Philippa Dowding's Blog, page 2

MYRCA and IODE Violet Downey Award Nominations for FIREFLY!

FIREFLY is having an incredible year, I am overwhelmed and delighted by all the attention the book has received. Thank you to the MYRCA Northern Lights 2023 and IODE Violet Downey 2022 Awards for nominating FIREFLY to their shortlists!

Last November 2021, FIREFLY won the Governor General's Literary Award, a huge honour.

Now it has also had four wonderful nominations added to that honour: The Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, The OLA Red Maple Award, The IODE Violet Downey Book Award AND the MYRCA Northern Lights Book 2023 award.

Here's a longer blog post about the IODE nomination:
https://phdowding.blogspot.com/2022/0...

And a longer post about the MYRCA Northern Lights 2023 nomination:
https://phdowding.blogspot.com/2022/0...

Wow. I cannot tell you how amazing this is, no one expects this kind of success when they set out to write a book (you might dream of it though), and I'm really grateful to all the nominating committees and readers who have taken FIREFLY into their hearts. THANK YOU ALL!

And to top it all off, I just signed a feature film option for FIREFLY. It's been a pretty great few months. Thanks also to my terrific publisher, DCB Young Readers!

Keep reading, everyone!

FIREFLY is Shortlisted for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award 2022

Thank you to the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for nominating FIREFLY this year. What an incredible honour to be named to such a terrific list of Canadian books.

As FIREFLY receives this wonderful shortlist nomination (administered by the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Foundation), a terrific nod from the Canadian literary community, I have to say that I am truly humbled and frankly a little amazed.

Congratulations to all the nominees, the two winners will be announced in June.

Read the announcement and nominees here (you'll want to read these books!): http://communications.arts.on.ca/T/OF...

Is there is a writer anywhere who starts writing a book with the goal of winning awards and commendations? We HOPE for those things of course, we DREAM of them in our wildest moments of literary abandon, but to ACHIEVE them is something altogether different.

I think most writers will tell you that their goal at first anyway, is to write a story that they are itching to tell and which connects with someone. It's as simple and straightforward an impulse as that!

I am quite sure that my sister-in-law, the inspiration for the character Aunt Gayle and the creator of Thunder Thighs, one of Canada's largest film and television costume shops (and where my story is set), would be pretty amazed by the literary love for FIREFLY too! Since this book is in part a tribute to her and to her costume empire, I could not be happier for the attention it has received.

Shine bright, Firefly, and thank you all!

Here is another blog post about the nomination: https://phdowding.blogspot.com/2022/0...

FIREFLY wins the Governor General's Literary Award 2021

"With poetic prose, a memorable character and evocative settings, Philippa Dowding deftly handles challenging subjects in this emotionally honest story. Supported by a unique cast of characters, Firefly will shine for readers and resonate long after they close this quietly powerful book." Peer Assessment Committee, Governor General Awards

I could not possibly be more honoured to say that FIREFLY has won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature (text). It's an incredible, humbling, and slightly surreal experience.

Thank you to the Canada Council, and to my wonderful publisher, DCB Young Readers who are small but mighty!

Here's the Canada Council page: https://ggbooks.ca/firefly

Here's my other blog post and more about FIREFLY: http://phdowding.blogspot.com/2021/11...

Keep reading everyone, and Shine Bright Firefly!

FIREFLY is a Governor General Award FINALIST

I could NOT be happier to announce that FIREFLY is a Finalist for the Governor General Literary Awards 2021!

As an author you dream about writing those words somewhere, someday ... it's not a sentence that you ever really expect to write. I am so honoured to write it!

Here is the entire list of GG Finalists: https://ggbooks.ca/

Here is the list of Young Reader's Literature-TEXT, where FIREFLY is nominated: https://ggbooks.ca/#young-peoples-lit...

Congratulations to all the wonderful nominees, the winners are announced on November 17, 2021. Thank you to my publisher, DCB, small but mighty! Shine bright, Firefly!

Spend Halloween in a Toronto COSTUME SHOP!

"Gloria! You are HILARIOUS!" one of the ladies laughs, then they all grab a lobster costume. One of them sees me watching and says, 'We're a vocal quartet!' I just cannot imagine what kind of party they are going to dressed as four singing lobsters. It takes a certain self-confidence to go to a Halloween party dressed as one quarter of a lobster quartet.

This idea actually makes me quite happy. I'm perilously close to giggling."
--From FIREFLY, p. 103

Ever wondered what Halloween in a costume shop might be like?

Firefly knows. She lives in The Corseted Lady costume shop with her Aunt Gayle, which is much better than the park where she used to live. But it takes some getting used to, especially around Halloween. Singing lobster quartets, medieval warriors, Gorilla Suit Guy, that's just the start.

A CCBC Spring Selection, and a CBC Best Middle Grade Read Spring 2021, FIREFLY makes a great Halloween read!

Here's a YouTube clip of me reading more about the lobster quartet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJco8...

And more about FIREFLY on my other blog:
http://phdowding.blogspot.com/search/...

Free Teacher's Guides!

"Of all the costumes that Firefly wore, which was your favourite? Why?"

My latest middle-grade novel, FIREFLY, has a new Teacher's Guide!
Find it here: https://www.dcbyoungreaders.com/firefly

There's also a Teacher's Guide for my multi-award-nominated dystopia for middle-grade readers, OCULUM. Find it here: https://www.dcbyoungreaders.com/oculum

AND, there are eight more free guides for more of my books, including The Gargoyle in My Yard, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, Myles and the Monster Outside, and more on the 49th shelf. Find them all here: https://bit.ly/3tTkDBu

All guides are provided free by my publishers, and written by education experts for young readers. Enjoy!

FIREFLY is a Forest of Reading Summer 2021 PICK by KIDS!

I am so honoured to say that kids have chosen FIREFLY as one of the 2021 Kid Committee Summer Reading List books in the Silver Birch Category. THANK YOU!

The books in this category are written by Canadian authors, and are recommended by kids for kids in grades 3-6 (ages 8-12). When kids pick your book as one of their favourites? Well, it doesn't get much better than that for a middle-grade author.

Here's the whole list of 15 books, great summer reads all: https://accessola.com/forest/kid-teen...

Here's a blog post on my other blog: http://phdowding.blogspot.com/2021/05...

It has more info about the Forest of Reading, the Ontario Library Association, and why this reader's choice is so important, particularly right now. Keep reading everyone!

FIREFLY is a CBC Books Best Middle-Grade Book for Spring 2021!

"Middle-grade novel Firefly is about the titular character who is looking for a place to call home. Firefly lives in the park — but one day she is forced by social services to move in with her Aunt Gayle, who just happens to own a costume shop. While Firefly gets used to having a roof over her head, she suffers from PTSD and embarks on a journey to find her true identity."

My latest book, Firefly is a selection for the CBC Books Spring 2021 list of exciting middle-grade books, thank you!

Here's the amazing list: https://www.cbc.ca/books/28-canadian-...

The good news for FIREFLY just keeps coming! So honoured to be part of this terrific selection with fantastic Canadian authors, and a shout out to my publisher, DCB Young Readers: ALL FOUR of their spring titles made the list.

Congrats to all!

FIREFLY is a CCBC Expert Pick for March, 2021!

"Firefly's compelling story unfolds through her indomitable and spirited first-person narration, and flashbacks revisit her troubled childhood of neglect and parental struggles with addiction. Aunt Gayle's care and kindness wrap around Firefly like a comforting, hand-knit blanket."--Canadian Children's Book Centre, March 2021 Expert Picks

So honoured that my latest book, FIREFLY, is an Expert Pick/Librarian's Pick from the Canadian Children's Book Centre March newsletter, thank you!

Here's the full review on my other blog: http://phdowding.blogspot.com/2021/03...

I'm also the featured author this week on writer Catherine Austen's wonderful podcast, Cabin Tales for Young Writers. If you'd like to hear what I think is scarier, humans or monsters, how I plot, start, and end stories, or what tips I have for writers, young and old, plus much more, here's the link to our 22-minute interview: https://cabintales.ca/2021/03/19/auth...

FIREFLY is a CCBC Expert Pick for March, 2021!

"Firefly's compelling story unfolds through her indomitable and spirited first-person narration, and flashbacks revisit her troubled childhood of neglect and parental struggles with addiction. Aunt Gayle's care and kindness wrap around Firefly like a comforting, hand-knit blanket."
--Canadian Children's Book Centre, March 2021 Expert Picks

So honoured that my latest book, FIREFLY, is an Expert Pick/Librarian's Pick from the Canadian Children's Book Centre March newsletter, thank you!

Here's a link to the full review: http://phdowding.blogspot.com/2021/03...

I'm also the featured author this week on writer Catherine Austen's wonderful writing podcast, Cabin Tales for Young Writers. If you'd like to hear what I think is scarier, humans or monsters, how I plot, start, and end stories, or what tips I have for writers, young and old, plus much more, here's the link to our 22-minute interview: https://cabintales.ca/2021/03/19/auth...