Maggie Lou’s grandpa doesn’t call her Firefox for nothing. She’s always finding ways to make life more interesting—even if this means getting into big trouble. Arnolda Dufour Bowes’ Maggie Lou, Firefox is a heroine for today, showing kids how you can work hard and gain new skills without losing one iota of your spirit. Meanwhile, charismatic 13-year-old Augustus Constantine has ADHD, meaning his mind, and his mouth, operate at a different speed than the rest of society. Richard Scrimger explores the teen’s daily reality in At the Speed of Gus. Wanda Taylor’s true to life story, The Grover School Pledge, opens up about the pains and triumphs of growing up. These books will underscore how our differences are nothing to be ashamed of, imparting a strength that comes from just being you. Grades 4–7. Moderated by France Perras.
Event Participants:
ARNOLDA DUFOUR BOWES is a Métis writer who grew up in Saskatoon but has lived around the world, from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia. She has worked in construction and nursing, and she loves new adventures, from skydiving to surfing. She is the author of 20.12 m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis, which won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the High Plains Book Award. Arnolda lives with her husband, three children and two dogs in a small town in Saskatchewan.
FRANCE PERRAS is a bilingual actress who works in Theatre, Voice-overs, Live Announcing, Hosting/Moderating, and has had the pleasure of moderating at Vancouver Writers Fest since 2004. She is a recipient of a few Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, and works across the country in a variety of mediums.
RICHARD SCRIMGER has written more than twenty books for children and adults, many of which have won or been nominated for major awards and been published internationally. He is also a popular presenter in schools. At the Speed of Gus is his latest novel.
WANDA TAYLOR is a professor and the author of both fiction and non-fiction books for children and adult readers. Her middle grade non-fiction book, Birchtown and the Black Loyalists, is listed as one of the top ten Black History books for kids. And her middle grade novel, The Grover School Pledge, is selected as one of the Best Books in Children’s Literature by Kobo Books.
