7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga makes the shortlist for the Manitoba Book Awards, 2013
P&M Press is pleased to announce that 7 Generations has been nominated for Best Illustrated Book of the Year and McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award – Older Category. Congratulations to author David Alexander Robertson and illustrator Scott B. Henderson.
The awards will be presented at the Manitoba Book Awards gala, on Sunday April 28th at the West End Cultural Centre and hosted by Ismaila Alfa. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 8:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The shortlists and recipients are selected by a variety of juries, comprised of writers, publishers, and other book industry personnel from across Canada.
5 Getting Started Tips for Using Book Trailers in Your Classroom
Book trailers are increasingly used in today’s multimedia classrooms. Book trailers are a great way to inspire students and engage reluctant readers. Similar to the purpose of a movie preview, a book trailer can activate interest in reading a book. As an example, watch the book trailer for the upcoming colour edition of 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga.
Teachers use book trailers in their classrooms for more than a traditional book report. Trailers can be used to meet language arts/literacy curriculum goals by teaching students how to analyze and synthesize visual information. Below are 5 suggestions for using book trailers in your classroom.
Tip 1
Show the trailer before reading the book. This helps to create a sense of anticipation and enhances the reading experience for the reader by providing the gist of the book’s storyline.
Tip 2
Show the trailer following the reading of the book. This helps to provide students with a clear visual model of the literacy skill summarizing. Trailers can also provide models of other literary techniques, including foreshadowing, mood, pacing, and tone.
Tip 3
Build critical-thinking skills by having students compare the book to the trailer. Provide discussion questions such as; Did watching the trailer hinder or enhance the experience of reading the book?
Tip 4
Compare one trailer to another trailer about the same book. Generate discussion questions that students can keep in mind when analyzing, such as: What worked in the book trailer? What didn’t?
Tip 5
Have students create their own book trailers (great support can be found at www.booktrailersforreaders.com). Give students an opportunity to view other students’ book trailers by hosting a book trailer viewing day in the school library.
For more information about 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga, please visit www.pandmpress.com.
The 7 Generations series is available in one book, and the illustrations are in vivid colour. This colourized edition includes the graphic novels Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Pact.
Watch the book trailer featuring this special edition.
43rd Annual Saskatchewan Reading Conference
March 29–30, 2012
Robertson
David Alexander Robertson will be speaking at the Annual Saskatchewan Reading Conference. David will take an in-depth look at how the graphic novel can be used in the classroom and why it is such an excellent tool for educators. He will also discuss why the graphic novel is an ideal forum for sharing the Aboriginal experience with students. David will be presenting two sessions on Friday, March 30, at the Delta Regina, Lombardy Room C at 10:30-11:30 am and again at 1:15-2:15 pm.
For more information about this conference, please visit www.saskreading.org.
For more information about author David Alexander Robertson, please visit www.pandmpress.com.
Starleigh Grass writes in her blog, Twinkle’s Happy Place, that Sugar Falls
…does an excellent job of handing difficult material. It’s important for youth to understand the struggles that Aboriginal people have faced in order to survive and to read survival stories. This is based on a true story and the main character, Betsy, is definitely a role model. I would include this book in my classroom at the secondary level. Whether or not you choose to include this material depends on your own ability to navigate the policies in your district regarding difficult material in the classroom and your own comfort level…
Starleigh generously presents questions that can act as a springboards to discussion for your classroom. You can find these questions in her blog by clicking on www.twinkleshappyplace.blogspot.com.
7 Generations series is an ambitious and fearless undertaking
according to Girl to the Rescue, a literary blog that reviews mostly young adult literature, children’s books, graphic novels, and fantasy. In this blog, the writer points out that
the splicing of the past with the present is the most effective part of the series, where Edwin must experience a passed history by reliving it through story. For the reader, this is made clear because of the format of the graphic novel. The reader sees the seamless weaving together of past and present, which is made most explicit by frame-by-frame representations that highlight the synchronicity between the two.
Find P&M Press Illustrator Scott B. Henderson in the Artist Alley
The Comic Con Artist Alley displays works of talented local, national, and international artists, illustrators, writers, and creative people. Scott B. Henderson will be showcasing his work for P&M Press including the 7 Generations series and the upcoming Sugar Falls. You will find Scott at the Artist Alley beginning Friday, Oct. 29 continuing through to Sunday, Oct. 31. Please visit the Comic Con website for more information about this event at www.c4con.com.
Join David Alexander Robertson at the Winnipeg International Writers Festival
In September each year, Winnipeg welcomes writers from Canada and around the world for a week of readings, lectures, interviews, conversations, book launches, and other events. Opening Night presents commissioned work by five of Manitoba’s finest writers who have make a mark on the local scene, including P&M Press author David Alexander Robertson. Come and gather at The Forks for a magical evening of words.
Opening Night: Voices From Oodena
September 18, 2011
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Also featuring George Amabile, Rhéal Cenerini, Anita Daher, and Sue Sorensen.
Oobdean Circle, behind the Johnston Terminal at The Forks. Inclement weather: Centre Court, The Forks Market
Join David Alexander Robertson at Poor Michael’s Bookshop
Robertson
If you happen to be in the area or are heading to Riding Mountain National Park, stop in at Poor Michael’s Bookshop Art & Cafe to meet author David Alexander Robertson. On Monday, August 15, David will share the tragic story of Edwin, the main character in the graphic novel series 7 Generations. We hope you can make it out to hear David’s dynamic and interesting talk.
Brittany Leborgne writes in the journal, The Eastern Door, that the
The Pact
… 7 Generations graphic novel series by Cree writer David Alexander Robertson has come to an end, but their effectiveness in educating Canadians and First Nations on their history is something he hopes never will. The series, which includes four books, Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Pact, follow a family dealing with lasting effects of the residential school system. “I want there to be a greater understanding and appreciation of our history and where it’s brought us,” David explained, referring to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.
P&M Press is pleased to announce that 7 Generations has been nominated for Best Illustrated Book of the Year and McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award – Older Category. Congratulations to author David Alexander Robertson and illustrator Scott B. Henderson.
