News About the Books and Me
Dragon Seer
Dragon Seer has been shortlisted for two Canadian
Library Association book awards: the CLA Young Adult Book Award, and
CLA Book of the Year. Only three titles made both lists (one by my good
friend Arthur Slade. Go Art!)
For more details about this new book, visit my Dragon Seer page.
What I'm doing now
I've finished the first draft of the sequel to Dragon Seer, which is called Dragon Keepers
and is set in present-day St. John's, Newfoundland, where I live. Much
of the action in this book takes place in my own neighbourhood. I've had fun writing it, and I'm pleased with the draft.
Coming Visits
I will be visiting schools on the Avalon this
spring, in Victoria, St. Brides, Ferryland, St. John's, Blaketown and
St. Mary's. I'm looking forward to the visits especially now that the
snow is off the roads.
Other News
This summer, I'm teaching a graduate course in
Literacy Education for Mount Saint Vincent University. Although Mount
Saint Vincent is located in Nova Scotia, the course is offered in St.
John's, Newfoundland, where I live.
I'm extremely excited because I only have the chance to teach
creative writing to a group over a period of time once every few years.
I'm also thrilled to be able to explore new neuroscience
discoveries about the brain and now it learns. This course will be
intense, but I also want it to be lots of fun.
Raintree Rebellion won the 2007-2008 Bruneau Family Children's Literature/Young Adult Book
Award. This is the provincial book award for children's book in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is what the jury of the award had to say about the book:
"Janet McNaughton’s The Raintree
Rebellion is a sophisticated, moving exploration of the nature of conflict
and reconciliation. Through her engaging protagonist, Blake Raintree, and a
memorable supporting cast, McNaughton tackles serious subject matter in a
fearless, vivid manner. As usual, her attention to detail is admirable: her
future world is meticulously created and believable. The writing is also
excellent: always rhythmic and precise, the pace and suspense always perfectly
sustained. But it is the characters and subject matter that make this book so
successful. McNaughton believes that young people care about their world, and
are more than willing to face its most difficult problems. In dealing with the
controversial topic of reconciliation, she treats young readers with the utmost
respect and asks them to think seriously about what makes us truly human. The
fact that she accomplishes this in such an engrossing, vivid story shows what a
fine writer she really is. Ambitious in its scope and professionally executed,
The Raintree Rebellion highlights the talents of a master
storyteller."
I was deeply honoured.
Raintree Rebellion was also shortlisted for the Ann Connor Brimer Awards, one of the Atlantic Book Awards and the Red
Maple Award
which is part of the Ontario Library Association's "Forest of Reading"
program. This book was selected as well by Indigo's
Junior Advisory Board member Bobby Hanson as his pick for summer
reading. Bobby asked very intelligent questions when he interviewed me.
To see what he had to say about the book and read the interview, visit
the Chapters/Indigo
page for Raintree Rebellion. This link will take you out of
my site.
To Dance at the Palais Royale is
now, finally, being published by my own publisher again.
The HarperCollins edition has a lovely cover and
format.
Brave
Jack and the Unicorn won the 2004-2005 Newfoundland and Labrador book award, the
Bruneau Family Children's Literature Award. This award is presented
every other year for the best children's book written by a resident of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
An Earthly Knight
was named Honour Book for the first ever Stellar Book Awards
by high school students in British Columbia. The
shortlist for this award is developed by committees of teens working
all over the province, so even to be chosen for the shortlist is an
honour. The winner of the first Stellar Book Award was Theories of Relativity by my very dear friend, Babara Haworth-Attard.
Earthly
Knight was also the 2003-2004 winner of the Bruneau Family
Children's Literature
Award, presented by the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador.
This book is set in 12th century Scotland and has elements of fantasy.
To find out more, click on the title. An Earthly Knight
was included on
the American Library Association's list, Best Books for Young Adults,
2004.
Catch Me
Once, Catch Me Twice has updated pages,
including a teachers' resource page. HarperCollins
Canada released a new mass market paperback edition in June of 2003.
Secret Under My Skin
has been translated in French for the Quebec
market by Editions
Pierre Tissyre under the title Le Secret sous ma peau. Secret
Under My Skin was also named as an honor book for
the Green
Earth Book Award. This book won four awards when it was first published in Canada.
On
Line Articles and Interviews
When Secret Under My Skin was published, Quill and Quire magazine commissioned Newfoundland journalist Kathryn Welbourn to write this profile "The Secret Under Her Skin" which appeared in the October 2000 edition. Quill and Quire is the Canadian book trade magazine.
To
read a longer interview, visit
CM Magazine this is an on-line magazine about Canadian
children's literature. It also has many author profiles.
To
hear me read from The Secret Under My
Skin and listen to a discussion about the book,
visit the Alder Institutes's archive of recordings from the radio
program "Open Air." Go to the Open Air Program
Archive and page down to Episode 39, December 21, 2000, or
search the page for Janet McNaughton. You will need a Real Audio player
to listen. This is a long interview.
More
Information
If
you need information for a school project, go to my biographical fact sheet