Are the Kids Alright ... 10 books for I Read Canadian Day on 49th Shelf!

This is I Read Canadian week. Read a Canadian author to support the Canadian publishing world. Read a book, tell a friend, write a review, give a gift book. Anything and everything to celebrate Canadian authors, books, and publishing.

Here's my curated list from 2021, on the 49thShelf: Kids Coping With Crisis

These are 10 fantastic books by Canadian authors, which explore adult and parental mental health, homelessness, poverty and addiction through a kid's eyes. I was asked to curate and annotate this list by 49thShelf, as a celebration of my newest book, FIREFLY. Thank you to them!

The books are by Eric Walters, Rebecca Upjohn, Monica Kulling, Christina Kilbourne, Holly Dobbie, Natalie Hyde, Eden Robinson, Christopher Paul Curtis, E.L. Chen. All great authors you should get to know! Books links, annotations and more at the link: Philippa Dowding on the 49thShelf.

Happy I Read Canadian Day!

All posts about FIREFLY on this Blog

FIREFLY is a Governor General's Award Finalist AND an OLA Red Maple Nominee

I've never had a week like this before. I don't think that as a writer, you can have a better week. Certainly, you would never expect a week like this. I'm still in shock. 

On Thursday, October 14th, I woke up to the news that FIREFLY was a Governor General's Literary Award Finalist, Young People's Literature (text). It is an incredible honour, one that I would never have expected. I've cheered on my friends, many times, and clapped with joy from the sidelines when they were nominated. But to be a Finalist myself? Never, not EVER, did I ever think that would happen. Tears of joy, wept along with my inner 9-year-old who used to dream of being an author one day.

I'm also incredibly honoured to be among the first group of Finalists with Mary May Simon, the first Inuk Governor General, in Rideau Hall. Here is a CBC article by Inuk journalist Pauline Pemik, Oct. 21/2021: Interviewing the Governor General in my Language felt like reconciliation.

Winners are announced on November 17, 2021. Stay tuned for that. Here's a video of me reading from FIREFLY:

The next day, October 15th, was the day that FIREFLY was shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association Red Maple Award. 

An incredible honour, this means that young readers in Ontario in grades 7 and 8 will be introduced to Firefly, an indomitable, funny, wise 13-year-old living in a park in downtown Toronto. I will be talking to kids (probably via Zoom etc) across the province about the book, then the young readers choose their favourite book out of the ten nominees. Next spring, 2022, the winners are decided in a big celebration. Stay tuned! 

Here is a post from 2014, about being a Red Maple nominee. That year I was nominated for The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden.

Shine bright, Firefly!

All posts about Firefly on this blog.

It's a Governor General's Literary Award Nomination for FIREFLY!

 

I am so honoured to be able to say that FIREFLY is a Finalist for the 2021 Governor General's Literary Awards!

That's something that you dream about, but never expect to write on your blog. As a thing. That's actually, you know, happened!

Here is the complete list of 
GG Finalists for 2021

You'll find FIREFLY in the Young Readers Literature - TEXT category, a total of 5 books. I'm very pleased to be named with my amazing kidlit peers, Kevin and Basil Sylvester, Sharon Jennings, Angela Ahn and Liselle Sambury.

Thank you to my wonderful publisher at DCB Young Readers, and congratulations to all the nominees. The winners are announced on November 17, 2021, check back then!

Shine bright, Firefly!

All posts on this blog about FIREFLY

Singing lobsters, medieval warriors, and There's Always a Guy in a Gorilla Suit ...

 

"Gloria! You are HILARIOUS!" one of the ladies laughs, then they all grab a lobster costume. One of them sees me watching and says, 'We're a vocal quartet!' I just cannot imagine what kind of party they are going to dressed as four singing lobsters. It takes a certain self-confidence to go to a Halloween party dressed as one quarter of a lobster quartet.

This idea actually makes me quite happy. I'm perilously close to giggling." --From FIREFLY, p. 103

Ever wondered what Halloween in a costume shop might be like?

Firefly knows. She lives in the Corseted Lady costume shop with her Aunt Gayle, which is much better than the park where she used to live. But it takes some getting used to, especially around Halloween. Singing lobster quartets, medieval warriors, Gorilla Suit Guy, that's just the start.

Here's a YouTube clip of me reading this chapter:

There's a new FREE TEACHER'S GUIDE and an excerpt from the book, too.

Halloween is coming! Spend some time with Firefly in her Aunt's costume shop, based on a real costume shop in Toronto, run by my extended family. ENJOY!

All Posts About FIREFLY on this blog

A lovely tweet for FIREFLY from a fan ...

It's not every day that an author gets a TWEET like this from a reader! 

Thank you, Andy7071, you may not realize how inspiring it is for an author to hear from a reader, that their story, their character, their words, have moved another person. Writing a story is such a leap of faith: faith that someone will read it, that it will make sense to them, that it will speak to them in a way that matters or deepens their understanding of the world.

Faith restored!

Read an excerpt of FIREFLY: Philippa Dowding, Open Book

Watch a short clip of Philippa reading on YouTube

MORE ABOUT FIREFLY ON THIS BLOG

 

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