Posts Tagged ‘emily-for-real’

“…I love Gunnery’s heartfelt characters. We join Emily at the beginning of the book frantically cutting out her now ex-boyfriend from all of their pictures making it easy to slip into her perspective. Emily For Real is a lighter read about the true meaning of family, issues of identity and genuine friendship. Reading a story where the main girl […]

“This is not the story of what once was, what could have been and what will be with wishes becoming horses and the less fortunate riding.  This is a story of the crud that life can deal us and how our story is not written by its appearance but by our reaction to it.  The […]

During her TD Canadian Children’s Book Week tour of Manitoba, Sylvia Gunnery (Emily For Real, 2012) had the opportunity to talk with Jordan Wasilka of the Westman Journal. The interview made the front page. Here’s a sneak peek: “‘The publishing industry is in a lot of trouble’ asserts the author, ‘but people still have faith […]

“Author Sylvia Gunnery on learning, writing, eavesdropping, teaching” by Kathleen Martin (reprinted with permission from Canadian Children’s Book News Vol 36 No. 2, Spring 2013) Sylvia Gunnery had to turn her writing desk away from the ocean. “I was getting distracted too much,” she says. There are trees outside the window next to her desk […]

When Emily’s Grandad dies, she’s more concerned with her break up. When a mysterious guest shows up at her Grandad’s funeral, claiming to be an old friend of her Grandad’s Emily’s life gets suddenly more complicated. Her grandfather had a secret life and as it tears Emily’s family apart, Emily finds herself questioning everything she […]

“Still experiencing the hurt from a recent breakup, Emily also has to contend with her grandfather’s death and the ensuing family drama that occurs soon after his funeral. Helping her cope is a new friendship with Leo, who, though dismissive and aloof at first, allows her into his life. Plot elements abound. Leo has anger […]

We asked Sylvia to share some advice for other writers who are targeting the YA market. Here are her top ten tips: Please feel free to share or pin these images!

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has announced the 30 authors who will be touring for TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2013 and we couldn’t be more thrilled: two Pajama Press authors, Sylvia Gunnery (Emily For Real, Spring 2012) and Alma Fullerton (A Good Trade, Fall 2012), have been selected to take part. You can see […]

On virtual tour, that is. August 1, 2012 is the American publication date for Emily For Real, and Sylvia is going to spend the month of August talking about it on blogs throughout Canada and the United States. The celebration kicks off tomorrow at Pajama Press’ own Pajama Party blog with Sylvia’s Top Ten Tips […]

…Gunnery nicely captures the way families really are, the sweet, mundane and strained interactions of everyday life. A longtime N.S. junior and senior high school teacher, Gunnery deftly handles the interactions among Emily, her schoolmates and teachers and her best friend Jenn, as well as giving credibility to Emily as the narrator. Emily for Real […]