Pajama Press

“Readers aged 13 and older will enjoy this story of 16-year-old Wilm, who’s finally tasting freedom after a childhood cut short by war and the harsh strictures of Nazi Germany. Despite the scars the Second World War left on his hometown and in spite of the oppressive new Soviet regime, Wilm is finding his own voice. It’s dangerous, of course, to be sneaking out at night to leave messages on police buildings, but it’s also exciting, and Wilm feels justified, considering his family’s suffering. One mission goes too far, however, and Wilm endangers the very people he most wants to protect. Award-winning author Karen Bass brings readers a fast-paced story about a boy fighting for self-expression in an era of censorship and struggle.”

Click here to read the full article “Page Turners: Children’s book titles explore the topic of war”

This Canada Day, celebrate your patriotism the literary way.

CBC Books has rounded up 100 Young Adult Books That Make You Proud To Be Canadian. How many have you read? Take the quiz on the CBC Books website.

Among the chosen 100 are Nix Minus One by Jill MacLean and Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass. We are indeed proud to have these books recognized as the great Canadian treasures we believe them to be.

Will this list inspire you to read more Canada? Are there any standouts you feel are missing? Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #CBCbooks100.

Pajama Press is pleased to announce that Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass has been nominated for the Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award.

This award program, open to participants in three age groups from Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, and Washington, asks children and teens to read a shortlist of nominated titles and vote for their favourites. Voting takes place in March and April. Learn more at www.pnla.org.

Graffiti Knight is a Young Adult novel set in Eastern Germany two years after the close of World War II. Its protagonist, sixteen-year-old Wilm, chafes under the unjust strictures of Soviet rule and seeks a way to speak out.  Graffiti Knight, a USBBY Outstanding International Book selection,has won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award, the R. Ross Annett Children’s Book Award, and the Exporting Alberta Award. It has also been nominated for the B.C. Teen Readers’ Choice Stellar Award, among other honours.

Click here to watch the Graffiti Knight book trailer.

Click here for interviews with Karen Bass.

Click here to download the free Graffiti Knight classroom discussion and activity guide.

Five Pajama Press titles have been selected for the Bank Street College of Education’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2015 Edition:

Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That
Written by Victoria Allenby, illustrated by Tara Anderson
Under Five, Animals (Fiction)

Skydiver: Saving the Fastest Bird in the World
Written and illustrated by Celia Godkin
Ages 9–12, Ecology

Cat Champions: Caring for our Feline Friends
Written by Rob Laidlaw
Ages 9–12, Science

Moon at Nine
Written by Deborah Ellis
Ages 12–14, Today

Graffiti Knight
Written by Karen Bass
Ages 14+, Historical Fiction

Click here to view the full lists.

Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass has been honoured by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) as one of six Outstanding International Books for grades 9–12 in 2015.

Chosen from among all books published outside of the United States but first distributed within that country in a given  year, the Outstanding International Books list is chosen based on the following criteria (taken from the USBBY website):

• Books that represent the best of children´s literature from other countries
• Books that introduce American readers to outstanding authors and illustrators from other countries
• Books that help American children see the world from other points of view
• Books that provide a perspective or address a topic otherwise missing from children´s literature in the U.S.
• Books that exhibit a distinct cultural flavor
• Books that are accessible to American readers.

Graffiti Knight has already received a number of significant awards, including the CLA Book of the Year Award, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature, and the CAA Exporting Alberta Award. Pajama Press congratulates author Karen Bass on yet another well-earned accolade.

Click here to view the full list of 2015 selections.

We are thrilled to extend our congratulations to Karen Bass, author of Graffiti Knight. This YA novel, set in Leipzig, East Germany, two years after World War II, has won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People.

Karen Bass accepted this prestigious award Thursday night at the 10th annual TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards celebration. Hosted at The Carlu in Toronto, this gala is a highlight of the publishing year in the Canadian children’s book industry. The Geoffrey Bilson Award, named for a Canadian author and history professor, is one of six major prizes awarded at the gala each year. This is the fourth award win for Graffiti Knight, which has already taken home the CLA Young Adult Book Award, the R. Ross Annett Children’s Literature Award, and the CAA Exporting Alberta Award. Other accolades include a nomination for the 2014–2015 B.C. Teen Readers’ Choice Stellar Awards and designations as an OLA Best Bet, a Best Books for Kids & Teens Starred Selection, and a Resource Links “The Year’s Best” selection.

Pajama Press is excited announce a new Young Adult novel by Karen Bass to be published in the spring of 2015. Uncertain Soldier also explores World War II themes, this time with connections to the author’s home province of Alberta.

Pajama Press would also like to congratulate Meghan Marentette, whose middle-grade novel The Stowaways was a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Shelagh Rogers for the CBC was a wonderful host

Graffiti Knight’s text desiger Martin Gould, author Karen Bass, and editor Linda Pruessen

Karen Bass gives her thanks to all librarians

Pajama Press designer Martin Gould

Nominated authors Meghan Marentette and Karen Bass

Richard Jones and Karen Bass

Meghan Marentette and publisher Gail Winskill

“Editor Goddess” Linda Pruessen and award-winning author Karen Bass

Rebecca Buchanan, Richard Jones, Erin Woods, Patricia Jones, Gail Winskill, and John Spray

Karen Bass with reviewer and juror Helen Kubiw

Nominated author Meghan Marentette and publicist Erin Woods

“…Wilm himself is a teen with a profound sense of responsibility. So many things that occur during the story aren’t really his fault, but he is his harshest critic and holds himself accountable even when he doesn’t need to. He also has a well-developed reflective nature which leads to powerful insights into his true nature and the situation of his friends and family. As a result, he’s an excellent choice for a narrator.

There’s a lot to love here and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what I could have written. But when it comes to the story of Wilm what I loved the most was how Bass was able to make each character complicated, hard to completely admire or condemn. They all seem to have complex motivations for their actions which made for an intense and thought-provoking read.

Both an eye-opening piece of historical fiction and a page-turning, suspense-filled story, Graffiti Knight is an enlightening read that’s hard to put down.”

Click here to read the full review.

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre announced the finalists for its 2014 children’s literature awards in a press release last night. Pajama Press congratulates Karen Bass, author of Graffiti Knight, and Meghan Marentette, author of The Stowaways, for their nominations to these auspicious awards.

Graffiti Knight is a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. The jury said, “The clash between the Soviet victors and the German people after World War II is masterfully captured in this exciting story of a teen in Berlin [sic] who deals with uncertainty at home and school by challenging his city’s new social order… Bass has created a character that engages readers with his anger, compassion and remorse… A well written and intriguing book possessing strong plot, characters and themes within a historical context.”

The Stowaways is a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The jury said, “Meghan Marentette has written a book ripe for reading aloud and sharing with the family… The Stowaways most importantly reminds us of the thrill and joy — and even the necessity — of adventure… Endearing characters, themes of innovation, adventure and courage, and a beautiful package combine to destine this charming animal fantasy to become a Canadian classic.”

The winners will be announced at the awards given at the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards gala in Toronto on November 6.

“Just as multicultural literature for children and young adults allows readers to understand and appreciate the world around them, international and global books can help them understand the history, languages, and culture of nations around the world…For this week’s book reviews, members of the International Reading Association’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) examine some recent international and global favorites that caught their attention.”

Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass

“…The book makes it clear how war and its aftermath touch everyone, even [the protagonist’s] sister. Incidents such as the Soviets’ allowing much-needed butter to spoil in the sun due to incompetence or a lack of concern help readers understand Wilm’s anger. The book offers a fresh perspective on life for the Germans after WWII.”

—Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Click here to read the full review and see this week’s full list of multicultural books from the International Reading Association website, Reading Today Online.

“In post-World War II Germany, Wilm is frustrated and bored, but he is better off than some who go hungry from too few Soviet rations. At first, Wilm’s only real worries are avoiding his drunken father and enduring boring mathematics lessons, until he finds out what really happened to his sister. They took his father’s leg in the war, and his dignity after, now they have taken his sister’s peace…

Graffiti Knight shines a light on an experience about which there is little information. Most World War II historical fiction focuses on the plight of those in concentration camps, but there is not much information on what it was like to live in Germany after the war or what it was like for the Germans themselves, Nazi or not. From the perspective of the occupied, readers will see through the eyes of the oppressed…it is a good addition to any library.”—Shanna Miles.