Kevin Sylvester's Blog, page 4
May 1, 2016
Duncan's mission
You may remember this Hallowe'en picture of one of my fans, an awesome kid named Duncan.
He suffered a loss recently when his best friend Connor took his own life.
Since then, Duncan has been raising awareness and funds for Kids Help Phone. 1-800-668-6868
There was a Walk So Kids Can Talk walk in memory of Connor today. You can still donate through the LINK.
Duncan has also been baking these amazing Star Wars cookies to raise some money.
This is a great cause, and something we are often afraid to talk about. Talk about it. 1-800-668-6868
This is the booth Duncan set up at the kids market a few weeks ago to raise money and pass along the phone number.
I'll leave you with what Duncan wrote me about his friend.
"Connor was a kind and caring person. He loved reading, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, board games and art. He was creative and really smart. He was in the book club at school and used to be a library helper. He was a grade 8 student and was going to go to a specialized robotics programme for grade 8. Connor took his own life in February. He had just turned 14."
www.kidshelpphone.ca
1-800-668-6868
April 15, 2016
HECK YES!!!!
Just announced.
MINRs is one of TWO Canadian Library Association Honour Books!
And my friends Ken and Jon won for The Nest!
Seems like a good day for a celebration.
I guess I'll open this bottle of wine Simon and Schuster sent me when the book got nominated!
MINRs is one of TWO Canadian Library Association Honour Books!
And my friends Ken and Jon won for The Nest!
Seems like a good day for a celebration.
I guess I'll open this bottle of wine Simon and Schuster sent me when the book got nominated!
April 3, 2016
#SLM16
It is School Library Month right now, so I thought I'd share a part of my school presentations that deals with my favorite part of the school.
I loved my school library (Lewiston-Porter in Western New York). It was where I met George Gershwin (we had an audio room where you could listen to LPs), Beatrix Potter and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was the one part of the school where I felt that I also had a say in what I learned and how I learned.
It was also the place where I learned I was going to be a writer.
This is the story I tell (right after I instruct the kids to bow down to their own teacher-librarian... which they do).....
I walked into my library around 4th grade. My teacher-librarian had set up a movie screen, which was a little odd (back in the stone age).
She said that this was a movie about writing. She said that I would know, when it was over, if I was going to be a writer.
Then I reenact the movie.
You see a scared young girl running through the forest. You only see her, not what's chasing her.
She looks back and screams, then trips and falls in a puddle.
She gets up soaking wet, looks back and screams again. She begins running again.
Suddenly, right in front of her, in the middle of the forest, there's a door.
The door opens a crack and a light shines through. She runs through the door, closes it.... and that's the end of the movie.
The kids always groan.
Then I repeat what my librarian said to me... What happens next?
I wanted to know what happened so badly that I went home and wrote four different possible endings.
The kids always have some idea in their own heads too... so I point out that they are writing too.
So, if you are in a school that's lucky enough to have a teacher-librarian, make sure you take some time this month to bow down to them!
I loved my school library (Lewiston-Porter in Western New York). It was where I met George Gershwin (we had an audio room where you could listen to LPs), Beatrix Potter and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was the one part of the school where I felt that I also had a say in what I learned and how I learned.
It was also the place where I learned I was going to be a writer.
This is the story I tell (right after I instruct the kids to bow down to their own teacher-librarian... which they do).....
I walked into my library around 4th grade. My teacher-librarian had set up a movie screen, which was a little odd (back in the stone age).
She said that this was a movie about writing. She said that I would know, when it was over, if I was going to be a writer.
Then I reenact the movie.
You see a scared young girl running through the forest. You only see her, not what's chasing her.
She looks back and screams, then trips and falls in a puddle.
She gets up soaking wet, looks back and screams again. She begins running again.
Suddenly, right in front of her, in the middle of the forest, there's a door.
The door opens a crack and a light shines through. She runs through the door, closes it.... and that's the end of the movie.
The kids always groan.
Then I repeat what my librarian said to me... What happens next?
I wanted to know what happened so badly that I went home and wrote four different possible endings.
The kids always have some idea in their own heads too... so I point out that they are writing too.
So, if you are in a school that's lucky enough to have a teacher-librarian, make sure you take some time this month to bow down to them!
March 22, 2016
March 7, 2016
Smiling
Got some great news this week!
MINRS is up for the CLA book of the year!
And its also been nominated in not one, but TWO categories in the TOME Student Literacy Society book awards in Georgia!
And, after an amazing visit to Manitoulin Island this week, I got home and the nice folks at Simon and Schuster sent me a present!
There’s a great study guide that the good folks at Simon and Schuster have set up at the site for the series, minrs.ca.
http://pages.simonandschuster.ca/minrs/melmingcorp
There’s also a silly trailer video I made that’s up on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuUodKBySIs
If the kids have any questions, I’d love to answer them. They can tweet me anything. They can also write me, or email me or contact me HERE.
MINRS is up for the CLA book of the year!
And its also been nominated in not one, but TWO categories in the TOME Student Literacy Society book awards in Georgia!
And, after an amazing visit to Manitoulin Island this week, I got home and the nice folks at Simon and Schuster sent me a present!
There’s a great study guide that the good folks at Simon and Schuster have set up at the site for the series, minrs.ca.
http://pages.simonandschuster.ca/minrs/melmingcorp
There’s also a silly trailer video I made that’s up on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuUodKBySIs
If the kids have any questions, I’d love to answer them. They can tweet me anything. They can also write me, or email me or contact me HERE.
February 15, 2016
Neil 3-D
About a year ago I made a clay bust of Neil Flambé's head... but never finished it.
Decided this was the week.
Decided this was the week.
February 11, 2016
Postcards! Doodles!
The great folks at Simon and Schuster make up postcards for my latest books.
I've been signing them all day, and always put a free doodle on there as well!
I pass them out when I do my school visits (more info on that HERE).
Neil Flambé #6 - Neil Flambé and the Duel in the Desert - is in bookstores February 23rd!
I've been signing them all day, and always put a free doodle on there as well!
I pass them out when I do my school visits (more info on that HERE).
Neil Flambé #6 - Neil Flambé and the Duel in the Desert - is in bookstores February 23rd!
January 31, 2016
Baseballogy
My book Baseballogy gives kids an introduction to the history, rules, stats and more of baseball.
Today (Jan 31) is Jackie Robinson's birthday. This is an infographic of how the game changed after 1947.
The book was just named an Ontario Library Association Best Bet for 2016!
Today (Jan 31) is Jackie Robinson's birthday. This is an infographic of how the game changed after 1947.
The book was just named an Ontario Library Association Best Bet for 2016!
January 27, 2016
January 22, 2016
One month countdown!
Neil Flambé and the Duel in the Desert comes out in in ONE MONTH!
This is the 6th book in the series.
Neil finds himself in Arizona, searching the desert for a lost gold mine.
Neil is being chased by an evil crazed sheriff named Joe Aprende. (I was doing school visits in Phoenix and Chandler a couple of years back and visited the Kyrene Aprende school - and they made me promise to name a character after them!)
I always open and close the Neil books with maps or postcards from the place they visit. Larry doodles all over them. Here's the endpaper version.
You can find out what all those doodles mean on February 23rd.
So, maybe a giveaway to celebrate.
I've got an original version of from the cover (see below) to give away. All you have to do is tag me on twitter (@kevinarts) or instagram (@sylvesterartwork) with the hashtag #NeilCactus
Bonus points if you add a pic of you reading an earlier book from the series.
I'll pick a winner on the book birthday for #6.
Cheers!
Kevin
This is the 6th book in the series.
Neil finds himself in Arizona, searching the desert for a lost gold mine.
Neil is being chased by an evil crazed sheriff named Joe Aprende. (I was doing school visits in Phoenix and Chandler a couple of years back and visited the Kyrene Aprende school - and they made me promise to name a character after them!)
I always open and close the Neil books with maps or postcards from the place they visit. Larry doodles all over them. Here's the endpaper version.
You can find out what all those doodles mean on February 23rd.
So, maybe a giveaway to celebrate.
I've got an original version of from the cover (see below) to give away. All you have to do is tag me on twitter (@kevinarts) or instagram (@sylvesterartwork) with the hashtag #NeilCactus
Bonus points if you add a pic of you reading an earlier book from the series.
I'll pick a winner on the book birthday for #6.
Cheers!
Kevin
