Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas!
May all your days be happy and bright
- Dinah Galloway and Melanie Jackson

The Mysterious Disappearance of Agatha Christie

Posted by the one, the only, the accept-no-substitutes Dinah Galloway.

My author, Melanie Jackson, and I got an early Christmas present: a review in Kliatt that says Shadows on the Train “evokes and blends the best of Gardner, Hitchcock and Christie.” Well, speaking of Christie – that’s Agatha, not Mr. – did you know that she mysteriously disappeared for eleven days back in 1926? Yup, it’s true. Already a bestselling novelist, Agatha upped and left her house in
Berkshire, England with no explanation to anyone. The newspapers blazed out headlines: why had Agatha vanished? Had someone murdered the murder writer?

Then, calmly as you please, Agatha turned up again – and never told anyone, not a single soul, what she’d been doing. There’s a theory floating round that maybe she suffered temporary amnesia, but who knows? In any event, disappearing would be a great publicity stunt, wouldn’t you say so, Melanie? … Er … Melanie?

Calling all readers interested in rats and dogs!

This is Jacqueline Pearce guest blogging again. I’d like to say a special “hello” to anyone out there who is reading my novels, Dog House Blues or The Truth About Rats (and Dogs), which have both been nominated for readers’ choice awards in 2007-8.

These books came about after the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) asked me to write some stories for their kids’ club. I figured if I was going to write about kids and animal issues, it would be important to write about kid issues too. The first book, Dog House Blues, is about the relationship between a girl and her three dogs, and it’s also about the girl’s experience being bullied at school. The second book, The Truth about Rats (and Dogs), is about a boy who isn’t allowed to get the dog he wants, but ends up sneaking home a pet rat. It’s also about the boy’s frustration with his parents not recognizing his real talents and interests and about the problems with stereotypes.

It was a lot of fun researching both these books. I got many of the ideas for things that happen in Dog House Blues from my own dog experiences. For example, once when my husband and I were driving our daughter and some class-mates on a field trip, one of the girls wrinkled her nose up and said that our van stunk like a dog. This same thing happens to Erika, the girl in the novel. In our case, the kids didn’t really mind the smell, because they like our big, friendly dog, Dylan. In Erika’s case, it was the start of a mean nickname.

I also got a lot of ideas from my friend’s four dogs. Her Bassett hound was always stealing food, as well as eating things that no one else considered food. She’d get a pizza delivered, turn her back for a second, and the whole pizza would be on the floor. Dumpster, the Bassett hound in the novel, is based directly on my friend’s dog, Basil. The spaghetti incident (you know what I mean if you’ve read the book) really happened.

When I was researching The Truth About Rats (and Dogs) I took care of a rat called Oscar (and later two other rats, George and Sneaker) and learned a lot about rats. For example, I learned that a rat’s scaly tail (which some people find creepy) is very useful. It helps the rat grip things (good for climbing), helps the rat balance (works like the balancing pole a tight rope walker holds), and it helps regulate the rat’s body temperature (cools the rat down when it’s hot and keeps the rat warm when it’s cold). I also learned that rats are very social and quite smart, and they can learn tricks. I tested this out by teaching Oscar to jump through a hoop to get some food. Conner, the boy in the book, teaches his rat (which I based on the real Oscar) to do the same.

Well, I guess that’s enough writing for one post. If you want to know more, check out my website at www.jacquelinepearce.ca where you can find an author interview, more photos and links to my personal blog posts on rats and the books. You can also check out my earlier Orca blog posts by clicking on October in the column at the right.

Photo at top: me with rats George and Sneaker at the Vancouver SPCA shelter.

Bottom left photo: Basil the Bassett hound (in behind) singing along to accordion music at the launch of Dog House Blues (the white dog is my dog, Dylan).
Bottom middle: kids meeting Basil at an SPCA Kids’ Club book event.
Bottom right: Oscar the rat and me.

November’s Teaching Idea

The winner for November is Dawn Brown, of the Rockefeller Alternative High School Program in Iowa. Dawn writes:

“Students in the Rockefeller Alternative High School Program have discovered my Contemporary Novels course, which consists of reading their choice of eight Orca books and completing work from the accompanying study guides. When they are done reading those books, they must then choose any two additional books to read. More often than not, they choose two more of the popular Orca books. They have the choice to complete the study guides I have provided or to develop their own. This course works! Students are reading willingly and relating to what they read. They identify life lessons. I and my classroom associate find out a lot about the students through their responses to the reading—what they have gone through, what they are thinking, and where they are headed. I am one of Orca Books biggest fans and promote these books among my alternative educator colleagues in Iowa. Thanks, Orca!”

Thanks, Dawn!

Check out the teaching idea contest here. And if you’re a teacher who uses Orca Soundings in a unique way, why not enter?

Lady Ginny’s Book Launch

How better to launch a book about tea parties than by throwing one? Here are some photos from Susan Jolliffe’s launch (tea) party in Ottawa for her new picture book, Lady Ginny’s Tea Parties.

Susan Jolliffe signs books in a most splendid hat.

Tea cakes—an essential part of tea parties everywhere.

Congratulations, Susan!