Pajama Press

Pajama Press is thrilled to announce that Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman is a finalist for the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Awards in the category of Young People’s Literature – Text.

Michelle has been crafting her novels under the expertise of our cherished Senior Editor, Ann Featherstone, at Pajama Press since 2017. Michelle’s debut novel, The Theory of Hummingbirds, received high literary acclaim and was nominated for the 2019 Silver Birch Award, the 2019 MYRCA Sundogs Award, and the 2018 SYRCA Diamond Willow Award. Girl of the Southern Sea was published in May of this year and has received unanimously positive reviews from literary journals. The Booklist review cites, “In spare and elegant prose, Kadarusman weaves a quiet tale of survival, grit, and integrity.” Pajama Press is delighted to see Michelle’s writing earn such a high distinction with this new nomination for the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Award.

Michelle will be donating a portion of her royalties from Girl of the Southern Sea in support of Plan International Canada’s Because I Am A Girl campaign, and Pajama Press will match her donation. Learn more about Plan International Canada at: https://plancanada.ca

The Governor General’s Literary Awards are the oldest and most prestigious national literary awards in Canada. Founded in 1936, the awards span over seven categories in both English and French and acknowledge the best 70 books to be published in Canada in 2019. More information and the full list of finalists can be found here: https://canadacouncil.ca/press/2019/10/ggbooks-2019-finalists.

Pajama Press extends our heartfelt congratulations to Michelle Kadarusman, her fellow nominees, and their publishers. Our sincerest thanks go to the Canada Council for the Arts for their dedication to high-quality Canadian literature for people of all ages and for their continued support of Canadian authors and illustrators. We also acknowledge the support of the Canada Book Fund, the Ontario Arts Council, and Ontario Creates for our publishing program.

For further information, or to request an interview with Michelle Kadarusman, please contact:

Laura Bowman, Publicity
publicity@pajamapress.ca

“With simple but engaging language, Skrypuch recounts Van Ho’s true story of her lonely and hard life in Vietnam during the years she was separated from her family. Skrypuch offers readers myriad opportunities to identify with Van, who navigates school, friendship, bullying, and poverty, while also giving them insight into less-common American experiences such as political oppression and asylum. The story covers four years of Van’s life, including her reunion with parents and siblings in Canada and the immediate culture shock of arriving….This illuminating chapter book respects an often overlooked demographic, providing transitioning readers a truthful yet age-appropriate introduction to big issues that still affect people to this day. (Historical fiction. 7-11)”

Click here to read the full review

“In this poignant verse novel, readers will be touched by the humor and heroism of Macy McMillian, who faces unwanted changes in her life as her mother is remarrying and she soon will be forced to move into a different home with her new stepdad and two stepsisters….While Macy’s deafness is a feature of the book, the focus is her gradual acceptance of the changes in her life. This novel in verse is an accessible read about the families we chose for ourselves and the power of stories.”

Click here to read the full review

“My thoughts: I loved this one. I really liked Macy. But I loved, loved, loved Iris. Together these two make for a GREAT read. I also enjoyed the other characters in the book. (Her best friend, Olivia, her mother, her step-father-to-be, Alan, her step-sisters-to-be, Kaitlin and Bethany.) Macy is a flawed heroine–my favorite kind. So in terms of characterization, this one was wonderful. The language–the writing–was great….I would say the writing was lyrical and poetic in places.”

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“The middle-grade novel follows the ups and downs of Lauren – a young girl around seven or eight, who has autism spectrum disorder….In creating a nuanced, formidable character, Leach tackles a challenging topic with skill and even some lightness.”
—Helen Kubiw

Read the full review on page 26 in the September 2017 issue of Quill & Quire

“[5/5 stars]…It was easy to fall in league with these two characters, as different and challenged as they each were as the story unfolds. Alba was remarkable for her perseverance and her drive, and Levi equally solid in his knowledge and conviction that space-time continuum and scientific discovery need not be left to the adults and titled scientists. This is a great book to share with students in discussion of friendship, resilience, perseverance, and goal-setting.”

Click here to read the full review