August 22, 2-4 pm, to meet Holly Haggarty, who will be sharing stories, chatting, and reading from her latest novel, Summer Dragons.

Dragon Stories For Young and Old

Storytelling on Toronto's Centre Island -- August 26

Participate in a jousting of wits as Holly Haggarty entertains with dragon stories at Franklin Gardens, Centre Island on Sunday August 26, 2:30 p.m. Let author and storyteller, Holly Haggarty, prepare you for your inevitable encounter with SUMMER DRAGONS!

Peggy Dymond Leavey signing

2007-08-08T19:57:00.000-04:00

Peggy Dymond Leavey will be signing copies of her latest children's novel, "Treasure at Turtle Lake", at Lighthouse Books, 65 Main St., Brighton on Saturday, September 29th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The event is part of Brighton's annual Applefest festival, taking place September 28th-30th. If you're one of the thousands that come to Brighton each year (since 1975) for Applefest, join the crowds at the street fair on the Saturday and come say hi to Peggy (and have a book signed too). For more information about Brighton's Applefest: www.applefest.reach.net

New book for Heather Kirk

2007-08-03T11:06:00.000-04:00

Heather Kirk, author of two teen novels published by Napoleon, Warsaw Spring and A Drop of Rain, is bringing out her fifth book in August. The title of the new book is Who Were the Whiteoaks and Where Was Jalna?. The publisher is Borealis-Tecumseh Press of Ottawa. This book is a scholarly investigation into the sources of the world-famous Jalna novels by Canadian author Mazo de la Roche. It is illustrated with many photos, as well as drawings and maps.

Brenda Chapman review

2007-08-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

Where Trouble Leads
by Brenda Chapman

from Midwest Book Review

When Jennifer Bannon, age 15, agrees to spend her summer as a camp counselor at White Pine Camp along with her younger sister Leslie and her best friend Ambie, her summer in the isolated wilderness on Georgian Bay descends into danger and suspense. There are strange people and mysterious activities taking place at the camp after 'lights out', including someone lurking in the woods past curfew. Upon investigation, Jennifer discovers that drug smugglers are using the camp as a cover-up! It's a race against time in Jennifer's attempt to solve the mystery of White Pine before tragedy strikes the camp and the girls for whom she is responsible. Very highly recommended and entertaining reading, "Where Trouble Leads" by Brenda Chapman is a superbly crafted mystery for adolescent readers that will hold their rapt attention from first page to last.

A reading by Day's Lee

2007-07-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

Napoleon author Day's Lee will be reading from her book THE FRAGRANT GARDEN for The Monteal Children's Library, which is co-hosting the Urban Cultural Festival in Cabot Square Park Saturday, September 29th from 1 to 2pm. This event is being held as part of Montreal's Journées de la culture celebration.

More from Brenda Chapman

2007-07-24T17:51:00.000-04:00

Brenda Chapman was one of four guest authors at "Readings on the Rideau" to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Merrickville Public Library. The tea and readings were held at the Merrickville United Church on Saturday, July 21st.

More from Peggy Dymond Leavey

2007-07-05T10:20:00.001-04:00

Peggy Dymond Leavey will be reading from her latest children's novel, "Treasure at Turtle Lake", at the Tweed Public Library on October 17/07. Please email the library at tweedlibrary@vianet.ca for more information. The presentation is part of the Canada Council National Public Readings Program.

Peggy will also be reading at "Mystery Around the Lake", a summer program for children at Picton Public Library on July 27th.

Brenda Chapman book signing

2007-06-19T13:33:00.000-04:00

The Book Stop - Book Signing - Saturday, June 23rd

Drop by The Book Stop between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday June 23rd and meet Brenda who will be signing copies of all three books in the Jennifer Bannon series. The Book Stop is located at 5 Jockvale Road in Nepean. Phone (613) 823-7455.

Napoleon & Company at Book Expo Canada

2007-06-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

Napoleon & Company attended the BookExpo Canada in Toronto, June 10 and 11. It was a busy booth with nine of our children's and adult authors signing over two days.

Photos: Young adult author Brenda Chapman prepares for her signing; Napoleon graphic designer Vasiliki Lenis takes a water break.

Brenda Chapman book launch

2007-05-31T14:56:00.001-04:00

Brenda Chapman held a very successful launch of Where Trouble Leads at Whispers in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon, May 27th. Friends, family and neighbours all dropped by for a signed copy of the latest in the Jennifer Bannon mystery series.