Author Archives: admin

Kapuskasing. A magical word to me as a child. Where my Mom was from. Where there was Family. Great Grand-Mere. Great Aunts and Uncles. Twelve of them. And cousins and cousins and cousins. It meant so much for me to … Continue reading →

Had terrific fun with grades 1 and 2, talking up more “Funny Writing” and then grades 3 and 4 “Re-VISION-ing.” And sold every book I carried in the doors. And left a few unhappy that there weren’t any left! PLEASE … Continue reading →

Yeah! I picked up 76 copies of The Cul-de-Sac Kids from Tradewind Books on Granville Island last Friday. Emmett and a friend and I were heading down to Science World, in keeping with our “Field Trip Fridays” thing (saw a … Continue reading →

I am SO looking forward to introducing this one to the world! A new age group–ages 7-8 or so–and Funny! I’ve so enjoyed hanging out with these kids…and their new neighbour. Who is supposed to be a hockey player, but … Continue reading →

On May 6, I’ll be flying to Ottawa to begin a week of touring Ontario, going to St. Mary’s, Nepean, Osgoode, Toronto, Waterloo…and (drum roll!) Kapuskasing, my mom’s hometown! I was there twice, with my mom, in my early twenties. … Continue reading →

It is like a baby, just a bit. An opportunity to re-write. Reminds me of sniffing the crowns of my infant sons’ heads and breathing deeply. Somewhere in my core, I carry that smell-memory. Such memories carry and motivate. The … Continue reading →

in medias res, in the middle of things, is trotted out in writing classes as THE place to begin telling a story. I was taught it. I have taught it. I read it in the “successful” books now being published. … Continue reading →

about where I’m going for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre Book Week next spring! I’m Ontario bound, and happy to be. Now hoping I can see the Kids in Cambridge… I spent time last week, thinking through my presentations, and … Continue reading →

Here is an excerpt from a recent review of Molly’s Cue: The plot is linear and uncomplicated, the style undemanding, and the chapters very short, typically subdivided and averaging only about eight pages. Molly’s Cue may appeal to readers for … Continue reading →

Just before my friend Katy moved to the UK eight years ago, she came over one evening with boxes of plants she’d dug up from her garden. Some of these plants were from her grandfather’s wonderful garden in Victoria. One … Continue reading →