Shout out to Van Tech

Had another great visit with the kids at Vancouver Technical Secondary School today -- great to see the school again (third year in a row!). Many thanks to librarian Margaret O'Brien for the invitation.



A few other tabs to close here....

Came across THIS SITE the other day from a link on twitter... enjoyed looking at the fruits of the labours of photographers who managed to get what I so often missed -- shots taken at JUST the right time.

A couple of writerly things coming up soonishly...

From Judith Saltman via Norma Charles, a free event this week...And please note the reference to Serendipity, another annual spring event, also coming up soon. It's a two-for-one announcement!

The Master of Arts in Children's Literature Program Presents
Perry Nodelman and Geoff Williams

"A Conversation on the Poetics and Aesthetics of Picture Books"

Thursday Feb 26, 2009
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

The Dodson Room, Room 302, Level 3, Chapman Learning Commons,
Ike Barber Learning Centre
(Formerly UBC's Main Library-Entrance 1961 East Mall)

Reception following, 6:30-7:30 pm
School of Library, Archival & Information Studies Lounge
Suite 470, Level 4, Ike Barber Learning Centre

Perry Nodelman is Professor Emeritus, University of Winnipeg, and internationally respected children's literature critic. He is the author of Words about Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children's Picture Books (U of Georgia P), The Pleasures of Children's Literature (with Mavis Reimer, Allyn & Bacon), and The Hidden Adult: Defining Children's Literature (Johns Hopkins). He is also editor of the journal, Canadian Children's Literature. His children's books include Not A Nickel to Spare: The Great Depression Diary of Sally Cohen, Toronto 1932 (Scholastic).

Geoff Williams is widely known for his work on semiotic approaches to language and illustration. He is Professor and Head of Language and Literacy Education in the Faculty of Education at UBC. He is the co-editor with Annabelle Lukin of The Development of Language (Continuum).

Perry Nodelman is also speaking at Serendipity, the annual one day conference presented by the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable, on Saturday, February 28th, 2009.

~kc

Van Tech Shout Out

Tonight I'm sending out a big thank you to Vancouver Tech Secondary School for hosting my visit there yesterday. I got to speak with around 60 Grade 8's, and a better audience I could not have asked for. This is the second time I've had a chance to talk to a group at Van Tech for Literacy Week, and special thanks go out to librarian Margaret O'Brien for her (somewhat hoarse, but nonetheless warm) welcome. Best wishes to Margaret and n for a speedy recovery from laryngitis!

The school is home to around 1700 students and is currently undergoing a seismic upgrade. Last year the library was displaced to a tiny, dark cave. But Margaret and her crew are back in the large space again, with all the stacks safely strutted into place, and I had a fine time regaling the group with the mystery and mayhem of the 14th century.

Tomorrow I am off to St. George's School in Vancouver -- a busy week for presentations.

And finally, in a sad note for the DogBlog -- a friend of mine lost her beloved dachshund Gus this week, to kidney failure. Gus was a digger and

a snuffler and as well-loved a family member as any canine could hope to be. So this picture of a joyful Silas is for Diana and Sam and the rest of their family, in memory of their beloved Gus.

~kc