Hello, everyone! Something a little bit different, but a lot special: I had the absolute pleasure of being asked by friends at Penguin Random House Canada to virtually interview British Columbia-based authors Francie (Frances) Greenslade and Polly Horvath for a middle grade panel talking about their newest books, survival, book recommendations, and so much more! Read on for a little bit about the authors, their new books, and then you’ll see the video! You can also see a collection of videos, this one included, through the fantastic Tundra Books channel over on YouTube.

You may immediately recognize Polly Horvath as the award-winning children’s author of The Canning Season, Everything on a Waffle, One Year in Coal Harbor, as well as The Night Garden. Horvath’s latest middle grade title is Pine Island Home, a character-rich, emotional and funny tale of four orphaned sisters. The author’s sublime knack for telling tales with elements of tragedy balanced by levity and off-kilter comedy is as present as ever. Francie (Frances) Greenslade, author of the novel Shelter, as well as two adult non-fiction books, recently made her debut on the children’s fiction scene with Red Fox Road, a stellar contemporary middle grade title. A deeply introspective story centred on an unforgettable thirteen year old protagonist, Red Fox Road is at once a meticulously written survival story as well as a heartrending tale of loss, grief and recovery. Both titles are definitely recommended reading!

Big thank you to Francie and Polly for their generosity in answering so many questions and their time. It was such a pleasure to meet them both! And a mammoth-sized thank you as well to Sam at Penguin Random House Canada for organizing and putting the video together! I hope you all enjoy the interview!

Copies of Red Fox Road and Pine Island Home were purchased by me in preparation for the interview. All opinions and comments are my own. Titles have been published and are currently available.