Philippa Dowding's Blog - Posts Tagged "loss"
Thanks Middle Shelf Magazine!
So honoured that my new middle grade novel, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, has been selected by Middle Shelf Magazine, as a "Cool Read for Cool Kids."
This magazine is published by the Shelf Unbound folks in the U.S., and is currently offering a free subscription to all who wants one!
Here's the link to the Jan/Feb. issue, you'll find the excerpt on p. 23: http://issuu.com/shelfunbound/docs/mi...
Some great books there, go check it out. Thanks Middle Shelf!
This magazine is published by the Shelf Unbound folks in the U.S., and is currently offering a free subscription to all who wants one!
Here's the link to the Jan/Feb. issue, you'll find the excerpt on p. 23: http://issuu.com/shelfunbound/docs/mi...
Some great books there, go check it out. Thanks Middle Shelf!
The perfect summer YA read
It's the last day of school today! Long live library cards, soccer camp, and stolen nights under the covers with a flashlight and a book.
My new middle grade novel was written for the heart of summer. The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden was inspired by my childhood dreams of flight, my endless hours reading every summer as a kid beside a lake (we didn't own a cottage, we borrowed them), and watching my own daughter transform one summer, from a 12-year old to a new freshly-minted and slightly unknowable thing called a teen.
Here's more about the book: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2014/06/...
You'll also find some great reviews here, on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
As Stuart Little so wisely said, "Remember your summers, sweethearts."
My new middle grade novel was written for the heart of summer. The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden was inspired by my childhood dreams of flight, my endless hours reading every summer as a kid beside a lake (we didn't own a cottage, we borrowed them), and watching my own daughter transform one summer, from a 12-year old to a new freshly-minted and slightly unknowable thing called a teen.
Here's more about the book: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2014/06/...
You'll also find some great reviews here, on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
As Stuart Little so wisely said, "Remember your summers, sweethearts."
A tribute to Bad Aunties everywhere
We all have one, that favourite Aunt who happily breaks the rules for us, and goes along with our crazy, childhood schemes, most of the time behind our parent's backs.
Hey, what are Aunts for?
Recently, our family lost a wonderful Aunt. So here, as a tribute to naughtiness-inducing, scheme-loving Aunts everywhere, is a poem I wrote her many years ago:
My Bad Auntie
My favourite aunt is very bad!
We creep downstairs so Mom and Dad,
Won’t see us sneak cookies and cake,
Or march the dog around on skates.
We dance the hoola in our socks,
We spin tall glasses and change the clocks.
My auntie likes to startle crows,
And make a mess wherever she goes.
She plays the drums in a rock’n’roll band,
And chases donkeys along the sand,
She’s a go-cart fiend and always wins,
She plays in leaves, and spins (and spins).
My auntie blows bubbles in shapes like cats,
And bowling balls and baseball bats.
When she’s a magician I never know,
How she does it, or where she goes.
My auntie plays the flute sometimes,
And writes me poems (they always rhyme).
She climbs the trees, hangs upside down,
And chases dogs ‘round and ‘round.
We go to plays and symphonies,
And both try hard not to sneeze.
At the county fair she swan dives,
From the tippy-top of the scariest ride!
At the swimming pool, she’s a shark,
And a dinosaur at the park.
When we walk by she always stops,
For rainbow fudge at the ice cream shop.
When she’s tired she cuddles with ted,
And falls asleep in my bed.
If I asked right then I think she could,
Change for me, from bad … to good!
Here's a longer blog post about this amazing Auntie: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2016/11/...
Hey, what are Aunts for?
Recently, our family lost a wonderful Aunt. So here, as a tribute to naughtiness-inducing, scheme-loving Aunts everywhere, is a poem I wrote her many years ago:
My Bad Auntie
My favourite aunt is very bad!
We creep downstairs so Mom and Dad,
Won’t see us sneak cookies and cake,
Or march the dog around on skates.
We dance the hoola in our socks,
We spin tall glasses and change the clocks.
My auntie likes to startle crows,
And make a mess wherever she goes.
She plays the drums in a rock’n’roll band,
And chases donkeys along the sand,
She’s a go-cart fiend and always wins,
She plays in leaves, and spins (and spins).
My auntie blows bubbles in shapes like cats,
And bowling balls and baseball bats.
When she’s a magician I never know,
How she does it, or where she goes.
My auntie plays the flute sometimes,
And writes me poems (they always rhyme).
She climbs the trees, hangs upside down,
And chases dogs ‘round and ‘round.
We go to plays and symphonies,
And both try hard not to sneeze.
At the county fair she swan dives,
From the tippy-top of the scariest ride!
At the swimming pool, she’s a shark,
And a dinosaur at the park.
When we walk by she always stops,
For rainbow fudge at the ice cream shop.
When she’s tired she cuddles with ted,
And falls asleep in my bed.
If I asked right then I think she could,
Change for me, from bad … to good!
Here's a longer blog post about this amazing Auntie: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2016/11/...
FREE Classroom Activity Guide for Everton Miles is Stranger than Me
Teachers & librarians! There's a wonderful new classroom activity guide for my newest book, Everton Miles is Stranger than Me. It also happens to be free, courtesy of publisher, Dundurn Press. This book is the sequel to The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden, which was shortlisted for the OLA Red Maple award in 2015.
A few of the guide questions ...
Pick a Friend for the End of the World: what qualities would you want in a friend to the end?
My Therapist is Killing Me: make a list of 3 things you'd talk to a therapist or counsellor about, then 3 things you'd NEVER discuss. What would it take to talk about the second list with someone?
Draw like a 15th Century Visionary (or just draw something): The Night Flyer's Handbook is in part illustrated by an (imaginary) 15th century artist named "T. Bosch." Pick an illustration as described in the book, and draw!
Take a look at the free activity guide now: https://www.dundurn.com/sites/default...
Themes: family, isolation, grief, loss, friendship, community, high school, fitting in, bullying, therapy, brothers and sisters
Here's a longer blog post about the guide: http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2016/12/...
