And available for school and library visits!
April is Genocide Remembrance Month, with April 16th commemorating the millions of Ukrainians intentionally starved by the Soviet Union. (Books by Marsha: Winterkill, Enough)
April 24th is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (Books by Marsha: Dance of the Banished, Daughter of War, Aram’s Choice, Call Me Aram, Nobody’s Child, The Hunger).
Won the Lane Anderson Award for My Planet is a Poem
- Book Signing at Indigo Stoney Creek – May 24
- Exhibitor and Storytime Reader at Flamborough Book Fair – July 26
NEW BOOK: Building Homes for All: Technology for A Fair and Green Planet is out on March 17th (Orca Book Publishers)
Unsinkable Cayenne, an NCTE Notable Verse Novel by Jessica Vitalis, won the High Plains Book Award, is a Forest of Reading Red Maple Nominee, and is on the 2025 Telling Tales Reading list as well as the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens 2025 list. It was also long listed for the Reading the West Book Awards.
Touring: Award-winning middle grade author and Forest of Reading Red Maple Nominee Jessica Vitalis is currently booking school visits for spring 2026 and will be in the GTA the weeks of January 26th and May 11th.
My Street Remembers, written by Karen Krossing and illustrated by Cathie Jamieson, was named a Quill & Quire Notable Book for 2025.
Revise Your Picture Book Manuscripts Workshop
Do you have picture book manuscripts that you’d like to revise with a small, committed group of writers dedicated to helping you produce your best work? Join author Karen Krossing for this in-depth, hands-on, nine-week workshop limited to eight participants. You’ll use your own manuscripts to explore picture-book craft/revision, you’ll discuss craft elements you can apply to your own manuscripts, and you’ll participate in weekly online discussions that dive into picture book craft topics. For more info, contact Karen via the contact form on her ABS author page (link in her name above).
Dates: Wednesdays April 24 – June 24, 2026 (excluding May 27)
Time: 7:30 – 9:10 PM EST
Where: Online
Karen’s disability-inclusive picture book PLAYDATE SURPRISE (Scholastic Canada) for ages 3-7 has WON The Word Award 2025 for Books – Children – General Market!
Katie Crumble: And the Case of the Missing Underwear has been selected to be on Telling Tales 2025 Reading List.
Oksanna is honoured to have her first chapter book, Katie Crumble and the Case of the Missing Underwear, chosen to be on the CBC Spring List of Children’s Books to Read 2025. Katie will be insufferable!
Caroline’s historical middle grade novel PLAGUE THIEVES is shortlisted for the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Awards — Diamond Willow 2025.
Touring:
April 21-26 Morrin Centre, Quebec City – available for school and library presentations!