Happy Hanukkah!

This weekend marks the beginning of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. To everyone who is celebrating, I send warm wishes for a Happy Hanukkah!

Thank you, Booklist!

I was happy to read a recent review of my new book, Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport. Thank you, Booklist! (This is the review publication of the American Library Association.)

If you'd like to read the review, please go here.

Cheers!

Thank you!

Authors, Irene N. Watts and Glen Huser

Me with author, Ellen Schwartz

Thank you to everyone who came to my book launch at the Jewish Book Festival on Sunday!

It was wonderful to be in the company of so many friends, colleagues and family members. It was also great to meet new people who came because they were attending the festival or visiting the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.

Thank you especially to my friend and writing colleague, Irene N. Watts, for reading her preface to my book. It was a highlight of the day!

Here are some photos taken at the event by author and pal, Linda Bailey.

Cheers!

Sheila Barry & Groundwood Books

Congratulations to Sheila Barry who is about take the reins as full publisher at Groundwood Books! Sheila was my long-time editor at another publishing house and I know she is perfect for the publisher role.

She and Patsy Aldana have been co-publishers at Groundwood this past year, and Patsy (who established Groundwood and had a long tenure there) is retiring to focus on other literary endeavours.

I think it is wonderful for both of them! To read more about this news, you can go here.

On another note, it is the weekend of my book launch at the Jewish Book Festival. Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1pm at the Jewish Community Centre. I'll be talking about Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport. Love to see you there!

Cheers!

Governor General's Awards

Congratulations to the winners and nominees of the 2012 Governor General's Awards for Literature! What a well-deserved honour for all of you!

You can read all about the books and categories here.

Well done, Canadian writers and illustrators! We are proud of you!

Book Launch! You're Invited!

I am pleased to announce that the Jewish Book Festival in Vancouver has invited me to be part of their program this year. I will be speaking about my new book: Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport. 

If you are in the area and would like to attend, I'd love to see you! Consider yourself officially invited.

The book launch is at the Jewish Community Centre at Oak and 41st on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1 pm.

For more about the festival, go here and for more about my event, please go here or see the flyer below.

Hope you can make it!

New York, New Jersey

I've been so sorry to hear all the post-storm news from New York and New Jersey. What a terrible time the residents are having. Still no power for millions of people, others with homes lost, and many with no food, water or gasoline. I am thinking about all of you east-coasters and hoping for a speedy and safe recovery.

Today, I received a personal phone call from the New York Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. I had pre-purchased tickets to visit the museum on my research trip to NYC. The young staffer from the museum told me they were refunding the tickets because the power was still out on the Lower East Side and the museum couldn't open. She hoped I was safe and dry.

I asked her if the museum had been flooded, and she reported it hadn't. She asked me to please visit on my next trip to NYC. I promised I would.

Take care, East Coast folks. Thank you for your call.