Archive for April, 2013

On May 1 Pajama Press is pleased to present Namesake by debut author Sue MacLeod. This time slip novel brings together the very different lives of two girls who share a name: Jane Grey. When Jane from Halifax finds an ancient-looking prayer book, she ends up face to face with the subject of her own […]

Sue MacLeod is a poet and editor living in Toronto, Ontario. Her debut novel, Namesake, is a time slip title for teens about the friendship between Jane Grey, a high school student in Halifax, and Lady Jane Grey, the short-lived Tudor queen who spent her last days in the Tower of London. Sue joined us […]

“…While Stephanie McLellan’s text and Dean Griffith’s illustrations ensure that Mom and Dad are seen as engaged parents who really try to be there for all their children, it’s easy to understand how overwhelming it is to meet the needs of all of them, especially if their children may not be clear on what they […]

“This meticulously-crafted novel-in-verse is as finely-honed as one of Nix’s own woodworking projects. MacLean tackles many serious issues, artfully weaving together the different elements of Nix’s story into a poignant portrait of one boy’s journey toward acceptance of himself and the curveballs life throws at him….While Nix struggles to find his voice, MacLean’s impeccable poetry—spare, […]

Award-winning East Coast author Jill MacLean is taking her first official trip west this week. The lucky residents of Calgary, Alberta will be able to meet the author of Nix Minus One, Home Truths, The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy, and The Nine Lives of Travis Keating at a number of different events. These include: […]

Brothers and Sisters: Two picture books touchingly explore sibling relationships through illustrations as strong as the text, writes Sarah Ellis “Scene: Two children stand in the late afternoon sunlight comparing shadows. The little brother says, “Look! I’m long!” His older sister replies, “I’m longer.” Siblings give us our first experience of the tyranny of comparison. […]

Pajama Press is pleased to announce that Acts of Courage: Laura Secord and the War of 1812 by Connie Brummel Crook has been shortlisted for two different 2012 Word Awards, in the categories of Young Adult and Historical Fiction. The winners will be announced at at the 2013 gala to be held at World Vision […]

“…I knew something was up when Harriet  suddenly couldn’t stop talking about it. (“You be Pumpkin, you be Tweezle, and I’ll be Hoogie,” she’d demand of whoever was in her company, or a variation on this.) I asked her why she liked the book so much: “Because Hoogie’s a monster and she’s nice,” Harriet answered, […]

“In her debut novel, Sue MacLeod successfully accomplishes a feat many more experienced writers struggle with: weaving an historical narrative smoothly into a contemporary storyline. The Toronto author uses the tried-and-true device of time travel to bring together two very different girls who share the same name: Jane Grey. Modern Jane is a 15-year-old Halifax […]

Pajama Press is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of Hoogie in the Middle by Stephanie McLellan and Dean Griffiths on This is Hoogie talking. My book is coming out on May 1st, so I decided I should write the blog post this time. And I’m going to write it in pictures. Pictures that are […]