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

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

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

 

CLICK TO ORDER

FIREFLY is an Amazing New Middle Grade Read for Spring on the 49th Shelf!

 

FIREFLY is one of 10 books named an "Amazing new middle grade read" for spring, 2021 by the 49th Shelf! Thank you!

Here's the 49th Shelf Post 

I'm in great company with authors Mahtab Narsimhan, Kathy Kacer, Michelle Kadarusman, Marthe Jocelyn, Roy McGregor, Leslie Gentile and more. Congrats all! 

Also congratulations to my amazing publisher, DCB Young Readers, who has TWO titles on this prestigious list. Elvis, Me and the Lemonade Stand Summer, by Leslie Gentile, is also published by them.

AND, thank you to the Canadian Children's Book Centre and Bibliovideo, who have featured my three-minute reading from FIREFLY HERE. Go see what my messy office looks like! 😊

The good news for Firefly just keeps coming, and I'm really honoured. Keep reading everyone!
All posts about FIREFLY on this blog.

 

So honoured that FIREFLY is a CBC Books "Best Middle Grade Books of Spring 2021" selection! I'm in great company with some terrific Canadian writers.  Thanks CBC!

Here is the whole list, check it out for some wonderful reads for kids 9-12: Philippa Dowding on the CBC Books Spring 2021 List

All posts about FIREFLY on this blog

A beautiful first review for FIREFLY ...

"But author Philippa Dowding isn't telling us Firefly's story as dress-up play, as a little girl pretending to be someone else. Though the shop and its costumes are fascinating, colourful and rich in history and entertainment, as are the employees and customers, Firefly is about a child who has had to become an adult, who has endured trauma and negligence, and had to find ways to cope..."

--CanLit for Little Canadians, Feb 8/2021

Full FIREFLY Review here

The first review for my latest book FIREFLY is out, and it's a really thoughtful and beautiful one. Thank you to Helen Kubiw, from Canlit for Little Canadians, for the kind words for FIREFLY.

It's always a bit of a nail-biter for an author, that time before the first review comes out. This one is most appreciated!

YouTube Clip of Philippa Reading from FIREFLY!

More about FIREFLY on this BLOG.

Book Launch: March 2, 2021, Another Story Bookshop online. STAY TUNED!

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!