Win an autographed book!

 
Many thanks to the authors and publishers who have generously provided these titles! 

There are now five draws each month of the school year for a free, autographed book from one of our authors. 

Here’s how it works: 

Your name is entered into the draw once for each session you book with one of our authors.  So, if you booked one author for one session, you will be entered once.  If you booked one author for three sessions, you will be entered three times, and so on. 

Please note that your entry will go into the draw on the month of the visit, and not at the time of booking.

Winners each choose a book; the author inscribes the book and mails it to the winner.

___________________________________________________

And now: A List of Titles! 

Listed in Alphabetical order by Author:

(If more than one copy of a title is available, it will appear twice in the list.)

AVAILABLE TITLES:

Tara Anderson: That Stripy Cat

Matt Beam: Can you Spell Revolution?

Helaine Becker: Pirate Power Play

Nancy Belgue: Soames on the Range

Nancy Belgue: Casey Little Yo Yo Queen

James Bow: The Unwritten Girl

Svetlana Chmakova: Dramacon Vol 1

Svetlana Chmakova: Dramacon Vol 1

Gillian Chan: The Turning
John Chipman: Obsession
John Chipman: Obsession

Peter Christie: Naturally Wild Musicians: The wondrous World of Animal Song

Peter Christie:Well-schooled Fish and Feathered Bandits: The Wondrous Ways Animals Learn from Animals
Marina Cohen: Shadow of the Moon

Marina Cohen: Shadow of the Moon

Ray Conlogue: Shen and the Treasure Fleet

Ray Conlogue: Shen and the Treasure Fleet

Veronika Martenova Charles: The Birdman

Veronika Martenova Charles: Don't Open the Door!

Anita Daher: Racing for Diamonds

Anita Daher: Spider's Song

Anne Dublin: Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything 
Hadley Dyer: Fishing in Action

kc dyer: Secret of Light

kc dyer: Shades of Red

Carolyn Fisher: A Twisted Tale

Carolyn Fisher: Two Old Potatoes and Me
Gayle Friesen: The Isabel Factor

Natale Ghent: No Small Thing

Rachna Gilmore: When I was a Little Girl

Rachna Gilmore: Grandpa's Clock

Vicki Grant: The Puppet Wrangle

Jacqueline Guest: Secret Signs

Jacqueline Guest: Rookie Season

Diane Haynes: Flight or Fight

Nate Hendley: Jean Chretien, the Scrapper Who Climbed His Way to the Top

Nate Hendley: William Lyon MacKenzie King: The Loner who Kept Canada Together

Anita Horrocks: Almost Eden

Anita Horrocks: Topher

Karen Krossing: Pure

Karen Krossing: Take the Stairs

Laura Langston: Mile High Apple Pie
Jennifer Lanthier: The Mystery of the Martello Tower, a Hazel Frump Adventure
Jennifer Lanthier: The Mystery of the Martello Tower, a Hazel Frump Adventure

Peggy Dymond Leavey: The Path Through the Trees

Peggy Dymond Leavey: The Path Through the Trees

Deb Loughead: Pet Fair

Deb Loughead: A Pocketful of Rocks

Adrienne Mason: Build It, Structures, Systems and You
Sheryl McFarlane: The Smell of Paint
Sheryl McFarlane: Eagle Dreams

Robin Muller: Hickory Dickory Dock 

Robin Muller: Row Row Row Your Boat
Hal Niedzviecki: The Big Book of DIY Pop Culture: A How-To Guide For Young Artists

Gail Nyoka: Mella and the N'anga

Gail Nyoka: Mella and the N'anga

Curtis Parkinson: Domenic's War

Shane Peacock: Bone Beds of the Badlands

Robert Sawyer: Iterations, short story collection. hardcover 
Richard Scarsbrook: Cheeseburger Subversive
Richard Scarsbrook: Featherless Bipeds
Richard Scrimger: The Nose from Jupiter

Jocelyn Shipley: Seraphina's Circle

Jocelyn Shipley: Getting a Life

Lesley Simpson: The Hug

Lesley Simpson: The Shabbat Box

Gail Sobat: A Winter's Tale

Kathy Stinson: 101 Ways to Dance 

Kathy Stinson: 101 Ways to Dance 

Robert Sutherland: The Adventures of Tommy Smith

Robert Sutherland: A River Apart

Cora Taylor:The Spy Who Wasn’t There: Murder in Mexico

Edo van Belkom: Wolf Pack

Larry Verstraete: Survivors, True Death-Defying Escapes  
Joe Weissmann: For younger children:  Mom, The School Flooded or Three Tales of Adventures

Jessica Westhead: Pulpy & Midge

Jessica Westhead: Pulpy & Midge

John Wilson: Four Steps to Death

TITLES THAT WERE SELECTED BY PREVIOUS WINNERS: 
(SORRY, THESE ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Don Aker: One on One SELECTED NOVEMBER/07

Don Aker: The First Stone SELECTED SEPTEMBER/07

Tara Anderson: That Stripy Cat SELECTED MARCH/08

Linda Bailey: The Farm Team (hardcover) SELECTED MARCH/07

Linda Bailey: Goodnight Sweet Pig (hardcover) SELECTED MARCH/07

Robin Baird Lewis: Red is Best 25th Anniversary edition SELECTED NOVEMBER/07

Robin Baird Lewis: Red is Best 25th Anniversary edition (signed by the Illustrator) APRIL/08

Matt Beam: Earth to Nathan Blue  SELECTED APRIL /08

Helaine Becker Secret Agent Y.O.U. SELECTED APRIL/07

Jacob Berkowitz: Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (and Others) Left Behind SELECTED NOV/07

Jacob Berkowitz: Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (and Others) Left Behind SELECTED FEB/08

Jo Ellen Bogart: Gifts (hardcover ) SELECTED APRIL/07

Jo Ellen Bogart: Gifts (hardcover ) SELECTED APRIL/07

James Bow: Fathom Five SELECTED FEB/08

Gillian Chan: Dear Canada, An Ocean Apart - SELECTED FEB/08

Anne Dublin: June Callwood: A Life of Action - SELECTED MARCH/07

Hadley Dyer: Johnny Kellock Died Today - SELECTED OCT/07

Wallace Edwards: The Painted Circus - SELECTED OCT/07

Wallace Edwards: Alphabeasts - SELECTED FEB/08

L.M. Falcone: The Devil, the Banshee and Me - SELECTED MARCH/07

L.M. Falcone: Walking with the Dead SELECTED JUNE/07

Gayle Friesen: Janey's Girl - SELECTED FEB/08

Natale Ghent: All the Way Home    SELECTED OCT/07

Celia Godkin: Wolf Island  SELECTED MARCH/07

Celia Godkin: Fire! The Renewal of a Forest SELECTED DECEMBER/07

Vicki Grant: Dead-End Job SELECTED MARCH/08

Laurel Dee Gugler: There's a Billy Goat in the Garden SELECTED JUNE/07

Diane Haynes: Crow Medicine SELECTED DECEMBER/07

Michael Kusugak: The Curse of the Shaman - SELECTED MARCH/08

Laura Langston: Exit Point SELECTED DECEMBER/07

Adrienne Mason: Skunks SELECTED MAY/07

Carol Matas: The Whirlwind SELECTED MARCH/07

Carol Matas: Past Crimes SELECTED FEB/08

Norah McClintock: Seeing and Believing (A Mike and Riel Mystery) SELECTED NOV/07

Norah McClintock: Not a Trace (A Chloe and Levesque Mystery) SELECTED MARCH/08

Hal Niedzviecki: The Big Book of DIY Pop Culture SELECTED NOVEMBER/07

Liam O'Donnell: Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook - Volume I  SELECTED MARCH/07

Liam O'Donnell: Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook - Volume II SELECTED MAY/07
Curtis Parkinson: Sea Chase SELECTED SEPTEMBER/07

Shane Peacock: The Mystery of Ireland's Eye - SELECTED MAY/07
Robert Sawyer: Iterations, short story collection. hardcover SELECTED JUNE/07

Richard Scrimger: From Charlie's Point of View SELECTED APRIL /08

We wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday season. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solistice or something else, we hope that you have a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday.

Valerie and Marsha and all of our presenters extend sincere thanks to you. Authors' Booking Service has grown in leaps and bounds. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for supporting Canadian authors and illustrators and for your book and reading enthusiasm.

This is our last newsletter of 2007. The first newsletter of 2008 will be emailed during the week of January 7. We will be checking our mail from time to time over the holidays, but not nearly as compulsively as usual.

Thank you for your interest in representation by Authors’ Booking Service.  We ask that you read through the following information carefully.

This agency has grown very quickly since its formation in 2006 and currently represents about seventy Canadian authors/illustrators from across the country.  After experiencing a much more rapid growth and demand than anticipated, we have found it necessary to create a waiting list for new applicants.

That said, there are a few things that you should know about this service before you decide whether or not this is the right time for you to apply.  The first is that authors who are presently represented by other agencies for bookings anywhere in the province of Ontario are not eligible.  (This does not apply to any of the Writers in the Schools Programs.) 

We also do not represent authors who, personally or through any means, offer lower rates than those they have listed through ABS.  (We have had to let a few members go for this reason.) 

Here is some background information as well as a few general operational details about Authors' Booking Service.

Over a number of years we had both experienced a good deal of frustration over our inability to properly manage school bookings.  During that time we hired two different booking agents - neither of whom delivered a service that was actually beneficial to us.  (Incidentally, we brought two very different perspectives to this, as Marsha lives in Ontario while Valerie lives in New Brunswick.)

Early in 2006 we talked about the problem and decided that we were going to take it on ourselves. (I think the correct phrase is "fools rush in")  We worked like mad for months, setting up a database of contacts and ironing out the wrinkles.  And during that process, we realized that what we'd accomplished, mainly in order to solve our own problems, would work for other authors as well.  So, we began to expand.

And that, in a nutshell, is the background.

How we operate is actually quite simple.  We set up an information page on each author we represent, and this is posted on our website. (www.authorsbooking.com)  The page includes all of the general information that teachers and librarians would need to access in order to plan an author visit.

Once weekly, we send out a newsletter to a large number of educators, via our announce-only listserv.  The listserv took off and continues to expand like crazy as word of our service spreads.  It is also passed along by librarians to three other listserv groups, thereby blanketing the entire province.

For out-of-province authors, we usually promote specific tour dates and locations.  For Ontario authors, it lets educators know when an author may be visiting another part of the province, when an author is doing presentations somewhere and has time slots open on that date and other details that will help an author manage his or her booking schedule.  For example, some authors may only want Wednesday bookings in a certain area.

Basically, we get the word out.  And of course we promote our authors through the "Meet the Author" column, by announcing nominations and awards and new releases ... that sort of thing.  

We also promote Professional Development Workshop sessions for educators, offered by our authors.

Knowing that many authors struggle financially, we do all of this at no fee.  Nothing for set-up, nothing for promoting.  The only time a fee is due to us is when we secure a booking as a result of our efforts.  (Bookings that are made independently of our efforts are not affected.) 

Many of our authors charge a standard $250.00 per session, although new authors are well advised to offer a lower rate, and higher profile individuals sometimes charge more.  Some authors offer a discount for multiple sessions at one location. 

We encourage, but do not insist upon, the standard rate for established authors, especially if they have had a significant number of award nominations.

Please note that our role is to promote and to accept and forward inquiries.  We do not schedule for any of our authors.  We do not plan routes, nor do we arrange transportation or accommodations.  It is up to the author and hosting agency to work out the time and other details.  We may, however, offer assistance if there are negotiation/arrangement difficulties that would benefit from third party intervention.

In addition to promoting, we do field questions about dates, discounts, expenses beyond the author fee and many other things that can become bothersome.  It's our hope that our agency will help establish a decent standard fee for authors and illustrators.

So, if you feel this service would be a good fit for you, just send us an email confirming that you would like to proceed.  At that time we will formally process your application after which we’ll be in touch again to advise you of our decision. 

As stated earlier, we have found it necessary to keep our author list to a manageable number, in order to provide a high quality of service and promotion for our members.  There are a number of things that we consider when we look at each new applicant.

One of the most important considerations is the author's publishing background especially over the past five years.  This includes the number of published works and any award nominations (and of course wins).  It has been our experience that without a solid history in these areas, it is very difficult for us to obtain bookings.

The simple fact is that with so many high profile authors, as well as authors who currently have titles on one or more award lists (especially national or Ontario), the educators we serve are passing over less established writers when they are arranging school visits.

Keep in mind that if you do not meet the above criteria, it is unlikely that we will be able to place you on our list at this time.  

Successful applicants will be advised that they have met our criteria and will be sent a file to fill out as soon as there is an opening for them. 

All the best,

Marsha & Valerie

Bookstores are swell, but I love libraries. From quirky neighbourhood outposts to vast reference institutions, they welcome and reassure. Like museums or art galleries, they are places full of knowledge and information, full of people who want to learn. They are quiet but they hum. My favourite library is at my daughter's school.

I'm biased, because my grandmother was a school librarian in Montreal West. She was one of the most thoughtful, critical readers I have ever known. I remember visiting her library, and being enormously proud of this elegant silver-haired woman reading to a group of children, and then carefully, firmly, guiding each one of them to books she knew would hold their interest, and spur them to read more. I didn't think I would ever meet anyone who could match her gift for matching child with book. Then I met the librarian at my daughter's school.

Let's call her Jane. I don't know what sacrifices had to be made or what jobs juggled to win a librarian for the school -- I don't want to know. No one works harder or listens more intently than Jane. She's not alone; the library relies on a platoon of mothers who check out and shelve books and repair the dinosaur-and-reptile sections after each kindergarten class departs.

But what Jane provides is far more important, and more difficult. She is the link between book and child. She is the difference between a child wandering -- lost, bored, or intimidated in a sea of bindings and misleading jacket covers -- and a child thrilled to possess exactly the right book for him.

When Jane arrived, she interviewed all the children in the older grades, to learn about what and whom they had been reading, and what they thought of it. Then she gave them lists of books she thought might suit their interests and reading levels.

Over the next months, I saw Jane escort groups of four or five children at a time on a sort of literary tour, pausing here and there to pull books by different authors from the shelves.

"You read this one, didn't you, Sarah?" She prompts "What did you think of it?"

"Um . . . I thought it was good?" comes the hesitant reply.

"But?" asks the librarian.

"I thought some of the, you know, the people? They were, um, unrealistic?"

Jane prods until Sarah expands on her opinion of the way certain characters were drawn, and plot lines developed. Other girls who've read the book, or another by the same author, chime in and the debate and analysis evolve into an impressive group critique.

When the girls leave, 10 minutes later, each has dissected at least one other work, and all have fresh suggestions from the librarian for new books to tackle, based on their own comments.

A small child walks in, striding confidently up to the paperback shelves to claim a battered copy from the Captain Underpants series (I am not making that title up). Within seconds, the librarian's hand has plucked it from his grasp.

"Oh no, Connor, you're not taking that out again. Come with me, I have something much, much better for you -- you're going to love this."

A few minutes later the sheepish Connor has left, clutching a book that boasts considerably more words. A slightly older boy walks in.

"Thomas, you must try Captain Underpants," Jane says smoothly. "You will find it very funny."

Books inspire. Words inspire. The right words to the right child spark synapses and fuel appetites. These are things a librarian knows. But people inspire, too. Teaching a child how to use a library, how to really use it--to find a novel, a picture book, a poem, or to find reliable information for her history project--that has to be one of the most basic and vital tasks a school can perform.

It is something that wouldn't happen without Jane. I know, because I am a volunteer. I show up in the library every couple of weeks and serve the Dewey Decimal system as best I can, but I haven't the patience or the creativity to really work with children. I break into a sweat as I swipe the scanner over a bar code and realize I must now explain to this angelic child that he has five overdue Lemony Snicket books and can't check out book six until he coughs up the others.

A child asks for research help and between the obscurity or complexity of the topic, or the vagaries of the Internet, I will be forced to reveal my utter lack of ability. I'm generally met with a resigned compassion that hints at a lifetime of dealing with well-meaning but incompetent adults. But the library tolerates me, and I am grateful, because I am learning, too.

All manner of teachers and students circulate through this library. I press my hand to the checkout table and feel it vibrate. Maybe it's the scanner. Maybe it's a pulse. Because this library feels like the heart of the school. It's not a room; it's a muscle. It may not seem so to many of the students, who surely must take it for granted as they do the gym and music programs. But this library pulls them in and pumps them out again, high on the oxygen of opportunity and possibility. In this library, the joy of discovery, and pride of accomplishment are everywhere, from the vivid artwork on the walls to the whispered boastings of "Oh I read that already," or "Wait until you read this one!"

In this library, children gain confidence. In this library, they learn that if they know zilch about the habitat of the yak, or the diet of the Incas, it's okay: they know how to find that information. If they don't, this librarian will teach them how.

My daughter's school has a librarian: a person who understands books and learning and children, and knows how to bring them all together.

Every school should be so lucky.

Adopt a Teacher-Librarian

developed by R Henley, S Armstrong, M Skrypuch, H Aalto

OBJECTIVE

• To provide teacher-librarians and their advocates (for example, children's authors or illustrators, parents, etc.) with clear and focused information that they can present to school library decision makers and influencers like principals, trustees, MPPs, parent groups and teacher groups.

• The key message is that teacher-librarians can make decision-makers look good without costing more money. In other words, adequately funding teacher-librarians and school libraries will inexpensively help achieve the goals of literacy and higher student achievement.

• The following is intended as a guide and should be modified, depending on the audience and individual school board and school initiatives.

INTRODUCTION

• Begin on a positive note by thanking the individual(s) for any literacy initiatives they have developed or supported. e.g. Growing Excellence, Inspiring Success brochure (GEDSB), and by acknowledging that increasing student literacy is everyone’s goal

TEACHER-LIBRARIANS AND SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAMS

• Give a copy of the questionnaire “Library/Media Centre Assessment Questionnaire.” Discuss results.

• Point out that school library programs support and extend literacy initiatives. e.g. Student Excellence in the Library Information Centre

• Give overview of current research linking teacher-librarians and school library programs to higher student achievement. A good example of this can be found in the OELMA (Ohio Educational Library Media Association) fact sheet

Explain the role of the teacher-librarian in developing readers for life, i.e. as well as providing curriculum-related materials, the school library offers books for pure enjoyment.

• A good analogy is chocolate vs broccoli. A teacher-librarian assists the student in finding books they want to read, because lifelong literacy cannot be achieved unless a student comes to enjoy reading – the ‘chocolate’ approach. Literacy specialists use primarily US and UK imported ‘levelled readers,’ formula-based word-decoding program packages, often with mediocre stories and illustrations, that make reading something that's good for you, but not necessarily enjoyable – the ‘broccoli’ approach. Many literacy programs can actually in