Philippa Dowding's Blog, page 7

Alex and The Other, BOOK TRAILER!

It's almost time for my next book to come out: Alex and The Other is coming this March/2018 from Dundurn Press. The ARCs are available now, please contact the publisher if you'd like an advance copy for review.

This is book 4 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, and it IS a pretty dark, weird little doppelganger story.

Alex is a lonely boy, not exactly bullied, but not exactly popular either, then one day the girl with the braid turns up, and tall strangers who whisper from the woods ... BEWARE THE OTHER!

Alex has an evil twin, and he has to decide what's most important to him, to find a way to stand up and tell the world who he really is, before it's too late.

There's a new BOOK TRAILER too! Check out the book trailer featuring illustrations by series-illustrator Shawna Daigle here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBT0d...

Read a longer blog post about Alex and The Other here: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/09/...

Seepe Walters Writing Contest for Kids!

Honoured to be visiting kids in Barrie and Innisfil Ontario next week, to talk about A Writer's Life, and to inspire them to enter the Seepe Walters Writing Contest!

Thanks for inviting me Innisfil Library and IdeaLab, can't wait.

Here's a longer post, with all the details: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/09/...

Forest of Reading Interview in which I laugh and talk...

Philippa Dowding



Thank you to the Ontario Library Association for posting this interview with me today from the Festival of Trees, Harbourfront, Toronto, May 2017.

http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/07/...

I laugh a lot (the interviewer was hilarious, I don't usually laugh this much). I talk about how the Forest of Reading has changed my life, best moments from the festival, and their new pilot project, Forest Fridays. Watching it reminds me of what a great memory the Forest of Reading is, always so fun and such an honour. Winning Silver Birch Express Honor Book for Myles and the Monster Outside is pretty memorable, too!

Thanks again to the OLA!

COVER REVEAL! Welcome Alex and The Other!

Could not be MORE excited to reveal the cover for my next book, Alex and The Other!

It's book 4 in the award-winning, middle-grade series, Weird Stories Gone Wrong, and it's coming March, 2018.

Creepy aliens, a lost cat, an EVIL TWIN! Can you say "doppelganger?"

Stay tuned! Here's a longer blog post about the new book: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/06/...

OLA Silver Birch Express Honour Book!!

Well, it's finally happened! I cannot be more excited to share the news that my 6th book,Myles and the Monster Outside, is THE OLA SILVER BIRCH EXPRESS HONOUR BOOK for 2017!

I am now officially an award-winning author. I've been nominated for several awards since 2012, but this is the first official, certified, authentic, for-real win.

And I'm forever grateful to the OLA, the Forest of Reading, and the young readers of Ontario for the honour. They really like weird stuff! Which can only be good news for the future.

Here's a longer post about the win, with pics: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/05/...

Everton Miles is Stranger than Me is a Best Book for Kids & Teens!

Thank you to the Canadian Children's Book Centre! Really honoured to say that my latest book, Everton Miles is Stranger than Me has been selected as a Best Book for Kids and Teens, Spring 2017.

Woot! Great news, for a magic realism tale about two completely ordinary teenagers with a strange gift.


Everton's story is the sequel to my Red Maple nominated title, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, and together the books are The Night Flyer's Handbook series.

Here's a longer post about the commendation:
http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/05/...

Which of your own books do you HATE the most?

What a great question! I was doing author presentations at a school yesterday, to present my Silver Birch Express nominated title, Myles and the Monster Outside, when I got this hilarious, and really honest, question from a middle-grade boy.

After laughing, I answered something like, well you know, maybe I'm lucky, but I don't actually HATE any of my books. I can tell you which one was the hardest to write though: The Gargoyle Overhead, which was book two in a trilogy I didn't know that I was going to write when I wrote book one.

There were other fabulous questions, too, like What's the message in your book, Myles and the Monster Outside? (imagination can make you anxious, but it can make you brave, too), What's the scariest book you've ever read? (Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars) and a lot more.

To read more and see some of the student's wonderful artwork, check out my longer blog here: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/04/...

Which of your own books do you HATE the most?

What a great question! I was doing author presentations at a school yesterday, to present my Silver Birch Express nominated title, Myles and the Monster Outside, when I got this hilarious, and really honest, question from a middle-grade boy.

After laughing, I answered something like, well you know, maybe I'm lucky, but I don't actually HATE any of my books. I can tell you which one was the hardest to write though: The Gargoyle Overhead, which was book two in a trilogy I didn't know that I was going to write when I wrote book one.

There were other fabulous questions, too, like What's the message in your book, Myles and the Monster Outside? (imagination can make you anxious, but it can make you brave, too), What's the scariest book you've ever read? (Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars) and a lot more.

To read more and see some of the student's wonderful artwork, check out my longer blog here: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/04/...

A Diamond Willow Nomination for Myles and the Monster Outside

I'm so honoured that the Saskachewan Young Reader's Choice Awards have shortlisted Myles and the Monster Outside, for the Diamond Willow Award 2017/2018.

This is the third nomination for Myles (book 2 in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, from Dundurn Press), and I'm really thrilled. Thank you!

I hope the kids in Saskachewan enjoy spooky stories about long car-rides on deserted, possibly haunted highways. In the middle of the night. During a thunderstorm. With a monster following in the dark night, whispering ....

... I see you, Myles ...

Read more on my other blog: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2017/04/...

Everton Miles is Stranger than Me BOOK TRAILER

Whatever happened to Gwendolyn Golden? Find out in the sequel, Everton Miles is Stranger than Me!

If you enjoyed Red Maple nominee, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, then you might like the book trailer for the sequel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCLOY...

The music for the trailer is composed and performed by yours truly BTW, one of the two things that I do moderately well (writing being the second thing).


Together, the two books are The Night Flyer's Handbook series.

If you love magic realism, YA and teen angst, mixed up with flying and medieval manuscripts, check it out!