Not Suitable for Family Viewing will be my ‘headliner’ but I’ll also be introducing a new YA novel, Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret. (Hopefully, I might even have some actual copies of it in my hands by then…)

I’m paired up with the amazing Kevin Sylvester, author of The Neil Flambe Capers so it should be fun.

Hope to see you there.

I’d love your opinion. Too gruesome?

Or am I just being a wimp?

(As you can see, this photo of me, first thing in the morning, in my housecoat, at the cottage, has absolutely nothing to do with the article – but it has punch, don’t you think?)

Congratulations to Henry Neff on winning Best Book for The Hound of Rowan at Woozles‘ Battle of the Books. I was pretty happy that Res Judicata won for Best Plot.

• Now I’m girding my loins for another battle. I just found out that Not Suitable for Family Viewing has been chosen to compete next year. Onward to Victory!

Thanks to Suzy Crocker, Lisa Doucet and all the teachers, kids and volunteers who make this great event happen. And congratulations to Sacred Heart for winning a hard-won fight against LeMarchant-St. Thomas.

Thanks for this, Denise. (Keep those photos rolling in, people.)

Not Suitable for Family Viewing has done all right by itself lately.

Last week at the Ontario Library Association Superconference in Toronto, it was one of ten novels chosen  as a 2009 OLA Best Bets for Young Adult Readers.

Today, it was nominated for the 2010 Snow Willow Awards in Saskatchewan.

The Snow Willow is  given through the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award program (SYRCA), which promotes reading among the province’s children and youth.  Ten books written by Canadian authors and aimed at kids in grades 7 to 9 are nominated. Any student who has read the minimum number of books can vote for their favourite. The winning book will receive the Snow Willow award next Spring.

On Wednesday, March 3, 7 to 9 p.m – Literacy expert Catherine Bouliane and junior high librarian Rebecca King will talk to me about Reluctant Readers. We’ll look at who they are, what they like to read and how to write for them. Ironically, what may seem to be a crisis for parents and a challenge for educators is actually an opportunity for writers. The YA ‘quick read’ market is  big and growing.

On Wednesday, March 31, 7 to 9 p.m., Vivian Howard from the Dalhousie Library School will discuss “The Naughty Bits – controversial subjects in teen fiction”.  I’m lining up a number of authors and hopefully an editor or two to chime in on the discussion as well.

Richard obviously caught me giving Sheree a tough question.

Illustrator Richard Rudnicki (Gracie The Public Garden’s Duck) sent me this great ‘memory sketch’ of Sheree Fitch and me in conversation at the Coburg Coffee House the other night.

Even better, he agreed to be my guest at an upcoming Kid Lit Cafe exploring the  issues involved in the illustration of children’s books. 

The line-up for future KLC guests also includes Susan Tooke (Up Home), Jessica Scott Kerrin (the Martin Bridge series), Kathy Kaulbach (who as Hilda Rose illustrated What if Your Mom Made Raisin Buns?), and Jill MacLean (The Nine Lives of Travis Keating) among others.

Author Steven Laffoley picks up a signed copy of Res Judicata at the Halifax launch.

RES JUDICATA has been added to the TriState Young Adult Books of Note list for 2009. The list is compiled by professionals representing public schools, public libraries, and private schools in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Teen Choice Award

I.D., a psychological thriller for teens, has just been nominated for The 2009-2010 Stellar Award. Teens throughout British Columbia will vote for their favourite shortlisted novel next April. The Stellar Award is administered by the Young Readers’ Choice Award Society of B.C.