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.

5 Questions About My Book, FIREFLY!

FIREFLY is my thirteenth book for children, thank you to DCB Young Readers, my amazing publisher. 

FIREFLY recently won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature (text) and has also received another five shortlist nominations, including the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards and the OLA Red Maple Awards.

Set in a real downtown Toronto costume shop, it's a story about mental health, PTSD, homelessness and poverty. BUT, it's also about the indomitable spirit of a 13-year-old girl, and her imperfect but amazing aunt, who runs the costume shop.

Order FIREFLY now.

Here are the top 5 questions I think people might ask about the book, enjoy!

1. What is FIREFLY about?

Firefly has been sleeping in the Toronto park across from her mother's house for most of the summer.  Then the Bad Night happens and she gets nabbed by social services, who send her to live at The Corseted Lady costume shop with her Aunt Gayle. The costume shop has 7 million pieces in it, enough for Firefly to try all kinds of identities in grade nine at her new high school. But which one is the real Firefly?

2. What made you want to write this story?

The setting for the story is inspired by a real costume shop in Toronto, run by my extended family members: 

Read more about Thunder Thighs here. 

It's an amazing place, a warehouse with 7 million pieces in it! Along with all the beautiful costumes, you'd have to include the huge collections of things like buttons, eye glasses, boots, shoes, fascinators to reach that number, though. My sister-in-law started the shop in the 1980s, and built it into a very successful business, creating and renting costumes for the Canadian film, theatre and television industry. She made my wedding dress, for instance, which was used on at least one CBC franchise! Costumes transform us, but also reveal who we are. I wanted Firefly's story to be more about who she becomes, than who she was on the street, and costumes are a great way to achieve that.

3. Firefly and her mother don't reconcile by the end of this story. Is this a little unusual for a middle-grade book?

Without giving too much away, I did want to write a story that explores the long-term struggle a young person has with a parent who, for various reasons, cannot parent their child properly. There's no fast, easy way to heal and to write any other kind of ending would be untruthful. But the story isn't really focused on the past. In the indomitable spirit of a young teenager, Firefly looks forward. She's curious, loving, smart, resourceful and with help from her aunt, her friend Charlie, a good social worker and a few others, she starts a journey of self-discovery. And in a costume shop, that journey can go in some amazing and hilarious directions! 

The ending is hopeful too, and there is the suggestion that Firefly and her mother will talk again, one day. When Firefly is ready.

4. What is your favourite part of the book?

It was a real honour to write a story inspired by a family-run business, one that my kids have worked at, that I have watched grow and change for decades. I have lots of memories about it, including the carrot costume that one family member wore every Halloween, or the motorcycle cop outfit that my son loved at age 13. It's a family story, so I love that about it, although it is a piece of fiction. The book is also quite hilarious in places, strange things can happen in a costume shop, especially at Halloween (which is when the story is set). I really love Chapter Fourteen, "There's Always a Guy in a Gorilla Suit," which I think is one of the funniest things I've ever written!  I'll just leave that there!

Firefly statue from friends, Dec. 2021

5. What is the main message you want young readers to take away from FIREFLY?

I think any child, whether in a difficult home situation or not, will identify with the courage and humour in Firefly. We're all luminous, beautiful creatures, lit from within, and there are people who see that in us, too. The main message I want kids to hear: find your crew, and let them love you and help you. You're not alone.

BOOK LAUNCH Q&A on YouTube: Kidlit blogger Helen Kubiw interviews me on all things FIREFLY.

Firefly is a CBC Books "28 Middle-Grade Books" Pick, March 2021

Firefly is an EXPERT PICK, Canadian Children's Book Centre March 2021

Beautiful Review from CanLit for Little Canadians

Here's a short YouTube video of ME Reading FIREFLY

FIREFLY BOOK TRAILER

More about FIREFLY on this BLOG

FIREFLY launches February 6, 2021!

THEY CAME!! My author copies of my next middle-grade novel, FIREFLY, arrived yesterday!

The anticipation and joy as I opened the box hasn't changed since I opened my first box of author copies in 2009 (that first book was The Gargoyle in My Yard). My secret admission? I always cry when I first see my new book in print. To hold it, to carry it, to sniff the new paper smell ... it's pretty close to meeting your new baby.

Not many opportunities to cry spontaneous tears of joy, especially right now during a pandemic and rolling lockdowns. Thank you to my publisher, DCB Young Readers!

So, welcome FIREFLY, releasing in bookstores and libraries on February 6/2021. Right now publishers, authors and bookstores are fighting for their lives, although no industry is immune, please consider a pre-order and buy locally if you can.

Author in 2009 with 1st book, 
The Gargoyle in My Yard

MEDIA COPIES, PRESS RELEASE AND MORE:

To request a copy, book the author for an interview and/or other content, or for more information, please contact: 
Chantelle Cho, Sales & Marketing c.cho@cormorantbooks.com

From the FIREFLY Press Release:

"Philippa Dowding’s latest novel for young readers explores themes of self-esteem, child homelessness, and family. Philippa’s previous children's books have been nominated for numerous literary awards in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, including the SYRCA Diamond Willow, OLA Silver Birch, OLA Red Maple, and Hackmatack awards. Her last novel, Oculum, was a finalist for the 2019 SYRCA Diamond Willow Award, was nominated for the 2020 Forest of Reading Silver Birch (Fiction) Award, and is currently being adapted into a television series. Dowding lives in Toronto."

FIREFLY BOOK TRAILER
More about FIREFLY on this BLOG
Book Launch INFORMATION to COME!

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