Tag: Dan Bar-el

Review: Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el

Reviews, Uncategorized

What bigger honor is there for a children’s writer than having a teacher make it a yearly tradition to share your book with her students?

Escape Through the Pages

Just Beyond the Very Very Far NorthJust Beyond the Very, Very Far North
by Dan Bar-el

ISBN-13: 9781534433441
Publication date: October 6, 2020 by Atheneum BYR
Purchased by my school

Past the place where icebergs shiver, you will find the Very, Very Far North, where Duane and his friends are sure to make you feel right at home. You might like to share a delicious Snow Delight with warmhearted Duane. While you’re slurping away, if C.C. suddenly asks you where you’ve come from, it’s not because she’s nosy; she is simply gathering scientific data. If Handsome, the musk ox, pays a visit, a quick hair combing is highly recommended. Should you notice a quiet caribou grazing nearby, well, that’s just Boo’s way of saying hello.

And if a less-than-friendly visitor arrives to sneak, shove, and shake things up, Duane and the others might discover that life isn’t always as peaceful as mid-late-afternoon nap. Fortunately, they know…

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Virtual Visits in Ontario this week

Children's Book News, School & Library visits, Teaching

I will be virtually visiting two schools in Killaloe Ontario today and tomorrow to talk about my middle grade novel, Audrey (cow) and to give writing workshops about Voice & Dialogue.

Thank you to the Ontario Council for the Arts and their Writers-in-Schools program for making this to happen!

Finalist for the BC and Yukon Book Prize!

Awards, Nominations & Interviews, Children's Book News

Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North is a finalist for the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize. Being nominated for an award is always a great honour, and even more so when it’s in your own province. And I’m thrilled that it is for a sequel, because it tells me I must have done something right with the second book 🙂

Congrats to all the finalists, in all categories this year!

A Colorado Children’s Book Award Nomination!

Awards, Nominations & Interviews, Children's Book News

I am so pleased to announce that The Very, Very Far North has been nominated for the 2022 Colorado Children’s Book Award. This is a wonderful continuation of good news from the state, having had two schools there select my middle grade novel for their One Book / One School event which gets a copy into the hands of every student.

Happy Publishing Day for Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North!

Children's Book News, Reviews

It’s October 6th which means that the sequel book is officially released. Here’s a quote from a fun review from yesterday that I may just steal in the future:

“It was a grand adventure … and contained so many pearls of wisdom, one could make a necklace from them.”

Thank you Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

A Cozy Chat with Me

Interviews, Thoughts

An online interview with me was recently published on Medium.com. Among many things, I had a chance to discuss the ideas behind The Very, Very Far North and the upcoming sequel, Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North. You can click on the link to read it:

A Cozy Chat with Dan Bar-el

Mother Bright and her Apple Tree

storytelling, Uncategorized, Video

Today, I have posted a new storytelling video. It is my telling of a French folktale that I adapted many years ago. Mother Bright and her Apple Tree is a funny and poignant story about an independent, old woman who lives life on her own terms.

In telling this tale, I wish to honour the many elderly people who have succumbed to the Covid-19 virus before their time. If you should be so moved by the story, please consider donating a few dollars to a local organization that assists in caring for seniors. CanadaHelps.org can offer many places across the country. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/donate…

A small warning – this story may not be suitable for younger children as it addresses the topic of death, albeit in a funny, gentle way. I leave it up to your discretion.

The Very, Very Far North is a Best Books selection!

Children's Book News, Reviews

Duane the polar bear and his friends were included in the latest Best Books issue that is published bi-annually by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Do check it out. It makes for a fun family read in a time when families are together quite a lot.