May 20th, 2014
Pajama Press is proud to announce that Namesake by Sue MacLeod has been shortlisted for the National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award. Given each year to the best English-language book for children aged 13 and under that contains at least 500 words of text, the award will be celebrating its 30th anniversary […]
Posted in Namesake
May 16th, 2014
“In veteran children’s author Sylvia McNicoll’s new book, grief and anger are the overriding emotions 12-year-old Will Alton feels over the loss of his baby sister and mother to illness in the family’s native Ireland, even as he and his father embark on a fresh start in 1912 Hamilton, Ontario. When Dr. Roberts, Hamilton’s health […]
Posted in Revenge on the Fly
April 18th, 2014
“…Multi award-winning author Deborah Ellis excels in creating stories of determination in the face of adversity and social injustice. Here, she presents us with a sensitive and passionate tale based on the true life experiences of a young woman in Iran, where execution is the accepted form of punishment for gays or lesbians. This is […]
Posted in Moon at Nine
April 11th, 2014
Pajama Press is proud to announce that Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass has been nominated for the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature. Administered by the Writer’s Guild of Alberta, the R. Ross Annett Award was established in 1982 in honour of the author of the popular Babe & Joe series. A historical novel […]
Posted in Graffiti Knight
March 21st, 2014
“With her multiple award-winning works of fiction and non-fiction, Deborah Ellis has introduced readers to the harsh realities of life for youth around the world. Her latest novel, based on a true story, is another powerful, realistic tale that will capture the attention of teen readers. In Moon at Nine, Ellis expertly weaves the politics, […]
Posted in Moon at Nine
March 7th, 2014
“Basing her book on a true story, Ellis has written a heartbreaking tale of prejudice and injustice. Ellis contrasts the sanctioned horrible treatment of human beings with an illegal love story…The characters are complex and carefully drawn… While we recognize some progress in our country in terms of gay and lesbian rights, Moon at Nine […]
Posted in Moon at Nine
February 26th, 2014
“In a novel based on a true story, two teen girls fall in love and face harsh political fallout in post-revolution Iran. Readers learn the basics of 1980s Iran’s political situation from context and light exposition. Farrin’s family is wealthy, and her mother hosts Bring Back the Shah teas and parties with illicit alcohol. Farrin’s […]
Posted in Moon at Nine
February 20th, 2014
Excerpt from the article “Exploring History through Fiction” by Rachel Seigel, Canadian Children’s Book News Winter 2014 “History is the succession of events that shape our present and our future, and one of the best ways to engage children in learning history is through historical fiction. Good historical writing offers insights into people and events […]
Posted in Graffiti Knight
January 27th, 2014
“I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and historical details in this novel. Karen Bass—the author, gave me a sense of the difficulties of living in a communist, post war Germany in 1947. I learned many details and now I have even more questions about life after World War 2.” Click here to read the full review.
Posted in Graffiti Knight
January 17th, 2014
“…Where reading non-fiction books can at times be dry and daunting, fiction opens up the same topics in a new way, providing characters a reader can personally connect with interspersed with historical facts. Sue MacLeod’s Namesake is a spectacular example of this. I loved the way she took some liberties with Lady Jane’s story, while still staying true […]
Posted in Namesake
