Pajama Press

Archive for December, 2014

Moon at Nine “more than simply an LGTBQ novel or historical fiction.”—Ottawa Review of Books

Posted on December 10th, 2014 by pajamapress

MoonAtNine_C_Oct5.indd“As with her many other acclaimed novels such as The Bread Winner, Deborah Ellis manages to avoid stepping on cultural taboos through rigorous research and editing, and her story hits on universal themes such as family secrets, friendships, relationships and coming-of-age. Ellis transports her readers to a foreign land with a very different set of rules, where they can smell the streets and see their colours but also feel the fear and the anger of their people.

Moon at Nine is more than simply an LGTBQ novel or historical fiction. Like so many wonderful young adult titles today, it is a multi-faceted hybrid that can be enjoyed by both teens and adults. Driving the heart of the story home is the revelation that this book is based on a true story, inspired by an Iranian woman that Ellis met. Farrin and Sadira’s story gives a voice to those who have been silenced and forgotten. It is powerfully grounded in the setting of Tehran, and depicts the beauty of falling in love and the cruelty and coldness of power in the hands of outside forces.”

Click here to read the full review.

A Brush Full of Colour “lively” and “accessible” introduction to Ted Harrison—Kirkus Reviews

Posted on December 10th, 2014 by pajamapress

ABrushFullOfColour_HR_RGB“… Abundantly illustrated, the generally lively text is accessible and well-paced, and (thankfully) the didactic asides and discussion prompts are relegated to the paintings’ captions. Backmatter includes a helpful index and related books, websites and films. A child-friendly introduction to an iconic, wonderfully accessible and quintessentially Canadian artist. (Picture book/biography. 5-8)”

Click here to read the full review.

A Brush Full of Colour in Victoria

Posted on December 4th, 2014 by pajamapress

This week Margriet Ruurs and Katherine Gibson travelled to Victoria, British Columbia, to present A Brush Full of Colour: The World of Ted Harrison at the Saanich Centennial Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library. The event was organized jointly by the Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable and Schoolhouse Teaching Supplies, under the able leadership of Pat Oldroyd, seen introducing the authors below. The night included a PowerPoint presentation about Ted Harrison; a raffle for a mounted poster and a copy of A Brush Full of Colour; book signings; cookies; and lots of fun.

Thank you to everyone who braved the cold weather to come out, with special thanks to Moira Gardener for sharing the pictures below.

Moira-Gardener-1 Moira-Gardener-2Moira-Gardener-5 Moira-Gardener-3 Moira-Gardener-4  Moira-Gardener-6 Moira-Gardener-7