Starred Review for THE WAR LANTERN in School Library Journal

 

I'm incredibly honoured that THE WAR LANTERN has received a Starred Review in School Library Journal! Thank you to my amazing publisher, DCB and to the SLJ.

More from the SLJ Review: "As the novel progresses, the three storylines gradually intersect and overlap in deeply satisfying ways that may prompt rereads ... a well-rounded and immersive portrait of life during World War II."

THE WAR LANTERN is inspired by a bombing in England in 1941 that my father survived at age 15, while at work at a local aircraft factory, and research took me to England and to museums across Canada. This middle-grade book told over 24-hours is one of the most challenging and rewarding writing projects I've ever tackled; historical fiction for children is extremely demanding (and kudos to all who do it)! Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this 7-year journey, and thank you to my father for sharing his survival story with me one night in 1996.

I'll add more on writing, researching, and creating THE WAR LANTERN in this space soon.

For now you'll find ALL CURRENT POSTS ON THE WAR LANTERN here.

The Lancaster Bomber at Canadian
Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton, ON

Thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous Research and Creation grant, and to the Ontario Arts Council for their support of this project.

Happy Book Birthday to Jake and the Giant Hand

Illustration by Shawna Daigle www.jademade.ca

What's chasing Jake?

It's the book birthday for my new middle grade spooky novel, Jake and the Giant Hand, book 1 in the
Weird Stories Gone Wrong series.

Now Available Everywhere, Including:

Amazon
Indigo
Toronto Public Library
Direct from Publisher
iTunes

Reviews:

School Library Journal
Goodreads & Blogs

Happy Book Birthday, Jake!!

Jake and the Giant Hand reviewed in School Library Journal

Coming Sept. 2014, Dundurn Press

"The tale has a great ending with a clever wrap-up that will keep readers wondering. This is a well-crafted horror story with a suspenseful buildup and truly creepy details, such as the giant flies. The artwork adds to the disturbing effect of the story, the drawings of the flies are cartoonish but somehow still menacing, and the picture of them swarming Jake is frightening. This is a book for kids who like chills and thrills."–Gretchen Crowley, Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA August Print Issue, School Library Journal

What a terrific review for my upcoming book, Jake and the Giant Hand. This is the first time I've been reviewed in the School Library Journal, and I'm just delighted! I'm also a little chuffed (okay, very chuffed) to see that Neil Gaiman's new book, Hansel & Gretel, is also reviewed in this issue of SLJ. He's always been a favourite author of mine. If there is one book I wish I'd written it would be The Graveyard Book, which is on my Top 5 shelf with The Hobbit, Charlotte's Web, and Tuck Everlasting. (I realize that's only 4 books, I'm still waiting for book #5.) The reviewer also mentions the wonderful illustrations which are adorably creepy, a million thanks to illustrator Shawna Daigle. The Book Trailer highlights her work (those flies ARE menacing!) I'm just finishing up the next book in the series, Myles and the Monster Outside, coming in 2015. Stay tuned.

Read more reviews on the book's Goodreads page. Read an adapted excerpt in Taddle Creek Magazine.

Dowding, Philippa. Jake and the Giant Hand. illus. by Shawna Daigle. 136 p. (Weird Stories Gone Wrong: Bk. 1). Dundurn. Oct. 2014. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781459724211; ebk. $8.99. ISBN 9781459724235.