The Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference starts next week! Librarians will be gathering at the Metro Toronto Convention Center and visiting the exhibits from February 2nd to the 3rd.

Tundra Books will be at booth #720 to tell you about our new and upcoming books. You can come by to pick up catalogs, posters, and bookmarks!

We will also have author signings! Be sure to line-up early, the complimentary books will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Author signings on Thursday, February 2:

Heather Hartt-Sussman will be signing Here Comes Hortense! at 1:45 PM
Illustrated by Georgia Graham
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 4-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-221-9
The feisty, irrepressible Nana we met in Nana’s Getting Married is back. And what could be more fun for a six-year-old than having your nana and her new husband take you to a theme park? But the fun is spoiled when Nana and Bob announce that they’ve planned a surprise: they are going to be joined by Bob’s granddaughter, Hortense. A perceptive and hilarious exploration of rivalry, there’s a gentle lesson for readers, young and old.

Karen Patkau will be signing Who Needs a Jungle?, Who Needs a Swamp?, and Who Needs an Iceberg? at 2:45 PM
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-0-88776-992-4
In Who Needs a Jungle? we learn about its vital role in providing us with oxygen, food, medicinal ingredients, and raw materials we use every day. Who Needs a Swamp? explores wetlands and their importance in the food chain and in preserving our soil and clean water. Who Needs an Iceberg? talks about the shrinking Arctic Ice Cap.

Nan Forler will be signing Winterberries and Apple Blossoms at 12:30 PM
Illustrated by Peter Etril Snyder
Hardcover | 40 pages | All ages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-254-7
The poems and recipes are perfectly complemented by Peter Etril Snyder’s lovely paintings. Winterberries and Apple Blossoms is a beautifully produced book, perfect for gift-giving, or sharing with anyone who appreciates simple, enduring values.

Author signings on Friday, February 3:

Curtis Parkinson will be signing Man Overboard! at 11:30 AM
Paperback | 160 pages | Ages 10-12
ISBN: 978-1-77049-298-1
eBook: 978-1-77049-299-8
During World War II, a German agent landed in Canada from a U-boat. Curtis Parkinson has used this true historical event to tell a fast-paced, exciting story. Sixteen-year-old Scott and his friend Adam find summer jobs as deckhands on the Rapids Prince, a ship that plies the waters between the town of Prescott, on the St. Lawrence River, and Montreal. Scott overhears convincing information that a German agent is actually on board the boat!

Pam Withers will be signing First Descent at 10:30 AM
Hardcover | 272 Pages | Ages 12+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
Montana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to tackle the well-named El Furioso in southwest Colombia, he is thrilled. He anticipates the river’s challenges, but finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human.

Marthe Jocelyn will be signing “Scribbling Women” at 12:30 PM
Hardcover | 208 Pages | Ages 14+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-230-1
In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive.

Tundra’s very own, Alison Morgan and Tara Walker, will be at booth #1629 to tell you about our new and upcoming books. You can also come by to pick up catalogs, posters, postcards, and bookmarks.

We will also have author signings, be sure to line-up early, the books will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 11:00AM
First Descent
Written by Pam Withers
Hardcover | 272 pages | Ages 12+
ISBN: 978-1-77049-257-8
eBook: 978-1-77049-274-5
“…From the first page, when Rex hears a crack of river ice, sees an eight-year-old in peril, and enacts a dramatic rescue in which he must out-paddle an advancing mountain of ice, Withers flings the reader from one perilous adventure to another….” – Booklist

Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:00AM
Harness Horses, Bucking Broncos & Pit Ponies: A History of Horse Breeds
Written by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson
Illustrated by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson
Hardcover | 72 pages | All ages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-986-3
“…The concise and interesting information on each of the 43 breeds…. The excellent painterly pictures clearly capture the unique life of each horse, including dramatic scenes of the war horses, the excitement of circus performers, the hard work of those sent into the mines, and the compelling life of feral horses. A solid resource.” – School Library Journal

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

A Tinfoil Sky
By Cyndi Sand-Eveland
Hardcover | 224 pages | Ages 10-14
ISBN: 978-1-77049-277-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-294-3
Cyndi Sand-Eveland’s work with homeless youth gives her characters an authenticity no reader will forget. Ultimately, a story of hope and acceptance, A Tinfoil Sky is a powerful, can’t-put-it-down novel.

“…a gritty and moving follow-up to her 2008 debut, Dear Toni…. Sand-Eveland doesn’t shy away from the reality of life on the streets….” – Quill & Quire

JoJo the Giant
By Jane Barclay
Illustrated by Esperança Melo
Hardcover | 32 pages | Ages 4-7
ISBN: 978-0-88776-976-4
Jane Barclay’s heartwarming story explores a theme that speaks to every child. Esperança Melo’s wonderful art complements the text to create a charming book that’s bound to become a favorite.

“…Jane Barclay’s charming new picture book is a kindly story about frustration, determination, and a loving bond between mother and son…. Illustrator Esperança Melo … uses a rich, glowing palate of vivid reds, blues, and ochres to reinforce the text’s feeling of familial warmth and JoJo’s brave spirit…. The story ends with a sweet surprise, and JoJo feeling 10 feet tall.” – Quill & Quire

Pub Date Giveaway: Tell us which new release you would love to read in the comments below and one lucky reader will receive their requested book!

One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, January 12, 2012!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Melinda P! A copy of JoJo the Giant will be sent to you!

PS: Our next Pub Date Giveaway will be on February 14, 2012.

However, before you watch the movie, why not read about the Boy Sherlock Holmes first?

Eye of the Crow
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 1st Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-850-7 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-88776-919-1 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-77049-078-9 (eBook)

“…Shane Peacock has created a cleverly inventive background story for Sherlock Holmes that explains the adult character’s reluctance to talk about his family life. He’s also managed to create a thrilling, impeccably paced murder mystery. Peacock reveals the budding detective’s very real fears and insecurities, providing just enough detail about the young Sherlock’s methods to make him an entirely believable teenage precursor to the master detective. ” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire

“The details of the plot are plausible, the pacing well timed, and the historical setting vividly depicted… the characters enrich the book and help give Holmes’s storied abilities credence.” – Starred review, School Library Journal

“…the first intriguing volume in an ambitious new series…. Creative references to Doyle’s characters abound…and Sherlock himself is cleverly interpreted….[made] both fascinating and complex….plenty of readers will like the smart, young detective they find here, and find themselves irresistibly drawn into his thrilling adventures.” – Starred review, Booklist

Death in the Air
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 2nd Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-851-4 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-88776-928-3 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-77049-080-2 (eBook)

“In the first novel, we see many of the characteristics of the adult detective being formed through his first exciting adventure. In Death in the Air, this development continues and we get to know young Sherlock even better….This novel is written for the young adult, but adult readers will also find it satisfying. Peacock places demand on the reader, expecting intelligence and curiosity. The fast-paced adventure is a treat.” – The Globe and Mail

Vanishing Girl
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 3rd Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-852-1 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-77049-234-9 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-77049-081-9 (eBook)

“The first two books in this splendid series have won a shelf-full of awards. Peacock’s adolescent Sherlock is complex, intuitive and fascinating. As much as a Bildungsroman as a detective yarn, Sherlock tracks down an aristocratic young woman gone missing twice, driven by passion and pride, in the belief this may be the case that will make his reputation.” – The National Post

The Secret Fiend
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 4th Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-0-88776-853-8 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-77049-213-4 (eBook)

“…Peacock has added another brilliant installation to an already amazing series. Sherlock is beautifully drawn, true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and infused with the freshness of a youthful perspective. It is a delight to watch as the young detective develops, and it is a thrill to see how the various elements of his adult persona come together. This book is more than an origin story of the famous detective…. The mystery has a solid, fast-paced plot; the characters are carefully constructed and fully fleshed out with dynamic, complex relationships; Victorian England itself is a character, and Peacock does a wonderful job of describing the streets, the political unrest and the changing modes that mark the era. This is a truly wonderful book and belongs in any library.” – VOYA

The Dragon Turn
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His 5th Case
Written by Shane Peacock
ISBN 978-1-77049-231-8 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-77049-273-8 (eBook)

Summer 1869, and Sherlock Holmes and his friend Irene celebrate her sixteenth birthday by attending the theater to watch a celebrated magician make a real dragon appear on stage. It is the London sensation. Sherlock and Irene meet the magician, Alistair Hemsworth – just as he is arrested for the murder of his rival, The Wizard of Nottingham. Is Hemsworth guilty? Sherlock has his doubts, and soon, so does the reader.

GIVEAWAY CONTEST!
Win a set of the Boy Sherlock Holmes in hardcover! We’ll throw in a lovely green book bag for you to carry the series in! That’s not all, we’ll even send you the books that are available in paperback so that you can give them to a friend (it’s almost gift-giving season). Review our contest rules here and leave a comment below responding to this question:

It has been said that Sherlock Holmes was the first superhero. Do you agree? (You can compare him to other superheroes in comic books, movies, graphic novels, etc.)

We’ll pick a winner and announce it here on December 8, 2011.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sean Pynaert!

Cube Book
Six Board Books | Ages 4-7
ISBN 978-1-77049-325-4
The six board books are die cut puzzle shapes that fit together to form a sturdy, decorative cube. The books also fit together to form a flat panel montage of the creatures in their environments. A total of thirty-six beautiful portraits from the giant panda to the colorful clown fish take us to the rain forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, oceans, and polar regions of the planet.

Hockey 123: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-320-9
US ISBN 978-1-77049-347-6
Sticks, nets, pucks, and players — all are here and waiting to be counted! In Hockey 123: My First NHL® Book, children will discover numbers and be introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey ABC: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-319-3
US ISBN 978-1-77049-346-9
A is for arena, B is for banner, and C is for Captain Sidney Crosby. In Hockey ABC: My First NHL® Book, children will discover the alphabet while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Animals: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-317-9
US ISBN 978-1-77049-344-5
A shark, a panther, a whale, a bear – and even a saber-tooth tiger! In Hockey Animals: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a variety of amazing animals while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Colours: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-322-3
US ISBN 978-1-77049-349-0 (spelled Hockey Colors)
Blue and red jerseys, the silver Stanley Cup®, and tasty pink cotton candy! In Hockey Colours: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a rainbow of shades while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Opposites: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-318-6
US ISBN 978-1-77049-345-2
Big and small, left and right, over and under, long and short! In Hockey Opposites: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a diverse range of opposites while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Hockey Shapes: My First NHL® Book
By Christopher Jordan
Board Book | Ages 2-4
CAN ISBN 978-1-77049-321-6
US ISBN 978-1-77049-348-3
A puck is a circle, a scoreboard a square, a goalie mask an oval. In Hockey Shapes: My First NHL® Book, children will discover a full range of shapes while being introduced to hockey in a fun and memorable way.

Puckster’s First Hockey Sweater
By Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Illustrated by Kelly Findley
Paperback | Ages 4-8
ISBN 978-1-77049-315-5
Introducing Puckster, Hockey Canada’s lovable new mascot and hero! There are hundreds of young children enrolled in organized hockey associations all across Canada and the United States, and nothing more exciting for these kids than getting that first hockey sweater.

Puckster’s First Hockey Game
By Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Illustrated by Kelly Findley
Paperback | Ages 4-8
ISBN 978-1-77049-316-2
Puckster and his friends now have team sweaters and are going to play their first hockey game! With loads of exciting hockey actions, great illustrations, and an entertaining story, young hockey fans everywhere will love to read – or be read – Puckster’s hockey adventures again and again.

Pub Date Giveaway: Tell us which new releases you would love to read in the comments below and one lucky reader will receive their requested books!

My First NHL® Book series count as 1 entry (6 books in total), the Puckster series count as 1 entry (2 books in total). To clarify, you will be entering to win: Cube Book, My First NHL® Book, or Puckster. For the NHL® Books, please let us know if you want the CAN or US editions.

One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, November 24, 2011!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Darlene! As requested, you will be getting the Cube Book. Please check your inbox for an e-mail from us. =) Thank you to everyone who entered, our next PubDate Giveaway will be on January 10, 2012.

A few shelves were cleared to display the original illustrations at Bethany Hegedus‘s beautiful Writing Barn.

Check out the dessert table: candied apples, pumpkin cupcakes, and s’mores whoopie pies! Yes, there were some regular food too… but just look at those sweets!

Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson busy signing books.

They also had posters, stickers, coloring pages, bookmarks, and horse sticks for kids to take home.

What beautiful weather! We find that one colors best when there are horses milling around. For a print-out of the coloring page, please click here.

Minis and Friends, a charitable organization that trains minis to be therapy animals and takes them to visit with special needs people, brought in the miniature horses.

For more information about the book launch, please visit Shelley Ann Jackson and Jeff Crosby‘s blogs! Or, read an interview between the creators and Donna Bowman Bratton.

Along the stage, the original artwork by Peter Etril Snyder was on display.

Words Worth Books was on hand to help! Thank you so much for your constant support of our local authors and illustrators!

Nan Forler had activity stations for all the kids that attended. Here, you could make your own quilt square.

Amish paper dolls and Mennonite colouring sheets.

Perhaps the favourite among all the guests, the whoopie pie station! You could fill it with frosting and dip the edges with sprinkles. To find out how to make your own, click here.

Nan Forler did a reading from the book – with the help of her family!

Just look at all the guests that came out to support Nan and Peter! For more photos from this book launch, please click here.

Nini
By François Thisdale
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-270-7
This exceptional book about adoption is a comforting story for children and families who have experienced it first-hand, a tribute to the author’s own adopted child, and a very heartfelt thank-you for the gift of family.

Emma’s Story
By Deborah Hodge
Illustrated by Song Nan Zhang
Hardcover | 24 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-0-88776-632-9
In gentle text, Deborah Hodge tells the story of one small girl’s adoption: the hopes and prayers of her Canadian parents, their trip to the other side of the world, their meeting with the new baby, and the very long ride home to the new family waiting for Emma.

Anne of Green Gables
By L.M. Montgomery
Illustrated by Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson
Introduction by Kate Butler MacDonald
Hardcover | 328 Pages | All Ages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-515-5
Anne (with an ‘e’ of course) starts out as a mistake. The elderly Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert had planned on adopting a boy to help Matthew with the chores on their Prince Edward Island farm. What are they to do with the red-haired, high-spirited girl who arrives instead?

A Home for Foundlings
By Marthe Jocelyn
Trade Paperback | 120 Pages | All Ages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-709-8
Thousands of mothers carried their babies to the gates of the Foundling Hospital desperate to save them from the cruel streets of eighteenth-century London. Each baby was left with a personal “token” – identification if a repentant mother ever returned to reclaim her child.

Folly
By Marthe Jocelyn
Hardcover | 256 Pages | Ages 12+
ISBN: 978-0-88776-929-0
eBook: 978-1-77049-212-7
Set in the late 1800′s, Marthe Jocelyn’s stunning new novel is told in the voices of four people whose lives and destinies intertwine. There’s Mary, who begins “exceeding ignorant” (apart from what a girl can learn from family mayhem, a dead mother, and a grim stepmother) and winds up encountering lust and betrayal when she becomes a servant in a fine house in London. Mary’s nemesis is another maid in the household, Eliza. Eliza also knows lust and betrayal, but she doesn’t know who is betraying who.

Raspberry House Blues
By Linda Holeman
Trade Paperback | 248 Pages | Ages 11-14
ISBN: 978-0-88776-493-6
Poppy is on an odyssey. Her adoptive mother has taken off to find herself, so Poppy decides to live with her adoptive father, his new wife, Calypso, and their toddler, Sandeep, in a ramshackle rasp-berry-colored house. At first Poppy is distressed by the disordered household, which is unlike anything she has ever known, but soon it becomes a jumping-off point for her search for her birth mother.

Promise Song
By Linda Holeman
Trade Paperback | 264 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-387-8
The year is 1900 and orphaned 14-year-old Rosetta and her beloved younger sister Flora sail from England as “home girls.” They are sent to Canada so that they can have a chance at family life. Their dreams are shattered when Flora is adopted, but Rosetta is deemed to be too old. She is to become a farm worker, far from Flora’s new home.

Tundra is happy to announce that From Then to Now by Christopher Moore is the winner of the 2011 Governor General’s Literary Award in Children’s Literature – Text.

Congratulations to Christopher Moore!

From Then to Now
A Short History of the World
Written by Christopher Moore
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski
Hardcover | 192 Pages
Ages 10+
ISBN 978-0-88776-540-7
“From Then to Now: A Short History of the World, by Christopher Moore, is a fascinating examination of the evolution of human civilization that is global in its span and inclusive in its outlook. The energetic narrative tells a story that rivals the very best fiction.” – Canada Council for the Arts

Gunner: Hurricane Horse
By Judy Andrekson
illustrated by David Parkins
Trade Paperback | 104 Pages
Ages 8-11
ISBN: 978-0-88776-905-4
eBook: 978-1-77049-227-1
“…an emotional true story which educates readers about horses and reminds readers to be resilient during periods of hardship. Telling black and white illustrations decorate chapter headings, and a striking cover complements this well researched story. This newest book in the “True Horse Stories” series is a quick read and contains more humor than the first five books in the series. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to a girl or a boy who is looking for the latest book about horses….” – Recommended, CM Magazine

Merci Mr. Dash!
By Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Esperança Melo
Hardcover | 32 Pages
Ages 3-6
ISBN: 978-0-88776-964-1
“…Brightly colored acrylic paintings show Mr. Dash at his best…. Generously sprinkled with easily understood French phrases, this well-paced portrait of patience and toleration ends with a satisfying nap by the fire and the promise of a quiet, Daphne-free day. Children will empathize with Daphne and Mr. Dash and perhaps gain an understanding of both positions. A good choice to generate discussion, this will appeal to energetic youngsters and dog lovers alike.” – Kirkus Reviews

A Night on the Town
By Caroline Merola
Hardcover | 32 Pages
Ages 3-6
ISBN: 978-1-77049-200-4
“… Caroline Merola’s bold illustrations saturate every page with colour and create a rich, expressive backdrop to the story. The narrative flows naturally, with light, playful dialogue and a lively pace that will make reading aloud a pleasure. Pickles McPhee and Martha made loveable, spirited heroines…. A Night on the Town is a good-natured, charmingly illustrated book – just the ticket for a vicarious nighttime romp.” – Quill & Quire

It’s Not about the Apple!
By Veronika Martenova Charles
Illustrated by David Parkins
Trade Paperback | 64 Pages
Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-0-88776-955-9
eBook: 978-1-77049-215-8
“I really loved this book! It captures the story of Snow White from four different cultural perspectives, and each one pulled me away from the Walt Disney version in a delightful way … to read this text and experience Snow White from different cultural perspectives was completely refreshing…. The theme of this classic fairy tale remains the same, but the uniqueness presented from each culture adds great flavour to the original….” – Highly Recommended, CM Magazine

The other books on this year’s list are:

• Not a Baby Anymore
• Le meilleur endroit
• The Loud Book
• Kiss Me (I’m a Prince)
• Savais-tu? Les corneilles!
• Magalie Lance et compte

Congratulations to all!