Kenneth Oppel takes new book Airborn on cross-Canada tour:
'Oppel says Airborn seems to have a readership of ages 10 to 13, but notes his U.S. publisher has put an adult-looking cover on the book and is aiming a little higher.
"They're hoping that it has crossover appeal with older fantasy and science-fiction readers," he says. "Every publisher dreams of a crossover book because it means a much bigger audience."... ...'
Here is the
Shortlist for the 2004 Ruth Schwartz Award
with summaries by Andrea Deakin:
Andrea Deakin reports:
The Vicki Metcalfe Award for Children's Literature ($15,000) is awarded to the author of a body of work in children's literature that, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the highest literary standards.
This year's award has been given to Roslyn Schwartz, creator of the
beloved Mole Sisters series. Born in Montreal, Roslyn Schwartz moved to England with her family when she was two years old. She grew up in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and attended a Rudolph Steiner school in Sussex, close to Ashdown Forest. Here she met her first mole.
The Mole Sisters books have become great favourites with small children. They depict the everyday adventures of two happy little siblings as they explore their world. Gentle, optimistic and playful, the two inquisitive little moles tackle every adventure with imagination and affection. The texts, wisely published in a small format for little hands, are illustrated with Roslyn Schwartz's coloured pencil drawings - a little splash of colour framed by the white page.
The jury citation states: "Roslyn Schwartz is a virtuoso of the picture book form. In all her books, but most especially in the Mole Sisters stories, she demonstrates how minimal text, tiny pictures and hilariously unambitious images can convey worlds of meaning and character. Playful, intelligent, and peopled with unforgettable characters, Schwartz's titles are a significant, inimitable contribution to Canadian children's literature."
This page of Canadian reviews includes one of Tales of Court and Castle by [the late] Joan Bodger:
"Bodger was an oral storyteller, and her versions of these tales of court and castle, field and forest, though written down, beg to be read aloud..."
