Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Awards 2011
Melanie Watt (best picture book winner for Chester's Masterpiece) and I pose with our impractically large prize cheques Our respective juries are off to either side: amazing kids who read, discussed, debated and chose the winning book from a shortlist of five!
Melanie Watt and I with the Solways, the relatives of Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz, the esteemed Toronto booksellers after whom the award is named.
Will it fit into the ATM or will I actually have to talk to a teller?
Doing a quick reading of HALF BROTHER in which Ben gets peed on by a baby chimp. Went down well I think.
Friday, June 3, 2011
CLA AWARDS 2011
I spent four years of my childhood in Halifax, so was particularly pleased to receive both the Children's Book of the Year Award, and Young Adult Book Award in a city that holds so many fond memories for me -- the Bookmobile on Saturday in the Sobey's parking lot, the Historic Properties, Point Pleasant Park, the wonderful old library on Spring Garden Road -- and my first viewing of Star Wars at the Gottingen Street Cinema!
Thanks to photogapher Erica Penton I have a photographic record of the evening!
Thanks to photogapher Erica Penton I have a photographic record of the evening!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Oppel's DARK ENDEAVOR film moves ahead
Matt Reeves And Jacob Estes Take On Summit's Frankenstein Film
By MIKE FLEMING
Tuesday May 24, 2011 @ 4:43pm EDT
reprinted fromHollywood Deadline
Let Me In director Matt Reeves has been signed to direct This Dark Endeavor, with Mean Creek writer/helmer Jacob Aaron Estes writing the script for Summit Entertainment. Deadline told you yesterday about a batch of films based on the Mary Shelley Frankenstein novel. Summit just took a step forward in this contest. The film is based on the Kenneth Oppel novel This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. It will be published this summer by Simon & Schuster, the first of a series.
In the Oppel novel, Frankenstein's twin Konrad is gravely ill. His brother seeks out a mysterious old alchemist to help him produce the Elixir of Life, a serum that will bestow the gift of perpetual health. You can't order this drink at a pub, and Frankenstein sets out on a dangerous adventure to find the elusive contents. He's accompanied by his best friend Elizabeth, who is sweet on Konrad. Things get complicated among the three of them.
Reeves, who also directed Cloverfield, adds This Dark Endeavor to two other projects he's working on. He signed recently to direct the Justin Cronin vampire novel The Passage for Fox 2000, and he's got a deal at Universal to write and direct a film based on the Ray Nelson short story 8 O'Clock in the Morning, about a man who awakens with the realization that aliens are all over the place and control society. Estes just completed The Details, the Tobey Maguire/Elizabeth Banks-starrer that sold to The Weinstein Company in a big deal at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Both are repped by CAA.
By MIKE FLEMING
Tuesday May 24, 2011 @ 4:43pm EDT
reprinted fromHollywood Deadline
Let Me In director Matt Reeves has been signed to direct This Dark Endeavor, with Mean Creek writer/helmer Jacob Aaron Estes writing the script for Summit Entertainment. Deadline told you yesterday about a batch of films based on the Mary Shelley Frankenstein novel. Summit just took a step forward in this contest. The film is based on the Kenneth Oppel novel This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. It will be published this summer by Simon & Schuster, the first of a series.
In the Oppel novel, Frankenstein's twin Konrad is gravely ill. His brother seeks out a mysterious old alchemist to help him produce the Elixir of Life, a serum that will bestow the gift of perpetual health. You can't order this drink at a pub, and Frankenstein sets out on a dangerous adventure to find the elusive contents. He's accompanied by his best friend Elizabeth, who is sweet on Konrad. Things get complicated among the three of them.
Reeves, who also directed Cloverfield, adds This Dark Endeavor to two other projects he's working on. He signed recently to direct the Justin Cronin vampire novel The Passage for Fox 2000, and he's got a deal at Universal to write and direct a film based on the Ray Nelson short story 8 O'Clock in the Morning, about a man who awakens with the realization that aliens are all over the place and control society. Estes just completed The Details, the Tobey Maguire/Elizabeth Banks-starrer that sold to The Weinstein Company in a big deal at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Both are repped by CAA.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Half Brother optioned for film
Reprinted from Variety
Producers Christian Taylor ("Hick") and Eva Orner ("Taxi to the Dark Side") have optioned Kenneth Oppel's young adult novel "Half Brother."
Set in the 1970s, the coming-of-age story explores the bond between a teenage boy and a chimpanzee, as well as the ethical implications of animal research. Raised by the boy's family as part of a study, the chimp quickly becomes a media sensation, but when the project loses its funding the teen must risk everything to save the animal.
Producers are in the process of finding a writer and distribution partner for the project, which is said to feature a magical quality reminiscent of "E.T."
Scholastic/HarperCollins published "Half Brother." named a 2011 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Assn.
Summit Entertainment recently acquired rights to Oppel's upcoming novel "This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein," which Karen Rosenfelt ("Twilight") is on board to produce.
Taylor is producing "Hick," an indie pic that will star Chloe Moretz, Blake Lively and Eddie Redmayne.
Oppel's publishing rep is Writer's House, while Rosen Feig Golland and Lunn repped Taylor and Orner in the deal. Richard Shepherd represented film rights on the project.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Spring Appearances
MARCH 2011
KITCHENER, ON
Kitchener Public Library
Country Hills Branch
March 1, 5pm
KITCHENER, ON
Kitchener Public Library
Country Hills Branch
March 28, 7pm
APRIL 2011
TORONTO, ON
School Book Tour
April 11-15, 2011
KITCHENER, ON
Kitchener Public Library
Country Hills Branch
April 16, 10am
MONCTON, NB
Frye Festival,
Moncton, New Brunswick,
April 27-30, 2011
MAY 2011
SASKATOON, SK
Literacy for Life Conference
May 2-4, 2011
VICTORIA, BC
School Book Tour
May 10-13, 2011
KITCHENER, ON
Kitchener Public Library
Country Hills Branch
May 31st, 1pm
KITCHENER, ON
Kitchener Public Library
Country Hills Branch
May 31st, 6:30pm
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Summit acquires 'Victor Frankenstein' rights - Entertainment News, Top News, Media - Variety
Summit acquires 'Victor Frankenstein' rights - Entertainment News, Top News, Media - Variety
Studio nabs feature claim to Kenneth Oppel's upcoming novel
By Dave McNary
Summit is looking to make a big-screen version of the Frankenstein origin story and has acquired rights to Kenneth Oppel's upcoming novel "This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein."
Projects' been set with Karen Rosenfelt, a producer on Summit's "Twilight" franchise and Fox's "Alvin" films.
The tome's the first book of a series to be published by Simon & Schuster. Story follows Victor Frankenstein's twin brother falling ill, leading Victor to seek out a mysterious old alchemist to help him produce the Elixir of Life, a fabled serum that will bestow the drinker with perpetual health. Aided by his best friend Elizabeth, Victor sets out on a quest for the three ingredients needed to save Konrad's life.
Oppel's previously written the "Silverwing" trilogy and "Airborn."
Erik Feig, Gillian Bohrer and Ashley Schlaifer are overseeing the project for the studio.
ICM represented film rights on the project. Oppel's publishing rep is Writer's House.
Studio nabs feature claim to Kenneth Oppel's upcoming novel
By Dave McNary
Summit is looking to make a big-screen version of the Frankenstein origin story and has acquired rights to Kenneth Oppel's upcoming novel "This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein."
Projects' been set with Karen Rosenfelt, a producer on Summit's "Twilight" franchise and Fox's "Alvin" films.
The tome's the first book of a series to be published by Simon & Schuster. Story follows Victor Frankenstein's twin brother falling ill, leading Victor to seek out a mysterious old alchemist to help him produce the Elixir of Life, a fabled serum that will bestow the drinker with perpetual health. Aided by his best friend Elizabeth, Victor sets out on a quest for the three ingredients needed to save Konrad's life.
Oppel's previously written the "Silverwing" trilogy and "Airborn."
Erik Feig, Gillian Bohrer and Ashley Schlaifer are overseeing the project for the studio.
ICM represented film rights on the project. Oppel's publishing rep is Writer's House.
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