She's here! Our long awaited foal, Conbrio, arrived June 26, 2008 at 5:15pm. Bonny and baby are doing well...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Dark Creek Conbrio
She's here! Our long awaited foal, Conbrio, arrived June 26, 2008 at 5:15pm. Bonny and baby are doing well...
Saturday, June 21, 2008
New Project - Teens, Titles, and Tate
The following is from the CBC Radio - All Points West website...
Check back for updates each week through the summer. We'll be talking about books for teen readers - the first couple of segments have been posted online.
6/19/08
Going to extremes. Today we hear about a few books that are sure to get your heart racing.
Listen to the interview (runs 8:34)
Dead in the Water by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers)
Mountainboard Maniacs by Pam Withers (Walrus Books)
How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous tales about Extreme
Sports by Gary Paulsen (Random House/Yearling)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (Atria Books)
No Time to Say Good-bye by Sylvia Olsen (Sono Nis Press)*
Check back for updates each week through the summer. We'll be talking about books for teen readers - the first couple of segments have been posted online.
6/19/08
Going to extremes. Today we hear about a few books that are sure to get your heart racing.
Listen to the interview (runs 8:34)
Dead in the Water by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers)
Mountainboard Maniacs by Pam Withers (Walrus Books)
How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous tales about Extreme
Sports by Gary Paulsen (Random House/Yearling)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (Atria Books)
No Time to Say Good-bye by Sylvia Olsen (Sono Nis Press)*
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Good Luck, Karen!
Lovely article in today's Times Colonist about Karen. It's getting so exciting! We will hear this week whether Karen has made the team and will be Beijing-bound!
Journey from injury to Paralympics an inspiring story
Marilyn Mccall, Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, June 01, 2008
Saanich horsewoman Karen Brain is a world-class competitor whose training is on target for competition in Hong Kong this summer, a city that will host the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events.
Only one small obstacle remains: Though she has earned the required five qualifying scores, she has to wait until June 4 to learn if she has been selected for the Canadian dressage team at the 2008 Paralympics, Sept. 6-17. Considering the much larger obstacles she has already overcome, it is no wonder that Brain feels optimistic about her chances.
Brain represented Canada in the three-day event at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome. When she was long-listed for Sydney in 2000, it was only the sudden lameness of her talented horse Double Take that kept her from the Olympics that year.
Author Nikki Tate, right, has written a book about Paralympic equestrian Karen Brain. It is named after Brain's favourite horse, Double Take, and chronicles the young rider's remarkable recovery from a catastrophic accident. The biography is written to appeal to all ages.
Author Nikki Tate, right, has written a book about Paralympic equestrian Karen Brain. It is named after Brain's favourite horse, Double Take, and chronicles the young rider's remarkable recovery from a catastrophic accident. The biography is written to appeal to all ages.
Determined and positive, she began working with new young prospects, her eye trained on the next Olympics. But in September 2001 she fell from a young horse, breaking her back. Suddenly, even walking again was doubtful.
Seven years later she is preparing to compete in her second Paralympics. Brain brought home two bronze medals from Athens four years ago, competing on a borrowed horse. This time she is training her own 12-year-old Dutch warmblood mare, VDL Odette, for the Beijing Paralympics.
Nikki Tate, friend, author and biographer of Brain, first met her when Brain coached Tate's daughter more than 10 years ago. Tate followed Brain's story when she "went off to take on the world." Because she was in Ontario on a book-signing tour when Brain had her accident, Tate went to visit her in the Ontario hospital.
To her surprise, there was Brain, paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair, being picked up to give a riding lesson. Tate was in awe. "Such high spirits -- determined to battle on."
The motivation to write Brain's biography was clinched when Brain went off to Athens in 2004 to compete on the Paralympic team. Tate said, "This is a great story and more people should know about it."
I caught up with Brain during a one-week window when she was in Victoria. She had just returned from two months of showing in California, and was preparing to move to Langley for four months of training with coach Leslie Reid, a highly regarded Canadian Olympic team member who is also going to Hong Kong.
"My training progresses uphill," Brain said. "I have made some good improvements with my horses. I have four months now. In my two months [in California], I made good progress, now I have double that time."
Brain also has to attend to her equine partner's mental health. VDL Odette was imported from Holland to Ontario when she was six, and Brain got the mare two years later. One challenge will be to sort out the cycles of this sensitive mare, as she has quite a physical reaction when she is in season (receptive to breeding), perhaps because of her earlier life as a broodmare.
Brain will road-ride every day before schooling in the ring, because her mare likes it. As Odette does not like ring work that much -- apparently she is sensitive and has an opinion -- Brain likes to start a training session with something the mare does like.
Brain and Odette have the potential in Hong Kong to win three medals. Will she win gold? As Tate says, "Never count her out. She will rise to the challenge and give it 110 per cent."
Brain could win a medal in the individual competition and in the Kur freestyle event (a choreographed piece set to music), and she and her teammates could win medals in the team competition.
Don't be surprised if an updated biography of Brain appears in the future. As Tate says, "There are great chapters to come."
And, she points out, the subplot of this remarkable rider's accomplishments is that Brain hopes at some point to make a bid for the Olympic team. Her attitude, her determination and her willingness to do the hard work are all on her side.
While the Paralympics organization pays some costs, training and showing a horse at the international level is an expensive venture. If you would like to help Karen Brain achieve the next step in her dream, please go to her websiteto contribute.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
How Not to Trim a Limb
Let's say that there's a huge old cedar, with a huge old branch drooping dangerously low (as in, too low to get the back-hoe underneath, if someone were, say, digging a grave nearby).
This is how NOT to deal with the situation.
1. Fetch a ladder
2. Lean ladder against part of branch closest to tree
3. Because the brush is so thick close to the trunk, rest the top end of the ladder 15-20 feet away from the trunk. This will still leave plenty of heavy branch to get rid of.
4. Start up the new chainsaw - lightweight and gas-powered, it is perfect for this job.
5. Send Bert, your favourite backhoe guy up the ladder with the chainsaw.
6. To be extra safe, brace yourself at the bottom of the ladder. You wouldn't want that ladder to slip.
7. Watch as Bert cuts away smaller side branches. Watch as they fall harmlessly to the ground. Admire how well Bert handles the chainsaw. Think just how smoothly this job is going.
8. Watch Bert cut a "V" up underneath the big, fat branch, which weighs as much as a small tree.
9. Watch Bert cut down through the top of the branch.
What happens next happens very fast. The part of the branch closest to the tree has now been relieved of a great deal of weight. It bounces straight up, well beyond the reach of the top end of the ladder. This means, of course, that for one odd second the ladder is suspended in midair. And then, gravity calls, and the ladder, Nikki, Bert, and chainsaw (still running) sail through the air. They land in a heap in this order: brambles, ladder, Nikki, Bert... Chainsaw lands some distance away, purring happily.
Amazingly, no major damage to anyone - even the ladder survived. I'll let the bruises on my arm blossom fully and then, if I remember, I'll post some technicolour photos. Nothing like a shot of adrenaline to liven up a dreary day of clearing brush.
This is how NOT to deal with the situation.
1. Fetch a ladder
2. Lean ladder against part of branch closest to tree
3. Because the brush is so thick close to the trunk, rest the top end of the ladder 15-20 feet away from the trunk. This will still leave plenty of heavy branch to get rid of.
4. Start up the new chainsaw - lightweight and gas-powered, it is perfect for this job.
5. Send Bert, your favourite backhoe guy up the ladder with the chainsaw.
6. To be extra safe, brace yourself at the bottom of the ladder. You wouldn't want that ladder to slip.
7. Watch as Bert cuts away smaller side branches. Watch as they fall harmlessly to the ground. Admire how well Bert handles the chainsaw. Think just how smoothly this job is going.
8. Watch Bert cut a "V" up underneath the big, fat branch, which weighs as much as a small tree.
9. Watch Bert cut down through the top of the branch.
What happens next happens very fast. The part of the branch closest to the tree has now been relieved of a great deal of weight. It bounces straight up, well beyond the reach of the top end of the ladder. This means, of course, that for one odd second the ladder is suspended in midair. And then, gravity calls, and the ladder, Nikki, Bert, and chainsaw (still running) sail through the air. They land in a heap in this order: brambles, ladder, Nikki, Bert... Chainsaw lands some distance away, purring happily.
Amazingly, no major damage to anyone - even the ladder survived. I'll let the bruises on my arm blossom fully and then, if I remember, I'll post some technicolour photos. Nothing like a shot of adrenaline to liven up a dreary day of clearing brush.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
I Know it's Not Friday...
... but who declared Friday to be poetry day, anyway? Given that reflecting on this poem for the past couple of days was what tipped my hand this morning when the vet was here, thought I'd post it for all to read. The vet was out to do the normal prenatal check-up for my mare, but while he was here, I asked him to have a look at poor, ancient Emma (40, if she was a day) to see whether he agreed that it was time to Let Evening Come. And, indeed, it was. Emma left us while peacefully chewing a mouthful of grass up in the field, her favourite place of all.
Let Evening Come
Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.
Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.
Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.
Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.
To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.
Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.
Jane Kenyon (1947-1995)
Let Evening Come
Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.
Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.
Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.
Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.
To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.
Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.
Jane Kenyon (1947-1995)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Ponte Vecchio
Here we go... a standard issue tourist photo of the Ponte Vecchio... Sigh. Was I really there? When can I go back?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sculpture by Marino Marini
One of various cool pieces of sculpture I drooled over at the Museo Marino Marini in Florence. I have been so very, very bad about not posting recent photos and other stuff to blog, Facebook, or anywhere else for that matter (I blame endless travels and spotty Internet access for this problem). Now that I am finally home again for a bit, I shall try to be a better blogger. Here's the first contribution.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Just a Tad Overwhelming!
Books, books everywhere! The Bologna Children's Book Fair is rather an overwhelming place to wander! Row after row of children's book publishers with booth after booth full of titles from around the world. Austria, Belarus, Argentina, Botswana, Korea, Malaysia, NZ, Australia, the USA, Great Britain - publishers large and small, industry associations, trade publications, etc., etc. all here to showcase authors, illustrators, books, and products...
We cruised through two and a half of the four main exhibition hallsss before retreating to the hotel for a break, heads spinning, backs and feet aching.
A couple of strange 'ain't it a small world' moments included running into Andrew Wooldridge of Orca Books (also from Victoria) and seeing a review of BTS Racehorse in ForeWord, a magazine promoting independently published books.
After we regroup and recover a little, we're going to head back to the fair to try to get hold of a catalogue (they hadn't been delivered yet! someone missed a deadline...), which we will study over dinner and then come up with a strategy for tomorrow.
Yesterday's wandering through Bologna was magnifico! We stumbled into the Museum of Archaeology, which was excellent. Items dated back to the early Paleolithic period (700,000 years ago!) and the Bronze Age. There were also plenty of Etruscan, Roman, and Greek goodies to ogle as well as an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts.
We cruised through two and a half of the four main exhibition hallsss before retreating to the hotel for a break, heads spinning, backs and feet aching.
A couple of strange 'ain't it a small world' moments included running into Andrew Wooldridge of Orca Books (also from Victoria) and seeing a review of BTS Racehorse in ForeWord, a magazine promoting independently published books.
After we regroup and recover a little, we're going to head back to the fair to try to get hold of a catalogue (they hadn't been delivered yet! someone missed a deadline...), which we will study over dinner and then come up with a strategy for tomorrow.
Yesterday's wandering through Bologna was magnifico! We stumbled into the Museum of Archaeology, which was excellent. Items dated back to the early Paleolithic period (700,000 years ago!) and the Bronze Age. There were also plenty of Etruscan, Roman, and Greek goodies to ogle as well as an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Off to Italy!
How fitting that this morning's weather is nasty! A late March storm complete with snow, freezing rain, and high winds is making things pretty miserable here on Vancouver Island! The Malahat is a mess, traffic (and drivers) snarling... Which makes me think I should pack my bags and head for somewhere pleasant... like, say - ITALY! Bologna (and the annual International Children's Book Fair) is clearly the place to be.
Diane Morriss (publisher, Sono Nis Press) and I will meet up at the Vancouver airport later today (the weather is allowed to be unpleasant, but not bad enough to cancel flights...) and from there will head to Bologna via Heathrow and Munich. A loooong trip, yes, but in First Class (!!), so we should survive just fine.
After several days at the book fair, we'll head to Florence for a few days of 'business meetings' - roughly translated as recovering from the book fair, sipping coffee by day and wine by night, and taking in the sights at a leisurely pace...
I'm leaving my laptop at home (which feels a bit like cutting off my right arm), so not too likely to be doing massive amounts of blogging... Will post some pix after I get back.
Ciao!
Diane Morriss (publisher, Sono Nis Press) and I will meet up at the Vancouver airport later today (the weather is allowed to be unpleasant, but not bad enough to cancel flights...) and from there will head to Bologna via Heathrow and Munich. A loooong trip, yes, but in First Class (!!), so we should survive just fine.
After several days at the book fair, we'll head to Florence for a few days of 'business meetings' - roughly translated as recovering from the book fair, sipping coffee by day and wine by night, and taking in the sights at a leisurely pace...
I'm leaving my laptop at home (which feels a bit like cutting off my right arm), so not too likely to be doing massive amounts of blogging... Will post some pix after I get back.
Ciao!
Friday, March 07, 2008
Great Review of Racehorse!
CM . . . . Volume XIV Number 14 . . . . March 7, 2008
Behind the Scenes: The Racehorse.
Nikki Tate.
Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008.
72 pp., pbk. & hc., $19.95 (pbk.), $24.95 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55455-032-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55455-018-0 (hc.).
Subject Headings:
Horse racing-Juvenile literature.
Racetracks (Horseracing)-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-9 / Ages 9-14.
Review by Val Ken Lem.
**** /4
excerpt:
A top-notch breeding farm is a bit like a spa for horses. Mares and foals are given the best of care – roomy box stalls, large paddocks (outdoor enclosures) and fields for exercise, top-quality food, and regular veterinary attention. Keeping a mare at one of these excellent facilities can cost more each month than renting a house. But if the horse turns out to be a winner, the owner stands to make a lot of money in prizes and, eventually, from breeding fees and the sale of offspring after the racehorse has retired.
Tate, an experienced horsewoman and novelist, has written a fine introduction to the racehorse, the sport of horse racing, and the many people involved in the sport. In a brief overview of the history of horse racing, the reader learns about the origins of thoroughbreds, standardbreds used in harness racing, and the steeplechase. Much of the text focuses specifically on thoroughbreds. Tate traces the life of these racehorses from birth at breeding farms, through the training of young horses, their care and training at the track, to the excitement of race day and eventually to post race life – if the horse is fortunate, it will escape the pet food market and find a new role as a riding horse or life in another adoptive home. Along the way, the reader is introduced to an amazing assortment of horse people including exercise riders, outriders, grooms, farriers, track veterinarians, trainers, owners, and, of course, jockeys. Tate includes general information and some jockey facts that are specific to Canada, Ireland, England the United States. She does not shy away from some of the more controversial elements of racing, including the fact that, faced with pressure to win, some jockeys develop eating disorders or drug and alcoholic addictions. The book emphasizes the importance of safety precautions at the track and accurate registration and random drug testing to thwart drug abuse and cheating. Given the amounts of money to be earned from winning horses and their breeding potential, the sport, like others starring human athletes, is prone to illegal activity that is difficult for track officials to stop.
Though the racing industry doesn’t emphasize this fact, horse racing is a dangerous business. Horses die on the track every day, and many others suffer from career-ending injuries.
Tate ends the work on a sobering note. There are not enough homes for failed or retired horses. Some injuries require euthanasia. Nevertheless, horse racing remains a popular spectator sport, with Canadians wagering 1.7 billion dollars on horse races in 2004.
Almost every page includes one or more colour photographs that aptly illustrate the text. Some miscellaneous facts, definitions, and even profiles of individuals such as Julie Krone, the first woman jockey in the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame, are presented in sidebars or pages that are attractively printed on colourful backgrounds that stand out as separate from the main text. Tate includes a citation to the Behind the Scenes website where more information and resources can be found. No other bibliographical references are provided. There is a serviceable index and a list of photo credits. One final observation: uninitiated readers will be amazed at the confusing array of data provided on the racing program that fans use to help them plan their wagers.
Highly Recommended.
Val Ken Lem is a catalogue librarian and collection liaison for English, history and
Caribbean studies at Ryerson University in Toronto, ON.
Behind the Scenes: The Racehorse.
Nikki Tate.
Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008.
72 pp., pbk. & hc., $19.95 (pbk.), $24.95 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55455-032-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55455-018-0 (hc.).
Subject Headings:
Horse racing-Juvenile literature.
Racetracks (Horseracing)-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-9 / Ages 9-14.
Review by Val Ken Lem.
**** /4
excerpt:
A top-notch breeding farm is a bit like a spa for horses. Mares and foals are given the best of care – roomy box stalls, large paddocks (outdoor enclosures) and fields for exercise, top-quality food, and regular veterinary attention. Keeping a mare at one of these excellent facilities can cost more each month than renting a house. But if the horse turns out to be a winner, the owner stands to make a lot of money in prizes and, eventually, from breeding fees and the sale of offspring after the racehorse has retired.
Tate, an experienced horsewoman and novelist, has written a fine introduction to the racehorse, the sport of horse racing, and the many people involved in the sport. In a brief overview of the history of horse racing, the reader learns about the origins of thoroughbreds, standardbreds used in harness racing, and the steeplechase. Much of the text focuses specifically on thoroughbreds. Tate traces the life of these racehorses from birth at breeding farms, through the training of young horses, their care and training at the track, to the excitement of race day and eventually to post race life – if the horse is fortunate, it will escape the pet food market and find a new role as a riding horse or life in another adoptive home. Along the way, the reader is introduced to an amazing assortment of horse people including exercise riders, outriders, grooms, farriers, track veterinarians, trainers, owners, and, of course, jockeys. Tate includes general information and some jockey facts that are specific to Canada, Ireland, England the United States. She does not shy away from some of the more controversial elements of racing, including the fact that, faced with pressure to win, some jockeys develop eating disorders or drug and alcoholic addictions. The book emphasizes the importance of safety precautions at the track and accurate registration and random drug testing to thwart drug abuse and cheating. Given the amounts of money to be earned from winning horses and their breeding potential, the sport, like others starring human athletes, is prone to illegal activity that is difficult for track officials to stop.
Though the racing industry doesn’t emphasize this fact, horse racing is a dangerous business. Horses die on the track every day, and many others suffer from career-ending injuries.
Tate ends the work on a sobering note. There are not enough homes for failed or retired horses. Some injuries require euthanasia. Nevertheless, horse racing remains a popular spectator sport, with Canadians wagering 1.7 billion dollars on horse races in 2004.
Almost every page includes one or more colour photographs that aptly illustrate the text. Some miscellaneous facts, definitions, and even profiles of individuals such as Julie Krone, the first woman jockey in the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame, are presented in sidebars or pages that are attractively printed on colourful backgrounds that stand out as separate from the main text. Tate includes a citation to the Behind the Scenes website where more information and resources can be found. No other bibliographical references are provided. There is a serviceable index and a list of photo credits. One final observation: uninitiated readers will be amazed at the confusing array of data provided on the racing program that fans use to help them plan their wagers.
Highly Recommended.
Val Ken Lem is a catalogue librarian and collection liaison for English, history and
Caribbean studies at Ryerson University in Toronto, ON.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
BTS: The Racehorse Buzzing in New Zealand!
Wow! Word sure travels fast! This writeup was posted on a website from New Zealand... Thanks are owed to David Aldred of BC Standardbred who a) noticed the book and b) took the time to write about it! An extra bonus is that one of the very, very helpful people who patiently answered my questions (Bill Young) is mentioned, which is extremely cool!
Veteran BC horsemen, Bill Young is featured in a newly released book "Behind The Scenes - The Racehorse".
The two page story briefly takes you back to the start of Bill's career at British Columbia's Ladner track and reflects on his life in the industry that he still actively participates in today as a trainer at Fraser Downs.
The book written by experienced horsewoman and author Nikki Tate and published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, takes you behind the scenes to examine the fascinating world of the racehorse.
Tate takes you on a journey looking at the history of horse racing, from chariots to chuck wagons, the racing breeds, standardbreds, thoroughbreds and quarter horses, the role of trainers, grooms, drivers, riders, farriers track vets, outriders and paddock judges.
The author also shows her readers what a day in the life of a horse at the racetrack looks like and a horse's life after racing.
She also looks at problems that exist in our racing industry.
Almost every page features great colour photographs including a couple of shots of BC's Sandown Park.
Behind the Scenes, The Racehorse is informative and very interesting reading, particularly for the younger reader looking to find out some basics about horse racing.
The book is beautifully presented with excellent photographs.
David Aldred, BC Standardbred
Veteran BC horsemen, Bill Young is featured in a newly released book "Behind The Scenes - The Racehorse".
The two page story briefly takes you back to the start of Bill's career at British Columbia's Ladner track and reflects on his life in the industry that he still actively participates in today as a trainer at Fraser Downs.
The book written by experienced horsewoman and author Nikki Tate and published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, takes you behind the scenes to examine the fascinating world of the racehorse.
Tate takes you on a journey looking at the history of horse racing, from chariots to chuck wagons, the racing breeds, standardbreds, thoroughbreds and quarter horses, the role of trainers, grooms, drivers, riders, farriers track vets, outriders and paddock judges.
The author also shows her readers what a day in the life of a horse at the racetrack looks like and a horse's life after racing.
She also looks at problems that exist in our racing industry.
Almost every page features great colour photographs including a couple of shots of BC's Sandown Park.
Behind the Scenes, The Racehorse is informative and very interesting reading, particularly for the younger reader looking to find out some basics about horse racing.
The book is beautifully presented with excellent photographs.
David Aldred, BC Standardbred
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Congratulations Cybils Winners and Finalists!
The winners of the Cybils were announced today... Check out this amazing list of fabulous books... And don't forget to nominate your favourite books next year!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
No Apologies!
...for not blogging for a while. And, if I don't apologize for not blogging, I can at least honour one of my New Years' Resolutions! Obviously, I'm not doing so well on my other resolution - to blog mroe often!
Anyway, the silence in blogland has nothing to do with a lack of things going on over in the real world. Today, for example, a lovely review of Behind the Scenes: Racehorse in the Globe and Mail by Susan Perren.
BEHIND THE SCENES: The Racehorse
By Nikki Tate, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 72 pages, $24.95, ages 9 to 14
"People and horses have co-existed for thousands of years, though nobody is quite sure when humans realized that horses were capable of providing more than a source of food. Once people saw how fast their new mode of transportation could be, it probably wasn't long before the first horse race took place."
These words set the stage for a very thorough and very readable investigation of racehorses and horse racing, an arcane subject, perhaps, for the young, but in Nikki Tate's hands an engrossing one.
Tate uses coloured photographs liberally and to good effect to take her readers into horse barns and onto racetracks. She tackles the history of and differences between Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Quarter Horses, as well as their attributes.
Tate doesn't hesitate to illuminate the dark side of horse racing - drug abuse, cheating, overproduction, inbreeding, abuse - but her enthusiasm carries the day.
Oh, how elusive the Globe and Mail review! And how sweet when the coveted review finally appears! Yes, I am celebrating here today!
The great review made up a little for the terrible, terrible behaviour of Ringo, my young and zany Welsh-Hackney cross. I am not exactly sure what set him off, but wow - our quiet stroll down the road and back (pony in hand as he's not yet broke to ride) was way more exciting than it should have been!
As I type, I wonder if there is even any point in trying to catch up on all the highlights of the last couple of months. It feels like an impossible task - so I'll stick to what's going on today.
The most interesting thing that's going on is the Cybils picture book judging (fiction category). While my own deliberations have been tortured (there are seven excellent finalists), I can only imaging what the next three or four days of group discussions will be like (I am one of several judges). Ack. How on earth are we to decide this one?
In less interesting, but quite fun news, just finished my column for Island Parent Magazine - reviewed a stack of books for kids about dogs - dog training, dog care, dog behaviour, dog breeds... you get the idea. Watch for the column in March.
Anyway, the silence in blogland has nothing to do with a lack of things going on over in the real world. Today, for example, a lovely review of Behind the Scenes: Racehorse in the Globe and Mail by Susan Perren.
BEHIND THE SCENES: The Racehorse
By Nikki Tate, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 72 pages, $24.95, ages 9 to 14
"People and horses have co-existed for thousands of years, though nobody is quite sure when humans realized that horses were capable of providing more than a source of food. Once people saw how fast their new mode of transportation could be, it probably wasn't long before the first horse race took place."
These words set the stage for a very thorough and very readable investigation of racehorses and horse racing, an arcane subject, perhaps, for the young, but in Nikki Tate's hands an engrossing one.
Tate uses coloured photographs liberally and to good effect to take her readers into horse barns and onto racetracks. She tackles the history of and differences between Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Quarter Horses, as well as their attributes.
Tate doesn't hesitate to illuminate the dark side of horse racing - drug abuse, cheating, overproduction, inbreeding, abuse - but her enthusiasm carries the day.
Oh, how elusive the Globe and Mail review! And how sweet when the coveted review finally appears! Yes, I am celebrating here today!
The great review made up a little for the terrible, terrible behaviour of Ringo, my young and zany Welsh-Hackney cross. I am not exactly sure what set him off, but wow - our quiet stroll down the road and back (pony in hand as he's not yet broke to ride) was way more exciting than it should have been!
As I type, I wonder if there is even any point in trying to catch up on all the highlights of the last couple of months. It feels like an impossible task - so I'll stick to what's going on today.
The most interesting thing that's going on is the Cybils picture book judging (fiction category). While my own deliberations have been tortured (there are seven excellent finalists), I can only imaging what the next three or four days of group discussions will be like (I am one of several judges). Ack. How on earth are we to decide this one?
In less interesting, but quite fun news, just finished my column for Island Parent Magazine - reviewed a stack of books for kids about dogs - dog training, dog care, dog behaviour, dog breeds... you get the idea. Watch for the column in March.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
CCBC Tour - Saskatchewan 2007
Thanks are due to the wonderful folks at the Canadian Children's Book Centre and all the volunteers, teachers, and librarians at libraries and schools all over central Saskatchewan for helping to organize such a wonderful Book Week tour! With my snazzy little red car, I tootled from town to town, visiting with students and chatting about books. Such a tough life! Even better, was able to share some of the Legends of King Arthur at a couple of schools, which made for a great change of pace!
Driving around across the wide open spaces of the region, I was reminded just how much I love the prairie landsape. So much so, I've bookmarked several 'Land for Sale' websites. How much would my horses love all that space to roam? How much would I love all that space to roam? Any rural communities out there who would like to adopt an author in residence, get in touch. About my only requirement is that the nearest town have a coffee shop and a library branch. And I suppose I would also need to be within an hour of a decent airport (don't like those teeny weeny planes too much) so I could head out and tour some of the other cool places in our amazing country!
Go Rourghriders!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Lovely Review - No Bazoongas in Sight!
This great review was posted over on the Equisearch.com site... Note to self: Make sure these guys get sent copies of the two new books!
Celebrate Children's Book Week
... with a few of these great ideas from the Tough City Writer's blog (Friday November 16th post).
Add your own ideas to the list via the comments box...
Add your own ideas to the list via the comments box...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Globe and Mail Follow-up Story
Author pleased after Sask. school drops book ban
TOM HAWTHORN
November 15, 2007
Victoria -- A children's author is delighted that a Saskatchewan elementary school has reversed a decision to ban one of her books.
Nikki Tate had protested against a decision by the librarian at Elizabeth Elementary in Kindersley to bar Trouble on Tarragon Island, a novel for readers aged 8-13. The librarian had complained to the publisher about inappropriate scenes of bullying, one of which included the use of the word "bazoongas" to describe part of the female anatomy.
Ms. Tate's book has been nominated for a Diamond Willow Award, a prestigious prize voted on by young readers.
The book's publisher, Sono Nis Press of Winlaw, B.C., will continue to honour its offer of a free copy to every elementary pupil in Kindersley who requests one. The offer was made last week as a protest against the ban.
TOM HAWTHORN
November 15, 2007
Victoria -- A children's author is delighted that a Saskatchewan elementary school has reversed a decision to ban one of her books.
Nikki Tate had protested against a decision by the librarian at Elizabeth Elementary in Kindersley to bar Trouble on Tarragon Island, a novel for readers aged 8-13. The librarian had complained to the publisher about inappropriate scenes of bullying, one of which included the use of the word "bazoongas" to describe part of the female anatomy.
Ms. Tate's book has been nominated for a Diamond Willow Award, a prestigious prize voted on by young readers.
The book's publisher, Sono Nis Press of Winlaw, B.C., will continue to honour its offer of a free copy to every elementary pupil in Kindersley who requests one. The offer was made last week as a protest against the ban.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Quill and Quire - Blog Department
The following post from Quill Blog: Daily updates from the blog division of Quill & Quire, Canada’s magazine of book news and reviews
Kindersley school reverses ban on book
According to a release from Sono Nis Press, author Nikki Tate was relieved to learn that Elizabeth School in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, which had previously banned her children’s book Trouble on Tarragon Island, has reversed its decision and “un-banned” it after a new school principal re-evaluated the content.
Sono Nis told Q&Q Omni this summer that the book had been deemed a problem because it contains a scene of bullying and because the bullying includes words that may be offensive to women.
Tate’s book, the third in her Tarragon Island series about protagonist Heather Blake, depicts a battle in Blake’s B.C. community over clear-cut logging. Blake’s grandmother joins an anti-logging activist group, and poses naked with them for a calendar, embarrassing her granddaughter. At the beginning of the book’s first chapter, several boys in Blake’s school taunt her about her grandmother’s breasts, calling them “bazoongas” and cupping melon-shaped areas around their chests.
The scene, Tate told Q&Q Omni, “sets up the central conflict of the book, which is asking the question, ‘when you step outside the rules of society … what is the impact on your community and on your family?’” Tate said the description shows the pain experienced by Heather as a result of the bullying. “It’s pretty obvious these kids aren’t being held up as an example of fine behaviour,” she said.
Elizabeth School administrators now seem to have come around to seeing it that way too.
Trouble on Tarragon Island has been nominated for a Diamond Willow Award in Saskatchewan, and Tate is participating in a TD Canadian Children’s Book Week tour in the province this month. As a part of the tour, she had planned to give away copies of her book to elementary students in Kindersley, and she says she will still go ahead with the give-away now that the ban has been reversed. She will sign copies of the book and chat with students at an informal event at the Kindersley Mall on Nov. 19.
Kindersley school reverses ban on book
According to a release from Sono Nis Press, author Nikki Tate was relieved to learn that Elizabeth School in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, which had previously banned her children’s book Trouble on Tarragon Island, has reversed its decision and “un-banned” it after a new school principal re-evaluated the content.
Sono Nis told Q&Q Omni this summer that the book had been deemed a problem because it contains a scene of bullying and because the bullying includes words that may be offensive to women.
Tate’s book, the third in her Tarragon Island series about protagonist Heather Blake, depicts a battle in Blake’s B.C. community over clear-cut logging. Blake’s grandmother joins an anti-logging activist group, and poses naked with them for a calendar, embarrassing her granddaughter. At the beginning of the book’s first chapter, several boys in Blake’s school taunt her about her grandmother’s breasts, calling them “bazoongas” and cupping melon-shaped areas around their chests.
The scene, Tate told Q&Q Omni, “sets up the central conflict of the book, which is asking the question, ‘when you step outside the rules of society … what is the impact on your community and on your family?’” Tate said the description shows the pain experienced by Heather as a result of the bullying. “It’s pretty obvious these kids aren’t being held up as an example of fine behaviour,” she said.
Elizabeth School administrators now seem to have come around to seeing it that way too.
Trouble on Tarragon Island has been nominated for a Diamond Willow Award in Saskatchewan, and Tate is participating in a TD Canadian Children’s Book Week tour in the province this month. As a part of the tour, she had planned to give away copies of her book to elementary students in Kindersley, and she says she will still go ahead with the give-away now that the ban has been reversed. She will sign copies of the book and chat with students at an informal event at the Kindersley Mall on Nov. 19.
Article in today's Times Colonist
CAP: Nikki Tate’s Tarragon Island series focus on the typical preteen tribulations.
Victoria writer’s book restored to school library shelf
— Times Colonist staff
A truce has been declared in the Battle of the Bazoongas.
Last summer, Victoria children’s author Nikki Tate cried censorship when a Saskatchewan elementary school teacher-librarian banned her novel, Trouble on Tarragon Island.
At issue was the book’s reference to “bazoongas” as a slang word for breasts.
The librarian also expressed concern over the issue of bullying in the story, and speculated that children might read the bullying scene and use it as a template to harass fellow students.
Now Chris Oscar, the new principal of Elizabeth School in Kindersley, Sask., has reversed an earlier decision to ban Trouble on Tarragon Island.
“I’m so happy to hear that the school has reconsidered,” said Tate. “The book should never have been removed [from the library] in the first place.”
The move is a relief for Tate’s publisher, Sono Nis, for another reason: Trouble on Tarragon Island has been nominated for a Diamond Willow Award in Saskatchewan.
The judges are school children, who vote on which of several books they like best. If a book isn’t available in school libraries, it’s chance of getting the children’s nod is diminished. “It’s great to know that students will have access to the book through their school library,” Tate says.
Other school libraries across North America have carried the book without complaint.
Victoria writer’s book restored to school library shelf
— Times Colonist staff
A truce has been declared in the Battle of the Bazoongas.
Last summer, Victoria children’s author Nikki Tate cried censorship when a Saskatchewan elementary school teacher-librarian banned her novel, Trouble on Tarragon Island.
At issue was the book’s reference to “bazoongas” as a slang word for breasts.
The librarian also expressed concern over the issue of bullying in the story, and speculated that children might read the bullying scene and use it as a template to harass fellow students.
Now Chris Oscar, the new principal of Elizabeth School in Kindersley, Sask., has reversed an earlier decision to ban Trouble on Tarragon Island.
“I’m so happy to hear that the school has reconsidered,” said Tate. “The book should never have been removed [from the library] in the first place.”
The move is a relief for Tate’s publisher, Sono Nis, for another reason: Trouble on Tarragon Island has been nominated for a Diamond Willow Award in Saskatchewan.
The judges are school children, who vote on which of several books they like best. If a book isn’t available in school libraries, it’s chance of getting the children’s nod is diminished. “It’s great to know that students will have access to the book through their school library,” Tate says.
Other school libraries across North America have carried the book without complaint.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Latest on The Great Bazoongas Caper
Well, right after this article ran in the Globe & Mail, I received a phonecall from As it Happens (CBC news and current events program). We were all set to record an interview when the CBC learned that Elizabeth School has reversed its position on the appropriateness of Trouble on Tarragon Island for the school library. The new principal, Chris Oscar, was instrumental in having the book go through a review process, the end result of which was to put the book back out on the library shelves. This is, of course, great news and a huge relief to know that cooler heads have prevailed in Kindersley! Many thanks to Tom Hawthorn and all the other members of the media who have so diligently followed this story. I suspect that if we had simply accepted the decision and said nothing, the book would still be gathering dust in some dark corner 'safe' from curious children.
NOVEL GIVEAWAY
Author protests book ban over phrase 'generous bazoongas'
TOM HAWTHORN
Special to The Globe and Mail
November 13, 2007
VICTORIA -- Children's author Nikki Tate is taking her bazoongas to Saskatchewan.
The Victoria writer will be giving away copies of Trouble on Tarragon Island, a work of fiction banned at Elizabeth Elementary in Kindersley, Sask.
The publisher learned of the ban this summer after school librarian Debbie Wagner called to complain about scenes of bullying, one of which includes the use of the word bazoongas to describe part of female anatomy. "I feel so strongly that what's happened there is wrong," Ms. Tate said yesterday. "My message to the students is, 'If you want to read this book, here it is.' " The novel will be available free to any elementary pupil in Kindersley who requests the title. The public library in the town of 4,500 is helping with the give-away program (the Kindersley branch carries a single copy of the title, which is currently checked out). The combined student populations of Elizabeth and Westberry elementary schools is nearly 600.
The book was released in 2005 by Sono Nis Press of Winlaw, B.C. The publisher describes it as a work of juvenile fiction appropriate for ages 8 to 13. The book was one of nine nominated for a Diamond Willow Award in Saskatchewan, a reader's choice prize for works suitable for Grades 4 to 6. However, the ban prevents children at Elizabeth Elementary from having classroom access to the title. Voting by pupils ends next February.
The free copies will be distributed at a book signing to be held at the Kindersley Mall on Monday.
Trouble on Tarragon Island is the third in the series set on a fictional Gulf Island in British Columbia. It features a 13-year-old girl named Heather Blake who wrestles with her feelings about her grandmother's behaviour, which includes breaking the law to protest against clear-cut logging.
When the grandmother poses for a nude calendar as a fundraising gimmick, the girl becomes the target of schoolyard taunts.
"What they say about my grandmother is true," the girl says. "She does have generous bazoongas, and all of Tarragon Island has seen them."
Ms. Tate said she chose bazoongas over other more common but ruder slang terms.
"I was looking for something a little humorous without being obscene," she said. "The language that is used by children in schools can be quite foul."
Nikki Tate is the pen name of Nicole Tate-Stratton, a prolific 45-year-old author whose most recent release is a biography of Karen Brain, a horse rider who overcame a broken back in a riding accident to win bronze medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games.
By coincidence, the author learned of the Tarragon Island ban after having already agreed to take part in a sponsored author's tour, including a visit to a Grade 2 class at Elizabeth Elementary next week.
She will be reading from her picture book Grandparents' Day, which is based on a true story about her grandmother surviving a snake bite in the jungles of Brazil. She encourages students to use the tales told by their friends and family as inspiration for their own storytelling.
Neither the school librarian nor the principal could be reached for comment yesterday.
Ms. Tate will be touring Saskatchewan as part of the TD Canadian Children's Book Week. Vancouver writer Dan Bar-el will also be on tour in the province, while British Columbia children will be visited by Teresa Toten of Toronto, Edo van Belkom of Brampton, Ont., and the illustrator Ron Broda, of Sarnia, Ont.
NOVEL GIVEAWAY
Author protests book ban over phrase 'generous bazoongas'
TOM HAWTHORN
Special to The Globe and Mail
November 13, 2007
VICTORIA -- Children's author Nikki Tate is taking her bazoongas to Saskatchewan.
The Victoria writer will be giving away copies of Trouble on Tarragon Island, a work of fiction banned at Elizabeth Elementary in Kindersley, Sask.
The publisher learned of the ban this summer after school librarian Debbie Wagner called to complain about scenes of bullying, one of which includes the use of the word bazoongas to describe part of female anatomy. "I feel so strongly that what's happened there is wrong," Ms. Tate said yesterday. "My message to the students is, 'If you want to read this book, here it is.' " The novel will be available free to any elementary pupil in Kindersley who requests the title. The public library in the town of 4,500 is helping with the give-away program (the Kindersley branch carries a single copy of the title, which is currently checked out). The combined student populations of Elizabeth and Westberry elementary schools is nearly 600.
The book was released in 2005 by Sono Nis Press of Winlaw, B.C. The publisher describes it as a work of juvenile fiction appropriate for ages 8 to 13. The book was one of nine nominated for a Diamond Willow Award in Saskatchewan, a reader's choice prize for works suitable for Grades 4 to 6. However, the ban prevents children at Elizabeth Elementary from having classroom access to the title. Voting by pupils ends next February.
The free copies will be distributed at a book signing to be held at the Kindersley Mall on Monday.
Trouble on Tarragon Island is the third in the series set on a fictional Gulf Island in British Columbia. It features a 13-year-old girl named Heather Blake who wrestles with her feelings about her grandmother's behaviour, which includes breaking the law to protest against clear-cut logging.
When the grandmother poses for a nude calendar as a fundraising gimmick, the girl becomes the target of schoolyard taunts.
"What they say about my grandmother is true," the girl says. "She does have generous bazoongas, and all of Tarragon Island has seen them."
Ms. Tate said she chose bazoongas over other more common but ruder slang terms.
"I was looking for something a little humorous without being obscene," she said. "The language that is used by children in schools can be quite foul."
Nikki Tate is the pen name of Nicole Tate-Stratton, a prolific 45-year-old author whose most recent release is a biography of Karen Brain, a horse rider who overcame a broken back in a riding accident to win bronze medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games.
By coincidence, the author learned of the Tarragon Island ban after having already agreed to take part in a sponsored author's tour, including a visit to a Grade 2 class at Elizabeth Elementary next week.
She will be reading from her picture book Grandparents' Day, which is based on a true story about her grandmother surviving a snake bite in the jungles of Brazil. She encourages students to use the tales told by their friends and family as inspiration for their own storytelling.
Neither the school librarian nor the principal could be reached for comment yesterday.
Ms. Tate will be touring Saskatchewan as part of the TD Canadian Children's Book Week. Vancouver writer Dan Bar-el will also be on tour in the province, while British Columbia children will be visited by Teresa Toten of Toronto, Edo van Belkom of Brampton, Ont., and the illustrator Ron Broda, of Sarnia, Ont.
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