Study creative writing with published children’s author Stacey Matson

UBC Extended learning is offering a six-week online Writing Fiction For Young Readers class with award-winning author Stacey Matson.

Learn about character development, pacing and plotting your own middle grade novel, with discussions, readings, assignments, workshops and personalized feedback on your first chapters.

The class is asynchronous with optional zoom meetings weekly so you can work at your own pace. Spots are limited: classes start on September 24th. Sign up here.

STACEY MATSON is the author of four other middle-grade novels, including her recent Eleven Out of Ten. She holds a Master of Arts in children’s literature. Her thesis became her first novel, A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius, which was a Junior Library Guild Selection and was the winner of the Chocolate Lily Award. Stacey works as an educator with the Creative Writing for Children Society and is a literacy mentor for youth at the Writers’ Exchange. She is also one of the co-founders of Ink Well Vancouver, a children’s literature focused workshop community. Visit http://www.staceymatson.com.

Summer book launch!

Join CWILL’s own Stacey Matson as she celebrates the release of her new book, ELEVEN OUT OF TEN, a middle-grade coming-of-age noel.

1-3 pm
Saturday, July 25 

Collage Collage
3697 Main Street
Vancouver

Book your spot at shop.collagecollage.ca

—

From the publisher:

Albie is looking forward to spending every minute with her best friend, her cousin Lake, at Lake’s swimming pool or working on their Young Entrepreneurs project.

But everything changes when Lake has a serious diving accident and is rushed to hospital. With Lake in the ICU and her fate uncertain, Albie’s summer is falling apart. She’s desperately worried about Lake but is stuck in a boring day camp with her little brother. Instead of the waterside fun and solace she had envisioned, Albie has to navigate camp without Lake and work on the project all on her own. Albie’s never been one to take charge, but this might be the summer she has to step up. After all, Lake is counting on her. So why does Albie feel like she’s betraying Lake by making new friends in her absence?

Eleven Out of Ten is a middle-grade novel about finding one’s voice, the things we will do for our family, and the challenges of waiting in the in-between spaces.

CWILL creators featured in top 50 reads!

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) has released its 50 must-read Canadian middle-grade books in honour of its fiftieth anniversary. You can read the whole list here, but here at CWILL, we’re proud to see so many of our members on the list!

The Sky Is Falling, by Kit Pearson

Odd Man Out, by Sarah Ellis

Teddy vs. The Fuzzy Doom, by Braden Hallett

Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand, by Leslie Gentile

Today I Am, a collection of short stories, including CWILL’s own Mahtab Narsimhan

Also, we’d be remiss by not pointing out that CWILL’s Linda Bailey’s book, Stanley’s Wild Ride, featured in CCBC’s top fifty picture books.

We encourage teachers, librarians, parents, and kid lit lovers to check out the full lists!

Reading Lights celebrates its ten-year anniversary

You might not know that Vancouver is home to a unique project to celebrate BC kidlit—a project that’s celebrating its ten-year anniversary!

Reading Lights was an initiative created with CWILL members in partnership with Vancouver Public Library to celebrate the work of BC children’s book authors and illustrators. Plaques featuring books by local creators can be found throughout locations in Vancouver and offer unexpected encounters with a variety of stories for children and their families.

Reading Lights was launched on Family Day, January 27, 2016.

The plaques are still up and around the city. You can find out more at the VPL website. If you’re looking for a fun literary scavenger hunt, we’ve got you covered!

Canadian kidlit creators star at this year’s Vancouver Christmas Market

If you’re a frequent visitor to the beloved Vancouver Christmas Market, you might notice a new addition to the vendor section this year! The Itty Bitty Bookshop is featuring books—and appearances—by over thirty local kidlit creators, including many CWILL members.

If you are looking to support local, Canadian book creators this holiday season, the Itty Bitty Bookshop is the place to visit. Board books, picture books, chapter books—all written and/or illustrated by BC kidlit creators—are on offer, and many of them signed. Different creators will be managing the shop at different times, so there is also an opportunity to get books autographed with a personal inscription. The booth also features a selection of Christmas classics.

The Itty Bitty Bookshop is the brainchild of Jill Danis, author of The Very Different Witch. Please stop by to say hello, browse the wares, and pick up a special treat for your favourite young reader!

Some of the authors and illustrators featured so far are shown below. Many more will be on hand. For more information, including the full list of featured authors, be sure to visit ittybittybookshop.ca. To find out more about the market itself, visit vancouverchristmasmarket.com.

In Memoriam: Norma Charles

It is with heavy hearts that CWILL shares that Norma Charles, one of our longest serving and most cherished members, passed away on August 19 after an illness.

Norma was a talented author and an integral member of the kidlit community in BC and Canada. She served as a membership committee coordinator for CWILL and was ever ready to offer a friendly greeting and a warm smile to our members, old and new. We have all benefitted enormously from her generosity, time, and friendship over the years. 

She was not only a leading member of CWILL, but other literary organizations such as The Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable, The Writers’ Union of Canada, the BC Book Prizes, and CANSCAIP. 

Her own books, including her latest picture book, The One and Only Question, frequently uplifted social justice causes and showcased her warmth, sincerity, and care. She was a teacher, teacher-librarian, mother to four, and author of 22 books over the past three decades.

She is greatly missed already, and CWILL will be finding ways to commemorate her in the time ahead.