Books

Sophia Benzai keeps three plates spinning as a volunteer assistant to magician Leif David during his Unplug and Play week performance hosted by the Literacy Alliance of the Shuswap Society at the Salmar Grand on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022. (Lachlan Labere-Salmon Arm Observer)

Mirth and misdirection: Salmon Arm audience enjoys magical start to Unplug and Play week

Free events scheduled throughout North Okanagan-Shuswap for Family Literacy Week

 

There is no shortage of reading material as traditional publishers, small publishing houses, self-publishing and other options allow authors to express their views. (File Photo)

COLUMN: The freedom to make one’s voice heard

Plenty of options mean unpopular views need not be silenced

 

William Shakespeare’s First Folio, published in 1623, acquired by UBC Library. (UBC handout photo)

UBC Library gifted Shakespeare’s 1623 First Folio

The first folio, published in 1623, features 36 of 38 known Shakespeare plays

 

This group of CP Rail passengers helped remove rock from the tracks on Oct. 29, 1978. This photo, along with many other recently digitized photos, can be found in former CP conductor John Cowan’s new book. He hopes the book will help him reconnect with those helpful passengers that day. (John Cowan photo)

Former CP conductor on the hunt for helpful strangers in 70s photo

John Cowan is looking for the group of strangers who helped clear the tracks east of Golden in 1978

This group of CP Rail passengers helped remove rock from the tracks on Oct. 29, 1978. This photo, along with many other recently digitized photos, can be found in former CP conductor John Cowan’s new book. He hopes the book will help him reconnect with those helpful passengers that day. (John Cowan photo)
National and international bestselling author Gail Anderson-Dargatz, pictured here at Salmon Arm Bay with the wharf behind her, has been nominated for a children’s literature prize for her book, The Ride Home. (Mitch Krupp photo)

Renowned Shuswap author nominated for B.C./Yukon children’s literature prize

Gail Anderson-Dargatz nominated for The Ride Home weeks after releasing thriller, The Almost Wife

National and international bestselling author Gail Anderson-Dargatz, pictured here at Salmon Arm Bay with the wharf behind her, has been nominated for a children’s literature prize for her book, The Ride Home. (Mitch Krupp photo)
Pamela Reesor with her book.

‘Lisa’s World’: Years in the making a Kelowna woman publishes children’s book

Pamela Reesor wrote the book when she was 19 years old while living in East Africa

Pamela Reesor with her book.
Students at Quigley Elementary will have access to the school’s library over the summer. (Contributed)

Kelowna elementary school library stays open to combat the ‘summer slide’

Quigley Elementary’s library will be open once weekly to keep them reading over the holidays

Students at Quigley Elementary will have access to the school’s library over the summer. (Contributed)
Johnny Cash, June Carter and others pictured on a page from “Memories From the Mountain,” a new book that documents the history of Merritt Mountain Music Festival in photographs by Surrey’s Dee Lippingwell. (Photos: Dee Lippingwell)

Merritt country music festival’s ‘crazy-ass scene’ recalled in photographer’s new book

Campground C party zone and more remembered in Dee Lippingwell’s third book

Johnny Cash, June Carter and others pictured on a page from “Memories From the Mountain,” a new book that documents the history of Merritt Mountain Music Festival in photographs by Surrey’s Dee Lippingwell. (Photos: Dee Lippingwell)
Nanaimo children’s book author and illustrator Lindsay Ford’s latest book, ‘Candy Bar War,’ recounts the time children protested the rising price of chocolate. A mural commemorating the protest is on display in Chemainus. (Photo courtesy Joseph Lyons)

Author tells true story of the B.C. kids’ post-war candy protest that swept the country

‘Candy Bar War’ tells the tale of when chocolate jumped from 5 to 8 cents and the kids didn’t take it

Nanaimo children’s book author and illustrator Lindsay Ford’s latest book, ‘Candy Bar War,’ recounts the time children protested the rising price of chocolate. A mural commemorating the protest is on display in Chemainus. (Photo courtesy Joseph Lyons)
Eleonore Alamillo-Laberge, 6, reads a book in Ottawa on Monday, June 12, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Parents will need to fight ‘COVID learning slump’ over summer: B.C. literacy experts

Parents who play an active role in educating their children this summer can reverse the slump by nearly 80%, says Janet Mort

Eleonore Alamillo-Laberge, 6, reads a book in Ottawa on Monday, June 12, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Author Lauri Wiberg and artists Nancy Vince have collaborated on not one, but two children's books under the title A Whimsical Journey. (Contributed)

Whimsical journey creates lasting North Okanagan friendship

Lasting friendship born out of children’s book collaboration

Author Lauri Wiberg and artists Nancy Vince have collaborated on not one, but two children's books under the title A Whimsical Journey. (Contributed)
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019 file photo, Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex launches the Smart Works capsule collection at John Lewis in Oxford Street. (Mark Large/Pool via AP, File)

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to release 1st children’s book

Meghan and Harry are expecting their second child, a girl, later this year

FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019 file photo, Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex launches the Smart Works capsule collection at John Lewis in Oxford Street. (Mark Large/Pool via AP, File)
The Gruffalo is a favourite story of many, including Sydnie Bayfor, who is looking forward to the story-window walk in downtown Vernon May 7-15, put on by the Literacy Society of North Okanagan. (Contributed)

Gruffalo comes to downtown Vernon

Story-Window Walk opens chapter two with latest book

The Gruffalo is a favourite story of many, including Sydnie Bayfor, who is looking forward to the story-window walk in downtown Vernon May 7-15, put on by the Literacy Society of North Okanagan. (Contributed)
The author of the Captain Underpants books is working to withdraw one of the children’s books from the shelves and from school libraries. (DreamWorks Animation)

COLUMN: Underpants and a time for a change

An author has chosen to withdraw one of his children’s books from further publication

The author of the Captain Underpants books is working to withdraw one of the children’s books from the shelves and from school libraries. (DreamWorks Animation)
A 107-year-old baby photo was found in the pages of a book borrowed from the Vernon branch of the Okanagan Regional Library March 17, 2021. (Facebook photo)

Century-old baby photo found in borrowed Vernon library book

The Okanagan Regional Library is hoping to return the photo to its owner

A 107-year-old baby photo was found in the pages of a book borrowed from the Vernon branch of the Okanagan Regional Library March 17, 2021. (Facebook photo)
A copy of the book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” by Dr. Seuss, rests in a chair, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Walpole, Mass. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business that preserves and protects the author and illustrator’s legacy, announced on his birthday, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, that it would cease publication of several children’s titles including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo,” because of insensitive and racist imagery. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

6 Dr. Seuss books won’t be published for racist images

Books affected include McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super! and The Cat’s Quizzer

A copy of the book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” by Dr. Seuss, rests in a chair, Monday, March 1, 2021, in Walpole, Mass. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business that preserves and protects the author and illustrator’s legacy, announced on his birthday, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, that it would cease publication of several children’s titles including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo,” because of insensitive and racist imagery. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Nanaimo children’s author and illustrator Lindsay Ford’s latest book is ‘Science Girl.’ (Photo courtesy Lindsay Ford)

B.C. children’s writer encourages girls to pursue the sciences in new book

Lindsay Ford is holding a virtual launch for latest book, ‘Science Girl’

Nanaimo children’s author and illustrator Lindsay Ford’s latest book is ‘Science Girl.’ (Photo courtesy Lindsay Ford)
Vernon author Robert J. Stampe has released his debut novel, The Port, which weaves together memories of the author’s life in Manitoba and a chilling murder-mystery plot. (Contributed)

Vernon author’s debut novel spins memories of Manitoba into murder mystery

Bob Stampe’s novel, The Port, is available at local bookstores and online

Vernon author Robert J. Stampe has released his debut novel, The Port, which weaves together memories of the author’s life in Manitoba and a chilling murder-mystery plot. (Contributed)
The En’owkin Centre, Theytus books and the Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) have announced the publication of four new children’s books entitled Follow the Water. (Theytus.com)

New Syilx children’s books teach kids about the eco-system

‘Follow the Water’ will be used to teach students in Kindergarten to Grade 5

The En’owkin Centre, Theytus books and the Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) have announced the publication of four new children’s books entitled Follow the Water. (Theytus.com)
Family Literacy Week is being celebrated in downtown Vernon with the first ever Story-Window Walk Jan. 21-31. (Literacy Society of North Okanagan)

Catch a Yeti in the North Okanagan

Literacy Week celebrated with first ever Story-Window Walk

Family Literacy Week is being celebrated in downtown Vernon with the first ever Story-Window Walk Jan. 21-31. (Literacy Society of North Okanagan)