May, 2011

I've just heard that Charlie has been nominated for a B.C. Red Cedar 2011-12 award. Such an honour to be recognized in your own province. Students will read the book all next year and vote for a favourite in the spring of 2012.

I had a great trip to Calgary this month (complete with snow) speaking to over 250 students about both Charlie and the Elephant books. At the end of the week I was part of a day-long Calgary Young Writer's Conference with over 1200 students who broke into small groups to learn about writing with over 40 authors. I don't usually teach writing to students, but had fun with the workshops I'd prepared and I hope inspired some students in their writing.

I just returned from a visit to Halifax which was a big success in spite of torrential rain and wind every day. I stayed in a charming old converted home from the 1860's right downtown where I could walk to Pier 21 and some schools.

I had three school visits (about 160 students in total) and they all went well - seems that Charlie's story moved the teachers to tears at one event (tears are music to a writer's ears). And I can report that I did not take it personally when a Grade 5 boy vomited in the middle of another talk!

The Hackmatack award ceremony was exhilarating - you can imagine 300 students stomping and cheering as the authors walked to the stage led by a student with our names on a big banner along with a BC flag in my case. I was the only nominee from BC. Charlie didn't win the non-fiction award but it didn't matter. Later after another marathon book and paper signing I had a chance to talk to Philip Roy about how we liked being with Ronsdale Press.

April, 2011

Recently I've spoken at the Galiano Writer's Festival and at a Tapestry 2011 teacher's conference in Victoria and this month I'm off to Calgary to speak to schools and at a Young Writer's Conference.

In May I'll spend a week in Halifax speaking to schools and attending the Hackmatack awards. The Red Maple award ceremony is held the same month in Toronto.

Since Key Porter and H.B.Fenn declared bankruptcy in January, Charlie: a Home Child's Life in Canada has been without a home. A new publisher has been found and will be announced soon.

Reader's Digest International has bought the rights to publish the condensed version of Charlie internationally. Chinese readers will be among the first to read about Charlie's journey to Canada.

Wishing Star Summer is now out of print and copies will be available through the author (see Contact).

October, 2010

Follow the Elephant has received a Silver Medal for Pre-teen fiction at the 2010 Moonbeam Awards (US).

I'm just back from Ottawa where I had the wonderful experience of presenting a copy of Charlie: a Home Child's Life in Canada to the Parliamentary Library in the parliament buildings. It's such an honour to think of the story of my father's life being part of their collection.

While there I attended a reception with 250 people in honour of The Year of the British Home Child given by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. The next day I gave a presentation at a conference of the Ottawa branch of the British Isles Family History Society.

The other big news is that Reader's Digest Canada have chosen Charlie as their Reader's Choice book for October. They published 28 pages of the story with eleven photographs starting on p.136. I'm happy that the story of Home Children will reach more people.

Summer, 2010

I just received an invitation to present Charlie: a Home Child's Life in Canada to the Parliamentary Library when I'm in Ottawa on September 10th. I'll be met at the front door of the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings and taken to the newly renovated library to present my book to the Chief Librarian.

It feels good to think that Charlie's story will be in their permanent collection.

Charlie: a Home Child's Life in Canada appears in Canadian Children's Book Centre BEST BOOKS for 2010 with a starred "exceptional calibre" recommendation.

June, 2010

This last year has been a busy and exciting one for me. With two new books within six months, Charlie: a Home Child's Life in Canada (2009) and Follow the Elephant, (2010) I've held eight book launches across the country from Cape Breton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver to Victoria.

I've spoken to over one thousand school students and to reunions with the descendants of hundreds of British Home children. All very exciting.

The big news now is that Charlie has been nominated for three awards and good reviews are coming in for Follow the Elephant.

The best news of all is that the Canadian parliament has voted unanimously to declare 2010 the Year of the British Home Child. I'm not too sure what this will mean, but I'm hoping schools across the country will learn about Home Children as part of their curriculum.

I have just been invited to speak at a plenary session of a large national conference of the British Isles Family History Society in Ottawa, September 9-12. This is very exciting for me, not just as the daughter of a Home Child, but as a chance to speak to people about how I discovered and researched my father's story. There will be a reception the night before at Library and Archives Canada put on by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

In October, Canada Post will launch a stamp honouring British Home Children.