OCULUM ECHO is a CBC Canadian Middle Grade Book to Watch For ...

 

OCULUM ECHO is on the CBC Fall list of Books to Watch for!

"Will the children of Oculum survive the violent, destroyed world outside the dome? The explosions come in the night. Miranda1, Mannfred, Grannie, and the one thousand children of Oculum must flee their farm, chased by the UnRuly. But there is hope: an old friend sends word of a book that may hold the secret to their survival." CBC

I'm SO honoured that CBC has chosen my latest book, OCULUM ECHO, as part of its fall list of Canadian Middle-Grade Books to Watch. Thank you to them! There are 36 books here for kids aged 9-12, all by wonderful Canadian authors, a perfect start for gift-giving. Go check out the list, and enjoy.

Here is the CBC book page for OCULUM ECHO.

All posts about OCULUM ECHO on this blog.

OCULUM is a Best Reads 2019 plus a special thank you card from a class visit...

Thank you to The Sound magazine, for picking OCULUM as one of it's Best Reads of 2019 titles (one of only three, I'm in amazing company with Terry Fallis and Tanya Boteju). 

Here's what they had to say:

"Similar to The Giver in quality, content, appeal, and originality, Oculum really is children’s literature. It’s written beautifully, simply, and thoughtfully, and covers subject matter that is not common enough in Middle Grade. Every scene can be pictured in vivid detail, and readers of any age will be desperate to learn more about this strange world." Wow, THANK YOU!

Read the rest of the article here: The Sound Best of 2019

Also, I got the sweetest card from a class visit today! 
It's a peach, a symbol of fragility of the planet in OCULUM, with a special door in it! Part of the story involves a hidden door ...

The letter inside reads:

"Dear Philippa,

Thank you so much for visiting us. We love your book OCULUM and hope it wins Silver Birch. [edit: THANK YOU!] We will be cheering for you, when you're on stage at the Forest of Trees. [edit again: AWWW!] 

We connect so much with Miranda & Mannfred. We hope you write another book just like it. You created OCULUM for everyone and just like the seeds[,] everyone loves it."

Thank you so much, to the 5 & 6 class I visited last week. Honestly, when they read this 
note to me after my presentation, it was hard to hold it together. Connecting with kids is one of the very best parts of being an Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading nominee, I absolutely love talking to children about my books and hearing and answering their always unique and interesting questions.

KEEP READING EVERYONE! 

For more on OCULUM on this blog, click here.

OCULUM is a Silver Birch 2020 nominee and optioned for TV!

"We are delighted to announce that not only is @phdowding’s Oculum on the @ForestofReading Silver Birch Fiction Shortlist, we’ve also just sold rights to @saloonmedia, who want to produce a podcast, audiobook & tv series!"
--DCB, October 17/2019

My publisher, DCB (formerly Dancing Cat Books), posted that tweet last week.

Here's the tweet: OCULUM DCB NEWS

I couldn't be more honoured. An OLA Forest of Reading Silver Birch nomination for 2020 and an option on the book from a great Canadian production company like Saloon Media.  

Someone please pinch me (maybe twice). 

I couldn't be more honoured and surprised. It's just been an incredible week, THANK YOU to the Ontario Library Association, my publisher and editors at DCB, the wonderfully talented team at Saloon media, and everyone else who helped make these things happen for my middle-grade, science fiction dystopia. (The book also received an SYRCA Diamond Willow nomination in April, 2019, thank you!)
I cannot wait to discuss the book with the young readers of Ontario and Saskatchewan in the months ahead ...

Author and her publisher, OLA 2019

I also want to thank my editor Allister Thompson, who has guided me through the pitfalls of commas, adverbs, and nonsensical dialogue (plus much more) for TWELVE books now. And also warm thanks go to Emma Dolan, the talented illustrator of the absolutely beautiful cover for the book. Thank you guys!

And many thanks go to publisher Sylvia McConnell too (because I don't thank her enough), for publishing my first book, The Gargoyle in My Yard, in 2009, and getting this party started.

A writer just doesn't get the kind of week I had last week very often. The truth is there are long spells, years really, when you write and write and write, not knowing if the book is good, if anyone will publish it, and if anyone does publish it, will anyone buy it, read it, review it, nominate it ...

... and so on. It's such a strange, perilous journey from idea, to manuscript to book deal to book, that really, it's such a surprise whenever something amazing happens. It's never expected, and always hugely appreciated.

So thank you everyone, this writer is really, really appreciative of all the support and great news. It's going to be a fun ride! More to come on the Silver Birch award and the Saloon Media option in the months ahead, but for now, read more about OCULUM:

Purchase a copy of OCULUM now

More about OCULUM on this blog
FREE Teacher's Guide for OCULUM 

OCULUM gets a CYBILS longlist nom!

Well that's a very nice surprise! My middle-grade dystopia, OCULUM, received a long-listing for the CYBILS awards in the Elementary Speculative Fiction category.

Thank you!

The list is long (hence the name), over 100 books, and although it's largely a U.S. award, there are Canadians on the list with me, notably Kenneth Oppel, Kevin Sylvester, Rachelle Delaney and Wendy Orr (sorry if I missed anyone).

Full List: CYBILS Elementary Speculative Fiction/18

Thank you to my publisher, Dancing Cat Books, for the chance to tell this near-future dystopia that ponders a question for older middle-graders (ages 10-13): what will matter most as humanity rebuilds itself after the fall?

Will it be love? Food? Friendship? Shakespeare? Peaches? Or will it be kindness, community and storytelling? Or something else?

A few readers have described the book as "Cormac McCarthy's The Road for kids", which is interesting. (It's not nearly as disturbing though, honest.)

My favourite character in the book has to be Grannie, who holds fast against poverty, starvation, neglect, and fosters dozens of children at her homestead in the wilderness. She seemed like an important character that we see too rarely in children's books: a brave older woman, holding the world together. I'm pretty happy to see her in print!

For more, here is the publisher's page: OCULUM
Free Teacher's Guide
All posts about OCULUM on THIS BLOG

OCULUM at the Chiaroscuro Reading Series, June 20th

It's Official! I'm reading from my new middle-grade dystopia, OCULUM, for the first time at the Chiaroscuro Reading Series in June.

Where: The Round Venue, 152a Augusta Ave, Kensington Market (Toronto)

When: Wednesday, June 20, 8:00-11:59

Website & More Info: Chiaroscuro Reading Series

I'll be joining fellow dystopian authors Kate Blair and Adrienne Kress that night, so please join us for a wonderful evening of reading and contemplating the future of humanity. Hope to see you there!

Bakka/Phoenix Booksellers will sell books during the event.

Read the first reviews of OCULUM:
CM Magazine, Highly Recommended
Goodreads

OCULUM is Highly Recommended by CM Magazine!

"Well-written and an imaginative description of a future world struggling to survive, OCULUM ends on a positive note, and the book should appeal to both boys and girls in search of adventure.

--Highly Recommended."

The first trade press review for OCULUM, my new middle grade dystopia, is in and it's a GREAT ONE! Thank you Canadian Review of Materials Magazine! "Highly Recommended" is their highest rating.

Here's the whole review: OCULUM, June 1/2018

Order OCULUM online

Publisher's Book Page
Goodreads Reviews

More about OCULUM on this blog