authorsbooking

Helaine Becker presenting to kindergarten students

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:45:55 GMT

Holiday newsletter -- with recipes!

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:05:08 GMT

Dear librarians and educators,

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.

We have a small gift for you. Pasted below are festive recipes from some of our authors. We have two that are not for human consumption: a dog biscuit recipe from Sheryl McFarlane, and a milk play doh recipe from Helaine Becker. We have a decadant breakfast from Marina Cohen and a surprising number of desserts. We also have some hearty main courses and two recipes for those of you who like to serve tea.

Please feel free to pass these recipes on to whomever you think would enjoy them. Eat hearty and be well.

Sincerely,
Marsha Skrypuch and Valerie Sherrard

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First things:

For the dog

Sheryl McFarlane's Dog Biscuits

Here is the perfect holiday present for dog lovers of all ages. Make a batch of these scrumptious dog biscuits. Gift wrap them along with a copy of Sheryl McFarlane’s picture book, This is the Dog. Your friends and their canines will love you forever.

Dog Biscuits + This is the Dog = a perfect present

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C).

In a bowl, add 2 tsp. of dry yeast to 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Let rise.

Add the following and mix in with the above
1 1/2 cups cooled chicken broth (can be purchased, home-made, or made by dissolving 2 bouillon cubes in boiling water)
2 tablespoons dry parsley
3 tablespoons honey
1 egg.

Gradually mix in 5-6 cups whole wheat flour until a stiff dough is formed.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 3-5 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball, and roll to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Using small bone-shaped cookie cutters, make biscuits!

Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1/4 inch (6 mm) apart. Gather up the scraps, roll out again, and cut additional biscuits.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn over. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. Let cool overnight.

Makes several dozen small bones that keep and freeze well.

Note: if you want to hang some on your Xmas tree, poke a hole in one end of each biscuit before baking. (hole will shrink while baking). Let it cool, and then thread it with a narrow ribbon.

Happy Holidays. Sheryl McFarlane

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Next:

For the kids (to play with, not to eat!)

Helaine Becker's Whey Cool

Here's a recipe from my upcoming book, Science on the Loose (Mapletree Press). It's for making plastic out of milk. You can use the resulting glob of moldable matter to make holiday ornaments!

Mooove over, petroleum by-products! Did you know you can make your own plastic – from milk?

You will need

1 cup/250 ml milk (full fat milk works best)

1 tablespoons/15 ml white vinegar

Eye dropper or small spoon

Saucepan

Measuring cup

Mixing spoon

Measuring spoon

Ø Pour the milk into the saucepan.

Ø Have an adult help you with this step. Gently warm up the milk, without letting it boil.

Ø When steam is rising from the milk (about 5 minutes) add a few drops of vinegar. Stir.

Ø Keep adding vinegar, a few drops at a time, while you stir.

Ø When you have added about 2 teaspoons of vinegar/10 ml, you should start to see lumps forming in the milk. These are called curds.

Ø Keep adding vinegar drop by drop until the liquid turns clear (this is called whey) and the curds form a lump on the bottom of the pot.

Ø Have an adult carefully pour off the liquid, leaving only the blob of curds behind.

Ø Allow the blob to cool so that you can handle it. When it is just warm to the touch, not hot, remove it from the pot and wash it off with cool water. Knead the blob until it has the consistency of dough.

Ø Mold or model the plastic dough into any shape you like. You can poke a hole in it and use it as a pendant. Let it dry and harden overnight or for a few days. Then you can decorate it any way you like.

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And now......FOOD!

Holiday morning breakfast:

Marina Cohen's Crème Caramel French Toast

Ingredients:

2 Tbls. Corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 lbs. cinnamon raisin bread
6 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups light cream (or more milk)
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbls. Vanilla
sour cream

Preparation:

In a saucepan combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter, melt until
smooth and bubbly. Spread on 11 x 17 glass baking dish. Overlap bread
like dominoes on the syrup. In large bowl combine eggs, milk, cream,
sugar, vanilla. Pour over bread. Cover with foil.

Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, 50-55 minutes
uncovering last 10 minutes. Toast should be puffy and golden. Cut into
8 or 10 pieces and invert to serve. Top with sour cream and fresh
fruit!

Enjoy!

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Holiday Tea Time!

Robin Baird Lewis' Singing Hinnies *

The Singing Hinnies scone recipe has stood our family in excellent stead over the years. It was a staple of my popular Devon Cream Teas here in Guelph when I could boast a dining room table. My brother Christopher swore it helped him when he shamelessly laid on a Scottish High Tea for his Doctoral Defense. They were as putty in his hands once they had sunk their teeth into the Singing Hinnies, he always claimed.

Today at the outrageous price of $2.50 A SCONE!!!! at the local eco-bakers I am returning to this recipe with alacrity and delight...it's the sour cream that cinches it. Enjoy!

2 ½ cup sifted flour
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar (short)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1 egg beaten
1cup sour cream
optional
½ cup currants
rind of ½ lemon/orange
water

Dredge currants in about 2 tbs of flour.
Re-sift the remaining flour with dry ingredients.
Cut in butter until mixture resemble a coarse meal.
Mix egg with 1 tbs water and add to flour along with the sour cream, currants and rind.
After blended well, divide dough into 10-12 portions and flatten into ½” thick scones, although you can make them virtually any size you desire but watch the baking time.
(I always prefer to shape them into triangles for some reason.)
Bake on greased cookie sheet in a preheated 400 to 425 F degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield: about 12 (3”) scones.

a “Hin” (sometimes heard as “Hen” and still used today in friendly conversation) is a lowlands Scots term of endearment for a girl or young woman. One can only imagine that the singing idea came from scones baked old-style on an open griddle.
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Jennifer Lanthier's Martello Tower Tea Biscuits

Ingredients:
two cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
one stick of butter
four teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
some milk - perhaps a half-cup or so

Cut the butter into the flour/baking powder/salt mixture;
Work it into tiny bits with your fingers;
Stirring with a fork (never a spoon!) add milk until the dough can be formed into a ball.
When it is a good working texture - not too sticky, not too dry - break off pieces and form into biscuit shapes

Bake at 450 degree oven about ten minutes - until tops are golden or tinged or with brown and
Serve warm, with jam and butter, or fresh fruit and lightly whipped cream.

N.B. These biscuits are so easy to make and foolproof that you will soon discard the recipe and prepare from memory. You will do other things while baking - like read - because they are so very easy.
This ensures that one day, when distracted by a great book, you will inadvertently substitute baking SODA for powder. The biscuits will look stunning - smooth and golden brown. One bite and the memory will linger forever. Do not feed to the dog. Discard and make a new batch properly. Soda-based biscuits appear every couple of years in our house, often coinciding with a new Ian Rankin or Jonathon Coe novel. We call them: Librarian's Laments.

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Holiday Dinner!

Gail Sobat's Brandied Cranberry Sauce:

1 lb fresh cranberries
2 c sugar
1 T grated orange rind (optional)
1 handful of candied ginger (optional)
dried apricots (soften in orange juice in microwave and slice) (optional)
1/2 c Triple Sec/Cointreau or Grand Marnier

Combine all ingredients in a large flat ovenproof dish. Set aside for 20-30
minutes. Cover dish with foil and bake ina preheated 350 degree oven for 40
minutes. Cool slightly and pour into glass containers. Refrigerate.

Can be made with orange juice instead of brandy. Add some or all of the
optional ingredients. The candied ginger is particularly good in this!

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    Rachna Gilmore’s One-Pot Bhaji

    FROM: A Group of One, by Rachna Gilmore

    All measurements are approximate. To enjoy cooking something like this it is best to be flexible about the quantities and to be willing to experiment.

    Pour small amount of cooking oil in a large pot. Non-stick is best as it can minimize the oil needed.

    When the oil is heated (medium heat) add approximately: 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 1 tablespoon minced or pressed garlic, 1 hot green chili finely diced. (The ginger and garlic and chili can be whizzed together in a food processor).

    Stir a minute or so, and add 1 ½ teaspoons whole cumin seed, 2-3 whole cloves, 2-3 cardamoms, about ½ inch whole cinnamon. Stir about half a minute or until the cumin seeds brown slightly.

    Add approximately 3-4 baby turnips peeled and cubed, 3-4 new potatoes cubed, 1-2 onions cut in chunks. Stir for several minutes and then add: 1-3 teaspoons ground coriander, 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon turmeric, crushed red chilies to taste, 1-2 bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste. (At this point you can add some more ginger/garlic puree if you like).

    Stir for a minute or so until the spices darken slightly and are fragrant.

    Add 5-8 chopped or pureed tomatoes, and 1-2 cans rinsed chick peas.

    Cover and simmer on low until the potatoes and turnips are nearly cooked, stirring occasionally.

    Add in order of time taken to cook: ½ - 1 cauliflower, broken into florets, 1-2 cups okra (tops cut off and cut into half or quarter). Cook until the vegetables are all tender. Add, if you like, a handful of fresh green coriander leaves, chopped. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

    Note: if you don’t like okra, you can replace it with something like spinach or rapini or green beans. Any of the vegetables can be changed around to taste. Add more tomatoes or hot water if the bhaji seems too dry.

    Serve with whole wheat pita and mango pickle and plain yoghurt.

    ENJOY!
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Don Aker's wife's Make-Ahead Potatoes
(Serves 12)

This dish may not be holiday-related, but it’s perfect for any large gathering because it can be made a day ahead (hence the name). The real attraction for me, though, is the taste—eating Make-Ahead Potatoes is like having dessert with your main course. And don’t worry about cooking a dish intended for 12—the leftovers taste even better!
      - Don Aker

Ingredients:
9 large potatoes
1 large pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. salt
1 dash pepper
2 Tsp. butter
1 egg (beaten)

Directions:
Cook potatoes.
Mash well.
Add remainder of ingredients.
Beat (with beater) until fluffy.
Put into a large greased casserole dish.
Put into fridge until an hour before meal.
Daub with butter.
Bake at 350º for one hour (until heated through).
Serve.

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Gail Nyoka's Decadent Sweet Potato Pudding

For the pudding:
Sweet potatoes (5-7 med size)
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut (or fresh coconut)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

For the topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup pecans, chopped

Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Then peel and whip the sweet potatoes with a mixer or food processor.
Add cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla.
Whip all ingredients together and spoon our pour into a casserole dish.
Mix the topping ingredients together so it's all crumbly and sprinkle it over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
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Marsha Skrypuch's cheddar cheese pyrohy (perogies)

This recipe is such a favourite that it has been served in three of my books: Silver Threads, Hope's War and Prisoners in the Promised Land (Dear Canada). Pyrohy are a meal all by themselves or you can have them instead of potatoes. Pyrohy are traditionally served as one of the twelve meatless courses for Ukrainian Christmas Eve (January 6th).

The dough:
2 ½ to 3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 egg
a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil
a teaspoon or so of salt
water

The filling:
three medium potatoes (Yukon Gold are the best but any will do)
a cup or so of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
garlic

Making the dough:

In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour and salt, then crack in the egg and dump in some oil. Mix that up and then add about half a cup of water. Keep adding water until you have a soft firm dough. It shouldn't be too sticky but should be firm enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and you should be able to knead it gently right in the bowl without getting your hands too gunked up. Add more flour if it's too gunky.

Knead it just a bit and then let cover it with a plate or waxed paper and let it rest for an hour. It is important to let the dough rest before rolling it out because otherwise it gets a funny texture.

Making the stuffing:

Boil the potatoes and then drain and mash them. While they're still hot, add a cup or so of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and then season with salt, pepper and garlic. You can add some parmesan cheese as well to zing it up. The texture of the filling should be like whipped potatoes. Don't put in so much cheese that it's gooey. Use the best cheddar that you can find, like extra old from the farmers' market. If you must get grocery store cheese, Balderson's Extra Old isn't bad.

Rolling out dough:

After the dough has rested for at least an hour, divide it in half and roll out the first half on a floured board until it is about eighteen inches round and relatively thin. You can liberally dust the top of the dough with flour as you're rolling and flip it over frequently so it doesn't stick. You'll notice that it snaps back to the size that it wants to be, so keep on working in the flour and rolling it until it gets to be about eighteen inches round without snapping.

Stuffing:

Once the dough is rolled out, use a 2 ½ to 3 inch diameter round cookie cutter to press out circles of dough. A mayonaise lid works well if you don't have a cookie cutter. Some peanut butter jar lids are the right size as well.

The circles should be easy to pick up because they've got flour on both sides. Once you've cut all the circles, put a big pot of salted water on to boil. As you're waiting for it to boil, you can stuff your dough.

Take a dough round and shake off any excess flour, then place it on the counter. Take a rounded teaspoon of potato-cheese mixture and place it in the centre of the dough round. Fold the dough over top of it so that it looks like a half circle and press the edges firmly to seal them. If it doesn't stick, you can use a bit of water on the edges, but the edges should stick without having to resort to extraordinary measures. Repeat this process for all of the dough rounds, then roll out the second portion of dough and do it all over again.

A good place to put the raw pyrohy is on a greased cookie sheet. Don't let them touch each other though, because they'll stick.

Boiling:

Once the pyrohy are all formed and your water is at a rolling boil, drop all of them into the water four or five at a time. Gently stir with a wooden spoon so they don't stick. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to do them in more than one batch.

They are almost ready when they begin to bob up and float on top of the boiling water. Once most of them are doing this, wait another minute and then strain them.

Serving:

Pyrohy are delicious drizzled with melted butter. You can serve sour cream on the side. If you want to be really decadent, garnish with minced fried bacon or onions.

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And now (drum roll....) your just DESSERTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jo Ellen Bogart's Buttermilk Coconut Pie

1 1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup butter melted
3 eggs beaten
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (3 1/2 ounces) flaked coconut, divided
1 9 inch pie crust, unbaked

Combine sugar and flour. Add butter, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and 2/3 of the coconut. Mix well and pour into crust. Sprinkle with the rest of the coconut. Bake for an hour at 325 degrees, or until set. Keep refrigerated. Note: I cut the butter by 2 tablespoons and the sugar down to a cup and it was still delicious.

Valerie Sherrard's Super Easy Christmas Balls

Combine:

1 regular package mini marshmallows (either white or coloured)
2 cups graham crumbs
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries (red or green or both)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix well, then chill overnight.
Form into small balls and roll in coconut.

Store in the fridge or freezer.

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Laura Langston's Tiger Butter

Cupid, from Laura Langston's upcoming release The Trouble with Cupid is a bulldog who prefers people food over dog food. He favors doughnuts and chow mein, pizza and croissants. And, of course, chocolate with peanut butter. . . which, as a dog, he absolutely should not have.   Fortunately, most humans don't have that problem. And it's a good thing, because once a person starts eating tiger butter, they cannot stop. Lock up the dogs.

1/2 lb white chocolate, chopped 250 g
1/2 lb semisweet chocolate, chopped     250 g
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter            125 mL *

Line the bottom of a 9-inch (1.5 L) round or a 10 inch (3 L) square cake pan with wax paper. In a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, melt white chocolate. (or use a glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave) Scrape melted chocolate into a bowl, and stir in peanut butter. Clean and thoroughly dry the top of the double boiler, then melt semi-sweet chocolate over hot water. Pour the white chocolate/peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Pour semi-sweet chocolate over top, and spread evenly. Draw a table knife through the chocolate to create a marbled effect. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until solid. Cut into wedges or squares. Makes about 16 candies.

* processed (not natural) peanut butter is best for this recipe

Michael Kusugak's Ontario visit

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:30:46 GMT

Here are some more photos. This time from Country Day School:

Authors & Illustrators Seeking Representation by Authors' Booking Service

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:56:22 GMT

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

Robin Baird Lewis: Quilt

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:56:06 GMT

You may or may not have heard of this creation by one Corinne Bantle, Librarian and Quilter ExtraOrdinaire from the 56 different contributions from authors and illustrators in 2006. There are many delightful squares from all across the land. For Corinne, this project,
like "Topsy, just grew" and I enclose a sample of pics sent to the contributors as this wonderful inspiration towards literacy tours Regina and beyond.

Michael Kusugak's Ontario visit

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:24:00 GMT

Fabulous storyteller Michael Kusugak had a whirlwind tour of Ontario last week. Here are some photos of his visit to Pickering College:

Presentation Perks!

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:01:05 GMT

We asked our members to let us know if they offer any perks (handouts, prizes etc.) at their presentations. Here are their responses:

Curtis Parkinson: I hold a draw for one of my books (sometimes two depending on the size of the audience) when I do readings.

Robin Muller: The students and I make an illustration together, and then one of the
classes (there are usually three in attendance) wins it.

Laura Langston: I bring signed bookmarks for each student. I also give away a signed book each month through my website. All people need to do is drop me a note and I put their name into the hat.

Vicki Grant: (Silver Birch Nominee) I give out signed Puppet Wrangler posters and, when I have them, Quid pro Quo postcards.

Valerie Sherrard: (Red Maple Nominee) I give students signed bookmarks or postcards. I also offer a prize at each session: a book or the opportunity to name a minor character in an upcoming book (after the student or a person of his or her choice).

Jennifer Lanthier: I give out bookmarks and one signed poster for the library or classroom.

Martin Springett: I sign and give away drawings that I have created during the presentation. I also hand out signed bookmarks and posters.

Marsha Skrypuch (Golden Oak Nominee) I give out signed postcards that list all of my books and my website on the back. I encourage students who write stories to email me for story feedback.

Lucy Falcone: I give out postcards of my latest book and am always happy to autograph them. I usually give a free copy of one of my novels at some point during my session. While they last, I give the teacher or librarian a poster of my books.

Natale Ghent: I hold a draw for books at each presentation.

Adrienne Mason: I give away a very funky bookmark that an artist friend of mine drew for me. It's a caricature of me with wild hair and odd things (most of which relate to one of my books) hiding in my hair.

Marina Cohen: I give out signed postcards to all kids and one free book at the end of the presentation. (I like the free book to be a surprise to the students.)

Rachna Gilmore: I usually hand out signed bookmarks that list all my books.

Peggy Dymond Leavey: I give every child an autographed bookmark at my presentations. If I know the class has been reading a particular book, I offer an autographed poster as a prize for quiz questions.

Matt Beam: I now have a 3-question, prize-winning quiz in my presentation. The students who get perfect on the quiz, which runs throughout the presentation, are put into a draw and one student receives a copy of one of my novels.

Nancy Belgue: I do a draw for a yo-yo when I am talking about Casey Little Yo-Yo
Queen and signed bookmarks or postcards when I have them.

Jennifer Lanthier's Globe & Mail commentary on school libraries

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:35:45 GMT

Books, books library books

It feels like the school's heart, pulling students in and pumping them out, high on the oxygen of opportunity and possibility.

JENNIFER LANTHIER

May 13, 2002

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.

Jennifer Lanthier lives in Toronto.

Helaine Becker's School Library assessment questionnaire

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:32:43 GMT

LIBRARY/MEDIA CENTRE ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE for ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: How does your library “stack up?” Do you know how your child’s school library compares to others? And more important, does it meet the Standards for School Library Programs set by the Canadian Association for School Libraries? This questionnaire was designed to help you find out. It is a condensed version of information found in the publication, Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. For further information on this and other documents related to school libraries, please go to www.ontarioschoollibraries.ca You may need to get input from your school principal or teacher-librarian in order to fill in this form accurately and completely. For each question, mark the appropriate column. Then add up the total number of points scored to compute your school library’s overall rating.
Date:
SCHOOL NAME

LIBRARY/MEDIA CENTRE ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

for ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:

How does your library “stack up?”

Do you know how your child’s school library compares to others? And more important, does it meet the Standards for School Library Programs set by the Canadian Association for School Libraries? This questionnaire was designed to help you find out. It is a condensed version of information found in the publication, Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada. For further information on this and other documents related to school libraries, please go to www.ontarioschoollibraries.ca

You may need to get input from your school principal or teacher-librarian in order to fill in this form accurately and completely. For each question, mark the appropriate column. Then add up the total number of points scored to compute your school library’s overall rating.

Date:

SCHOOL NAME

STAFFING The school library program depends first and foremost on the leadership of a qualified teacher-librarian and the support of trained clerical/technical staff. Please refer to the table below. It details the recommended number of teacher-librarians and clerical staff for schools of different sizes. Then put a check mark in the appropriate columns.
Number of Students	TEACHER –LIBRARIANS				CLERICAL/TECHNICAL STAFF
	Below Standard	Acceptable	_Exemplary		Below Standard	Acceptable	Exemplary
0-299	< .6	.6+	1.5+		<.5	.5+	1+
300-499	< 1	1+	1.5+		<1	1+	1.5+
500-699	< 1	1+	1.5+		<1	1+	1.5+
700-999	< 1.5	1.5+	2+		<1.5	1.5+	2+
1000-1499	< 2	2+	2.5+		<2	2+	2.5+
				Below Standard		^Acceptable	^Exemplary
1. The school staffing level for school teacher-librarians is….
2. The school staffing level for library clerical/technical staff is…

Adopt a Teacher-Librarian

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:28:17 GMT

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 inoculate students against the pleasure of a good book – not the way to create lifelong readers.
Teacher-librarians promote good books, including Canadian books, like those chosen by the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading program. With the guidance of a teacher-librarian, students can discover subjects and authors that awaken or expand their interest in reading.
Well-stocked school libraries staffed by qualified teacher-librarians provide equal access to books for all students; for many students, their only regular exposure to books is through the school library. In numerous communities there are no public libraries, and even in communities with access to public libraries, many parents rarely or never take their children to the library
Explain the problem with the current funding formula.
- Elementary: The current funding formula in Ontario is one full-time teacher-librarian per 769 students. Only 2% of our elementary schools have this many students
- Secondary: The current funding formula is one full-time teacher-librarian per 934 students. 50% of secondary schools in Ontario don't qualify for a teacher-librarian
There are no clear and accountable standards or policies for school libraries so staffing and resource budgets vary from board to board and school to school.
Funding for ‘literacy’ is not automatically directed towards teacher-librarians or libraries. The money is often spent on computer software or elsewhere with no accountability. This funding is also used to hire ‘literacy teachers’ whose job it is to teach reading as decoding letters, rather than the teacher-librarian approach, which is to develop a passion for life-long reading.
Refer to School Libraries: An Endangered Species, by Valerie McDonald, People for Education. (Online source?)

REQUEST SUPPORT FOR TEACHER-LIBRARIANS

Ask your audience to support teacher-librarians through:
- Recognition of teacher-librarians as literacy specialists
- Advocacy for teacher-librarians improving student achievement
- Explanation of current spending of literacy funding (so we can offer an alternative)
- Feedback on what we can do from your perspective
List organizations that recognize and support the need for teacher-librarians, e.g. People for Education, The Canadian and Ontario Coalitions for School Libraries, Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, Association of Canadian Publishers, etc. (include their brochures and other materials in package)

SUGGESTED RESOURCES TO HAND OUT

The Crisis in Canada’s School Libraries: The Case for Reform and Re-Investment by Dr. Ken Haycock (report, Association of Canadian Publishers www.publishers.ca)

The School Library Manifesto (brochure, UNESCO and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) www.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/manifest.htm

How School Library Programs Equal Success for Your Child (brochure, Ontario Library Association and Ontario School Library Association ) www.accessola2.com/osla/publications/pdf/OSLAparent2003a.pdf

How Good Is Your School Library? (flyer, Ontario Coalition for School

Libraries) www.ontarioschoollibraries.ca

Ohio Educational Library Media Association OELMA fact sheet

www.oelma.org/StudentLearning/documents/OELMAResearchStudy2page.pdf

Quality Education Includes… (brochure, Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, ETFO) http://www.etfo.ca/attachments/Quality_Education_Brochure.pdf

Growing Excellence, Inspiring Success (brochure, Greater Essex District School Board) http://www.gedsb.on.ca/page.php?catId=9&pgId=102

Student Excellence in the Library Information Centre (.pub file can be emailed upon request)

School Libraries: An Endangered Species, by Valerie McDonald, People for Education www.peopleforeducation.com/reports/library/endangrd.html

A Forest of Reading: Celebration of Canadian Writers and Writing (brochure, Ontario Library Association) http://www.accessola.com/site/showPage.cgi?page=reading/reading_status.html

Improving Student Achievement: A School Library Handbook for Administrators Executive Summary http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dd3wjfb_5dkwg25&revision=_published

Toronto District School Board Student Research Guide:

www.tdsb.on.ca/wwwdocuments/programs/cyberlinks/docs/StudentResearchGuide2003.pdf

Our authors in action!

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:33:25 GMT

Here's Marina Cohen at a recent school visit:

And here's Liam O'Donnell:

And Linda Bailey in Paris Ontario:

Here is Marsha Skrypuch in Saskatchewan:

Here's Anita Daher in Yellowknife:

How to contact us

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:17:46 GMT

Authors' Booking Service is owned and operated by Valerie Sherrard and Marsha Skrypuch. Their joint email address is:

authors.bookingservice@gmail.com

To read the weekly newsletter, go here:

http://groups.google.com/group/authorsbooking

And visit their their new website at:

www.authorsbooking.com