Skype Author Visits and Holiday Book Buying

Recently, author Sylvia McNicoll interviewed our author Sharon McKay for a Skype classroom visit with a middle school. They discussed Sharon's book Thunder over Kandahar: how did she do her research? What are the issues involved with writing from the perspective of a culture you don't belong to? Sylvia has a great post about it on her blog, so please click here to read it.

In other news, you may have noticed that it's December 16th. Which means there are less than ten days until Christmas! If you'd like to give your loved ones books for Christmas (and who wouldn't?), here are some places to start.

• Children's author and illustrator Patricia Storms has put together a list of Great Picture Books (including A Flock of Shoes and How Do You Read to a Rabbit?)
• January Magazine has an extensive Holiday Gift Guide (including 50 Underwear Questions)
• If you find teen boys hard to buy for, check out educator Janet Somerville's list of Books for Older Teen Boys
• If you're looking for the hand-selling experience online, stop by the Advent Book Blog, which crowdsources great reads from book lovers of every stripe (author, editors, booksellers, publishers, agents, etc.)

What book are you most excited to give or receive this year? Let us know in the comments!

Three Annick Books Nominated for Willow Awards

Congratulations to Sharon McKay, Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and Keltie Thomas, whose titles have been nominated for the SYRCA (Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award). Thunder over Kandahar was nominated for a Snow Willow Award (grades 7–9); Fatty Legs and Animals That Changed the World have both been nominated in the Diamond Willow category (grades 4–6).

Eleven thousand children and teens throughout Saskatchewan will vote for their favourite book, and award winners will be announced in April 2012. We look forward to the results!

More Accolades!

We're just two weeks into 2011 and already we're proud to announce more awards and recognition for our Fall 2010 books. Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators!

Cry of the Giraffe 

By Judie Oron

• 2011 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens
• 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor list
• Amelia Bloomer Project 2011 list

Fatty Legs

By Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

Illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes

• 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor list

Kings and Carpenters: One Hundred Bible Land Jobs You Might Have Praised or Panned

By Laurie Coulter

Illustrated by Martha Newbigging

• 2011 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers

Thunder over Kandahar

By Sharon McKay

• 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor list
• Amelia Bloomer Project 2011 list

Thunder over Kandahar Launch

On Tuesday, Annick Press and Canadians in Support of Afghan Women (CSAW) threw a book launch for Sharon McKay's novel Thunder over Kandahar. The event was held at the historic Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in Toronto, and included delicious Afghan food, an Afghan market, and, of course, Sharon McKay signing her books! (She also donated 40% of the proceeds from sales of her book to CSAW.)

The evening's events included presentations from CSAW, an introduction from Annick Press Director Rick Wilks, and some words from Sharon McKay.

There was also a moving speech from Mrs. Zuhra Bahman-Ludin, wife of Afghanistan's Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Jawed Ludin, who opened by saying, "I love events like this because they bring three of my favorite things together: books, education, and Afghanistan." She went on to relate how the Taliban took over her home town in Afghanistan when she was a student, and she was no longer able to go to school. Undaunted, she began to read through her father's extensive library and discovered that reading offered an escape from living in a conflict zone. Her passion for education has remained strong ever since: she is now working on her PhD.

Three sisters (left to right: Yasna, Nagesa, Weeda) then gave a wonderful reading from Thunder over Kandahar.

Congratulations, Sharon! To see the rest of the photos, visit our Flickr album!

Looking Forward to Fall

I know it's only June, but in the publishing world that means that we're finishing off our Fall 2010 list! We've got some exciting titles coming up, which I'll profile over the next few weeks.

Today, let's talk about Afghanistan. In 2009, Sharon McKay became the first children's author to participate in the Canadian War Artists program. She asked to be sent to Darfur, but was told it was too dangerous--so instead, she visited Afghanistan! Her latest novel, Thunder over Kandahar, is about two teenage girls in Afghanistan called Tamanna and Yasmine. Each girl is struggling with her own problems, but together, they come up with a very daring solution...

Here's an interview with Sharon as she talks about the book and about her experience as a Canadian War Artist:



And here's a trailer for Thunder over Kandahar: