Vikki VanSickle's Blog, page 8

The Winnowing Book Launch

[image error]

Fall is just around the corner which means sweater weather, pumpkin pie, and The Winnowing! I’ve been busy working on some guest posts for The Winnowing blog tour and booking events for the fall. Full details coming soon, but for now here is everything you need to know about the Toronto book launch!

When: Tuesday, August 29th 6:30pm

Where: Supermarket Bar & Restaurant, 268 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, ON. Kensington Market

This is a public event, kids and friends welcome!

Books will be sold by b...

New Book Alert: THE WINNOWING

[image error]

I am thrilled to share the news that my next middle grade novel The Winnowing will be published by Scholastic Canada this fall. Here is the official description:

Marivic Stone lives in a small world, and that’s fine with her. Home is with her beloved grandfather in a small town that just happens to be famous for a medical discovery that saved humankind — though not without significant repercussions. Marivic loves her best friend, Saren, and the two of them promise to stick together, through...

What I Read in 2016: Picture Books

I value my picture book collection the way that Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler values her files: deeply, though you wouldn’t know it by my lack of an ordered cataloging or shelving system. Here are some of the books published in 2016 that made it onto my shelves this year.

[image error]

Panda Pants is a dialogue between a young panda and his father. The little Panda is set on a pair of pants. The father is unconvinced. The silliness is tempered by a dead-pan delivery and a touch of philosophy. Like Zen Shorts,...

What I Read in 2016: YA

I read a LOT of fab YA this year, some of which I won’t go into here but you should definitely pick up (A Torch Against the Night! Empire of Storms! The Sun is Also a Star!). This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are some YA titles that made me think, slipped under the radar, stood apart from the crowd, or otherwise caught my attention in 2016.

Herstory: Historical fiction featuring women’s stories

Ruta Sepetys(self-proclaimed Seeker of Lost Stories)writes with such emotional poigna...

Middle Grade Gift Suggestions 2016

Last week I got to talk to one of my favourite people, Ann Foster, about middle grade fiction. When not working at the Saskatoon Public Library recco-ing kids and teen books, she is writing about fashion in TV over at You Know You Love Fashion(currently chronicling the enviable wardrobe of Phryne Fisher) and spearheading a number of podcasts, including Radio Book Club and You Were Going to be Fantastic.

Ann and I met on a book jury and we still love to find reasons to talk about books....

Magical Contest Alert: Win a Custom Illustration of your Pet!

How much do you love that little guy? Now imagine YOUR pet with the fantastic beasts treatment!

November is the month of fantastic beasts, and the good folks at Penguin Random House Canada are running a wonderful contest to celebrate all things magical.The prize? A signed copy of If I Had a Gryphon AND a custom illustration of your own beloved pet(with some magical additions) by illustrator Cale Atkinson! I wrote If I Had a Gryphon as a primer on the pleasures and perils of magical pet care...

Middle Grade Monday: Charmed Thirds

They say good things come in threes, the third time is the charm, etc, etc. Basically three is the luckiest, most magical of numbers. I hope this is the case for these three series, all near and dear to my heart, which happen to have third installments out this fall. These three series walk to the line between chapter books and true middle grade, but I think you’ll find they can be enjoyed by ALL ages, including adult women who are not ashamed to be seen laughing on the subway reading a glori...

Middle Grade Monday: Q&A with Anna Humphrey

Canadian author Anna Humphreyfirst came across my radar when I read (and loved) her funny, charming, Sarah Dessen-esque YA novel Rhymes With Cupid. Anna is now the author of four books for YA and middle grade readers and despite the range in age, the one thing they all have in common is Anna’s deft, light touch as a storyteller.Recently I spoke with Anna about her favourite books, what inspires her as a writer, and her latest heroine, Clara Humble.

VV: What was your favourite novel when you...

Fall 2016 Events

Can you tell a sasquatch horn from a manticore tooth? What about a phoenix tail feather from a gryphon wing feather? Me and my magical bag of pet clues are going on the road this fall to Rockton, Milton, Calgary, and Vancouver. Will I see you there?

SEPTEMBER

Sept 10th, 10am: Story Mobs, Toronto, ON

What a fantastic event! Check out participant (and actress) Cynthia Galant’s video here:

September 18th, Telling Tales Festival, Rockton ON

If I Had a Gryphon Presentation, Cathcart School Hous...

Middle Grade Monday: Ghosts

Cat is not at all excited to be moving to foggy, seaside Bahia de la Luna, particularly when she learns that it is a sort of capital for ghosts. But doctors have agreed that it is a better place for her sister Maya, who has Cystic Fibrosis. Cat is torn between wanting to make new friends and create a life that isn’t defined by her sister’s diagnosis and the visceral need to protect her sister at all costs. With a focus on familial relationships, a diverse cast, and the stirrings of first lov...