I've got it covered

Ta-da! The cover for Scotia Sinker (Sketch Publishing, May 2015) is complete. I'm thrilled with illustrator Joel Duggan's image, which sets the stage for Cameron and Erin's next fridge box adventure without giving too much away.

We're just putting the finishing touches on the interior drawings then it's off to the printer. Please check back for an official announcement of a launch event and pre-ordering information.

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Taking the plunge with Scotia Sinker

Drum roll please . . . I am publishing a new book this spring! And I've started a publishing label (more on that in a minute).

Scotia Sinker, for readers ages six to 10ish, is the sequel to my 2012 children's chapter book Lunar Lifter.

Synopsis

"Cameron and Erin take a new adventure in their cardboard box — this time, to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean!

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Fan mail and a spot in Bestsellers!

Updated on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 1:27PM by Alison DeLory

I had a fantastic time at my Writers in the Schools visit to Windsor Elementary School yesterday. Rather than visit a lot of classes, the school took the unusual step of scheduling me to spend the whole day with the grade 3/4 class. This had me a little nervous. I wasn't sure if I could keep a classroom of kids ages 8, 9 and 10 interested in lessons on writing for the entire day. I needn't have worried. This was the most engaged, enthusiastic group of learners I'd ever met, and both their teacher and school deserve high praise.

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Lunar Lifter's Official Launch Party

It was a big day! My first published novel, Lunar Lifter, "officially" launched with an event at my local library this afternoon. I am relieved to report it went very well. I made it through the reading without too many bumps, enjoyed watching children (and a few playful adults!) pose inside the Lunar Lifter photo booths, and signed a lot of books.

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An empty box: functional or fantastic?

Do you get excited about cardboard boxes? Me neither. When cardboard boxes enter my house I typically get annoyed. They remind me of the hassle of moving. They take up space in my basement or garage. On garbage day I flatten, stack and tie them together with string, then drag them to the curb, glad to be rid of them. Sadly, I've lost the ability to see cardboard boxes as more than functional. I've grown up.

But watch a toddler open her birthday presents and often she is more delighted with the box than what's inside. Children turn boxes into dollhouses, doghouses and playhouses. They stack them into forts and open their flaps to create tunnels. Boxes are endlessly fun—if you have a child's imagination.

Inspired by boxes, I began writing my children's book Lunar Lifter three years ago.

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