Carol Matas's Blog, page 10
May 14, 2014
Pieces of the Past wins a Manitoba Day Award!
Pieces of the Past, The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz, was awarded a Manitoba Day Award by The Association for Manitoba Archives.
The award ceremony was on May 13th at the Berney Theatre at the Rady JCC in Winnipeg. It was a fascinating program honouring people who had used Manitoba archives with excellent results. My book was one of 10 awards given out.
The award itself is a stunning glass sculpture of prairie wheat, which is now sitting proudly on my dining room hutch. (I may have to move it to avoid destruction when the grandchildren come over!)
I used the archives of The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada extensivley as I researched my book. Stan Carbone, who is Director of Programs and Exhibits at the Centre helped me gather all the relevant materials. In particular I was able to use the minutes from the organizing committee that brought the orphans to Winnipeg. The minutes had every detail of the orphans' resettlemnt from where they were to be housed, to jobs, to dances and swimming, to psychiatric issues.
The book would not have been the same without these detailed documents.
With Stan's permission I am posting his introduction of me from last night:
The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which I represent, nominated Carol Matas for Pieces of the Past: The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz. For the preparation of her book Carol drew on the Jewish Heritage Centre’s extensive collection of materials that covers virtually every aspect of the history of Winnipeg Jewry including the connection or relation between the local community and the Holocaust in all of its implications, be they historical as well as moral, ethical and psychological. The excellence and high quality of Pieces of the Past is due to various factors not the least of which is Carol’s ability to utilize archival sources to posit a sense and a feel for the period she is writing about. In so doing she is able to integrate the subjective element which is critical to understanding the human condition with objective, historical circumstances and realities. Carol Matas has a proven track record of documenting, through the medium of literature, the social and cultural life of Winnipeg and Manitoba as reflected in the history and contemporary reality of the local Jewish community. In many of her works, the Holocaust provides an indispensable point of reference as the local Jewish community seeks to negotiate and define its identity in a Manitoban and Canadian social setting. In addition, she has that wonderful ability to connect the local with the universal in that the themes she explores and dissects relate to local circumstances but resonate at a universal level. Her works speak to dimensions and aspects of the human condition that transcend the Jewish experience without of course diminishing the centrality of said experience. In so doing she has brought the Holocaust to our attention by making it a part of our lives. I’d like to think that the archives of the Jewish Heritage Centre have played a role in this process. The information that she has unravelled and interpreted has allowed her to piece together the past and offer it to her readers so that they will acquire a better understanding of the moral, ethical and human rights issues that reverberate in their everyday lives. If literature and the interpretation of history are vehicles for empowering people by making them aware of their role in society and how they fit in the ups and downs and windings of the course of history, Carol has succeeded on all counts. Through the characters she has created, with their nuanced and complex experiences and values, and through the pedagogical importance of her works, Carol Matas has made a major contribution to our province’s richly textured and vibrant multicultural mosaic. I’d like to ask Carol Matas to come up and receive her award.
To find out more about Carol's writing go to:
Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
The award ceremony was on May 13th at the Berney Theatre at the Rady JCC in Winnipeg. It was a fascinating program honouring people who had used Manitoba archives with excellent results. My book was one of 10 awards given out.
The award itself is a stunning glass sculpture of prairie wheat, which is now sitting proudly on my dining room hutch. (I may have to move it to avoid destruction when the grandchildren come over!)
I used the archives of The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada extensivley as I researched my book. Stan Carbone, who is Director of Programs and Exhibits at the Centre helped me gather all the relevant materials. In particular I was able to use the minutes from the organizing committee that brought the orphans to Winnipeg. The minutes had every detail of the orphans' resettlemnt from where they were to be housed, to jobs, to dances and swimming, to psychiatric issues.
The book would not have been the same without these detailed documents.
With Stan's permission I am posting his introduction of me from last night:The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which I represent, nominated Carol Matas for Pieces of the Past: The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz. For the preparation of her book Carol drew on the Jewish Heritage Centre’s extensive collection of materials that covers virtually every aspect of the history of Winnipeg Jewry including the connection or relation between the local community and the Holocaust in all of its implications, be they historical as well as moral, ethical and psychological. The excellence and high quality of Pieces of the Past is due to various factors not the least of which is Carol’s ability to utilize archival sources to posit a sense and a feel for the period she is writing about. In so doing she is able to integrate the subjective element which is critical to understanding the human condition with objective, historical circumstances and realities. Carol Matas has a proven track record of documenting, through the medium of literature, the social and cultural life of Winnipeg and Manitoba as reflected in the history and contemporary reality of the local Jewish community. In many of her works, the Holocaust provides an indispensable point of reference as the local Jewish community seeks to negotiate and define its identity in a Manitoban and Canadian social setting. In addition, she has that wonderful ability to connect the local with the universal in that the themes she explores and dissects relate to local circumstances but resonate at a universal level. Her works speak to dimensions and aspects of the human condition that transcend the Jewish experience without of course diminishing the centrality of said experience. In so doing she has brought the Holocaust to our attention by making it a part of our lives. I’d like to think that the archives of the Jewish Heritage Centre have played a role in this process. The information that she has unravelled and interpreted has allowed her to piece together the past and offer it to her readers so that they will acquire a better understanding of the moral, ethical and human rights issues that reverberate in their everyday lives. If literature and the interpretation of history are vehicles for empowering people by making them aware of their role in society and how they fit in the ups and downs and windings of the course of history, Carol has succeeded on all counts. Through the characters she has created, with their nuanced and complex experiences and values, and through the pedagogical importance of her works, Carol Matas has made a major contribution to our province’s richly textured and vibrant multicultural mosaic. I’d like to ask Carol Matas to come up and receive her award.
To find out more about Carol's writing go to:
Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
March 7, 2014
A Blog Interview About Pieces of the Past
In this blog interview about Pieces of the Past, as part of the Sydney Taylor book awards 2104 blog tour, I talk about the challenges of writing a Holocaust book. I also mention my upcoming historical novel,
Tucson Jo,
which is inspired by the life and family of Tucson's first Jewish mayor. It will be available in May.Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
February 5, 2014
Greater Than Angels - A" Best" Book for 2013
Two of my books are on Resource Links' "The Year's Best 2013" list for Grades 3-6:
Greater Than Angels
and Pieces of the Past. I'm thrilled!Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
February 4, 2014
4/4 Star Review for Pieces Of The Past
Pieces Of The Past
has been named a Best Book for 2013 by Resource Links and has been "highly recommended" by The Deakin Review of Children's Literature. I found their review very touching.Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
January 23, 2014
Pieces of the Past awarded Sydney Taylor Honor!
Pieces of the Past, The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz
(Scholastic Canada 2013) has just been named a 2014 Sydney Taylor Honor Book for Older Readers by the Association of Jewish Libraries. I will be travelling to the Association of Jewish Libraries Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, this June to pick up my silver medal! I'll also be giving a presentation. I was so excited I sat down and wrote the presentation already!The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
January 22, 2014
Pieces of the Past awarded Sydney Taylor Honor
Pieces of the Past, The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz
(Scholastic Canada 2013) has just been named a 2014 Sydney Taylor Honor Book for Older Readers by the Association of Jewish Libraries. I will be travelling to the Association of Jewish Libraries Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, this June to pick up my silver medal! I'll also be giving a presenation. I was so excited I sat down and wrote the presentation already!(The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.)Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
December 29, 2013
FREE THIS WEEK! WHEN I DIE IN ALL EBOOK FORMATS
Happy New Year to all readers on Nooks, Kobos, Sonys ... and Kindles. When I Die is now available in ALL digital formats. To get your FREE eBook copy of When I Die, click here and enter your Coupon Code RC69T
Feel free to forward this post to all your friends. Offer expires January 5, 2014.
Remember: When I Die really works best as a printed picture book. You can order the book in trade paperback here. Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
December 20, 2013
YEAR-END CATCH UP!
I've been very remiss about keeping up with my blog posts. Where to start?Spring and summer were spent working on my new book, just published this fall, When I Die , my first non fiction book, my first picture book, and my first book with my daughter-in-law, Bonnie Brask, who did all the photographs.
And that wasn't the only collaboration I worked on over the summer. My writing partner, Perry Nodelman, and I worked together to reissue Of Two Minds , the first book in our four-book fantasy series, with Starburst Publications. Perry's son Asa did the cover and I really love it. For anyone out there who likes fantasy check it out.
Speaking of reissues, Scholastic Canada reissued two books very near and dear to me: Greater Than Angels , a Holocaust book set in France, and In My Enemy's House , another Holocaust book, this one set in Germany.
And just a few days ago,Scholastic reissued The Lost Locket , a novel for grades 2-4.
Meanwhile, I'm working on a historical novel set in Arizona in 1882.And, Fictive Press is reissuing my New Adult novel, Past Crimes - as the first of a new and hopefully very exciting series called Palm Springs Supernatural . Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
December 19, 2013
When I Die No. 34 on the Amazon Best Sellers List for Teen Health
No. 34 in the top 100 Amazon's Best Sellers list for Teen Health! A meditation on death for children and their families, Carol's newest book and her first non-fiction, When I Die is a short picture book. Not everyone "gets" this book, but one reader certainly did, calling her review "Tiny Book, Huge Impact".
Since it is a picture book, illustrated with beautiful photos by Carol's daughter-in-law Bonnie Brask, I highly recommend getting the book in print. Its impact will be all the greater, especially if you are reading this book to a child.Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
October 9, 2013
FREE ON KINDLE ON OCTOBER 12
Mark your calendar. When I Die: A meditation on death for children & their families will be
FREE on Kindle
this Saturday (Oct. 12) until Oct. 16. Just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving & Columbus Day! The book is also available in trade paperback, where the photos really pop.Visit Carol Matas at http://www.carolmatas.com
