FIREFLY is shortlisted for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award!

I am SO HONOURED to announce that FIREFLY has been shortlisted for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award 2022.

Here is a little about the award: 

• Two awards of $6,000 each are presented annually to recognize artistic excellence in writing and illustration in English-language Canadian children’s literature.
  
  
• The Schwartz Awards are the only Canadian literary award where student jurors work together to choose the winning books.

This is the first time one of my books has been shortlisted for this prestigious award, which is administered by the Ontario Arts Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council.  

Thank you to them and to my wonderful publisher, DCB Young Readers, who saw the potential in this story.

Author as FIREFLY

Here is the award announcement on CBC BOOKS.

And on the Quill and Quire website.

I am truly humbled and frankly, a little amazed, by the wonderful recognition that FIREFLY has received from the literary community in Canada. I am quite sure that my sister-in-law, the inspiration for the character Aunt Gayle and the creator of Thunder Thighs, one of Canada's largest film and television costume shops (and where my story is set), would be pretty amazed too! 

Thank you all. The winners will be announced in early June, 2022, good luck to all nominees! 

Here again is the LIST OF NOMINEES, great books all.

All posts about FIREFLY on this blog.

Introducing FIREFLY, coming from DCB, February 2021

 

I couldn't be more excited to reveal the cover for my next book: FIREFLY, a middle-grade story about PTSD. But mostly, it's about family and friendship.

It's pretty funny, too, and based on a real costume warehouse in Toronto's east end, which belongs to a family member.

Coming from DCB Young Readers in February, 2021, it's a story that has always been close to my heart, and I'm so happy it's almost here. Thank you to my publishing family at DCB/Cormorant, and cover illustrator Julie McLaughlin, for lending her amazing talent.

To pre-order or for more information: FIREFLY

For now, here is the back cover copy:

"Motorcycle cop? Medieval warrior? Maybe a singing lobster?

If you lived in a shop with seven million costumes, what would you choose …

Firefly lives with her Aunt Gayle at The Corseted Lady costume shop, which is much better than living in the park where she used to live. But there’s a lot to get used to: food, a bed (if she can bring herself to sleep in it), a cat, a new school. She even has to get used to Aunt Gayle.

But when you can wear anything, become anything, how do you decide who you are?

And which costume is the real one?"

For a fun twitter Slow Cover Reveal thread: COVER ON TWITTER 

Advance media copies, interview, etc contact PUBLISHER DCB YOUNG READERS

Here's the official BOOK TRAILER for FIREFLY on YouTube (featuring original guitar music by yours truly)

Stay tuned for more about Firefly in the coming weeks!

FIREFLY is based on a real costume shop in Toronto's east end...

Here's the beautiful cover for my next middle-grade book! The illustration is by the wonderful Julie McLaughlin.

FIREFLY is about a lot of things: family, PTSD, mental health, homelessness, resilience, courage, friendship. But it's also inspired by a costume company in Toronto's east end, run by my extended family. Read about Thunder Thighs Costume Shop here.

The costume shop in my story is called The Corseted Lady, where Firefly has been taken in by her Aunt Gayle. It has seven million pieces in it, and Firefly starts to wear them to school.

Motorcycle copy? Saloon Girl? Lobster? In all those costumes, which one is the real Firefly?

Advance Reader Copies of this book have just gone out for review. It's always a nervous time for an author, waiting for reviews. I have to say it's a bit more nerve-wracking than usual this time, since I have written a book about a family-run business. Luckily everyone in the family loves the story, I hope readers (and reviewers) love the place, too.

Wish me courage, and good vibes!

FIREFLY is coming FEb. 2021! Contact DCB Young Readers for review copy, interview, media.

More about Firefly soon, for now:

Firefly BOOK TRAILER

More about Firefly on THIS BLOG