Wrapping Up Word of the Week Wednesday!

Last week brought the end of our five-week Word of the Week Wednesday feature on Twitter (#wowwed). In case you missed it, here are the five word origins we tweeted, all courtesy of Mark Abley, author of Camp Fossil Eyes: Digging for the Origins of Words:

Parasite: In Ancient Greece, it was fun to be a parasite (literally, "beside food"). Parasites would eat dinner at rich people's homes, where they flattered the host.

Manure: A poet once wrote: "Manure your heart." Why? He meant "improve it." The word is from a Latin phrase meaning "work with the hands."

Gossip: Gossips were originally "God relatives" or godparents. Later they were women who were present at a child's birth--and who talked.

Salary: Centuries ago, people could preserve food only by covering it in salt. A salary was the money that Roman soldiers bought salt with.

Sockeye: Forget feet and faces! This word comes from B.C., where the Salish Indians called a red fish "su-key".

We've also drawn the winners for our favorite-word contest: first place has won a copy of Camp Fossil Eyes and a travel Scrabble set, and the two runners-up have each won a copy of the book! As soon as we've notified the winners, we'll post the origins of their favorite words (courtesy of Mark Abley, of course!). Stay tuned!

More Word Fun!

You might think that translating a book about English word etymology would be pretty tough… but Korean publisher Mirae N Culture of Seoul is up to the challenge! Next year, they will be publishing a Korean language edition of Mark Abley’s Camp Fossil Eyes, a story in which two teenagers spend their summer digging for the origins of everyday English words at a summer camp like no other! We’re looking forward to seeing their edition… even if none of us here at the Annick offices will be able to read it!

For a sneak peek at some of the words explored in Camp Fossil Eyes, check out our "Word of the Week Wednesday" feature on Twitter! Each Wednesday from July 22 to August 19, we'll be tweeting a super-short story of a different word's origin, written by author Mark Abley. (You can also search for the hashtag #wowwed.) The first two words were parasite and manure... what will the next one be?

We've received lots of entries for our Camp Fossil Eyes contest, but it's not too late to enter! Just send your name, address, and favorite word to annickpress(at)annickpress(dot)com to be entered for a chance to win a free copy of the book AND a travel Scrabble set! The lucky winner will be announced on August 19!

Word-Sleuthing at Its Best!

In his new book Camp Fossil Eyes, author Mark Abley explores the intriguing origins of many words we take for granted. For example, did you know that television comes from Greek? Or that we have the Dutch language to thank for cookie?

To celebrate the wonderful world of words, we're having a contest! It's easy to enter: just e-mail your name, address, and favorite word to annickpress(at)annickpress(dot)com. You'll be added to our catalog mailing list (of course, you can request to be removed at any time) and will have a chance to win a copy of the book and a travel version of Scrabble!

Also, watch for our new "Word of the Week Wednesday" feature on Twitter. Just follow Annick Press (or search for #wowwed) to learn the interesting origins of a new word each Wednesday for the next five weeks!

Chicago, Chicago, That Wonderful Town!

What could be better than Chicago in the summertime? That’s what thousands of librarians and teachers must have asked themselves before setting out for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. (Below: Katie sets up our booth.)

The Annick booth was a busy place as people stopped by to see what was new. It was great to hear so many say that they had a number of Annick books in their collections. We also heard many comment on how innovative our titles are, and how they look forward to getting our catalog. Our featured titles for the fall—Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road, The Kids @ the Crossroads series, and Camp Fossil Eyes—attracted a lot of attention. And the fortune cookies we gave away to promote The Chinese Thought of It were a big hit.

Backlist titles got a lot of attention, too—both the Little Black Book for Boys and the Little Black Book for Girlz drew enthusiastic responses and generated lots of discussion around the booth for their frank and honest approach to often controversial subject matter. But it wasn’t all work. We managed to take in an architectural tour of the fabulous Chicago skyline, explore the Magnificent Mile, and had some great meals. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again in Boston for the Midwinter Meeting.

For more photos, check out our ALA 2009 album on Flickr.

More Fall 2009 Books!

Following up on last week's post about our new Fall 2009 titles, please welcome the rest of our fabulous books for kids!

Aztec and Crusades, the first two books in our new Kids @ the Crossroads series, ask the question "What if kids wrote blogs during pivotal moment in history?" The result is an innovative blend of history and high-tech storytelling. Follow 12-year-old Yoatl's adventures as he trains to be an Aztec warrior in 1519, or trace the path of the Children's Crusade across Europe with young Hans, who is determined to find his older brother. Both books are written by Laura Scandiffio; the illustrators are Tina Holdcroft (Aztec) and John Mantha (Crusades).

Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors: Ever wonder what your favourite authors were like as kids? Charis Cotter tells the stories of how six extraordinary children -- Madeleine L'Engle, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Philip Pullman, E.B. White, and Christopher Paul Curtis -- transformed their early struggles into spellbinding books for kids.

Camp Fossil Eyes: Digging for the Origins of Words: What if your summer camp involved not swimming and hiking, but hunting for ancient, fossilized words? Mark Abley captures the fun of language sleuthing as he unearths the origins of well known words such as television (Greek), pickle (Dutch), and mosquito (Spanish)!

Hear My Roar: A Story of Family Violence: Gillian Watts teams up with artist Ben Hodson for this graphic narrative adaptation of Dr. Ty Hochban's book about family violence. Through the story of Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and little Orsa, Hear My Roar provides a gentle, non-threatening approach to talking about family violence. A new afterword by Rita Smith, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says “This book can help children understand that they have a right to live free from violence in their own homes.”

The Great Motion Mission: A Surprising Story of Cosmic Energy and Matter: What does physics have to do with hockey and amusement park rides? Let Cora Lee help you find out! Steve Rolston's energetic artwork ensures a dynamic, high-voltage ride.

Kaboom! Explosions of All Kinds: Natural or man-made, explosions go BOOM for reasons that defy the imagination. Gillian Richardson explores all kinds of explosions, from those made by insects to get food to those used to carve Mount Rushmore.

Together: author Hazel Hutchins teams up with illustrator Alice Priestley to bring you this sweet story exploring the concept of what-goes-with-what. Whether it's buttons that keep your shirt together or shoelaces that keep your feet from dancing out of your shoes, all the items come from the child's immediate world.Wiggle Giggle Tickle Train: This rollicking tale from Nora Hilb and Sharon Jennings introduces us to children using the world around them as inspiration for play. A pony inspires a child to ride high on her father's shoulders; a sailboat sets the stage for setting off to sea in a cardboard box; and an airplane invites kids to soar like a bird.

We're also releasing new editions of two books: you can now get award-winning The Apprentice's Masterpiece (Melanie Little) in paperback, and bestselling The Paper Bag Princess (Robert Munsch, art by Michael Martchenko) as a board book!