MYRCA Northern Lights nomination for Winterkill
Tag: Ukrainian
Fave Qs from Boyd W. Arthurs Middle School (MI)
I had the pleasure of visiting Arthurs MS in person in 2019 and so it was really neat to catch up with them again, albeit virtually. Those kids are now in high school but it was great to see the same wonderful educators and another crop of avid readers, including Alex, who described himself as my biggest fan. Also, they used the same Welcome Marsha sign! How cool is that?
Here are my fave questions from this session:
In Winterkill, Auntie Pawlina’s songbook is destroyed by the shockworkers. In real life, what was the fate of her collected songs?
Why were you banned by Russia?
When you write a novel, do you use an outline?
Why does Russia hate Ukraine?
Favorite questions from Eleanor Van Gelder (NJ) students
I like to leave lots of room for questions when presenting to students and this morning’s questions were superb! The topic was Winterkill, set during the Holodomor. Plus, I always talk about my own struggles as a kid, for example not reading til I was 9, and being bullied. Here are some of my favorite questions of the day:
If the Holodomor was such a huge event, how was it possible to hide it?
How did you deal with the bullying, and were you able to get it to stop?
Did you ever regret writing your first book about the Holodomor (Enough), seeing as you were subjected to so much hate because of it?
The Seeds of Memory
Congratulations to Mateusz Świetlicki on the publication of this groundbreaking work. Ukrainian historical themes have been sadly absent in most popular literature, including literature for young people. This book is a comprehensive and perceptive examination of Canadian works tackling the topic, including my own.
Witnesses, Deniers and Bourgeois Troublemakers. The Holodomor and Ukrainian-Canadian Collaboration in Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch’s Winterkill (2022)
Thank you, Dr. Mateusz Świetlicki, for this thorough examination of Winterkill, particularly in terms of historical veracity and how the novel gives needed context to the Russian Federation’s current genocidal war against the Ukrainian nation and culture. This paper is a great resource for educators who are doing a novel study with Winterkill. Here’s the link.
Pajama Day at Traphagen School
It was pajama day at Traphagen school on my Scholastic Book Fairs virtual visit. I decided to join in and wore my housecoat. Many of the students were partway through Winterkill so they asked me not to give away anything past chapter 11! Great questions, nice students! And now I’m considering wearing a hat to bed!
An excellent and terrible book
Thank you Susan Lowell and the Historical Novel Society for this review of Winterkill. You’d think an author wouldn’t like their book to be called terrible, but seeing as I’m immersing the reader in the midst of a largely unknown genocide that’s being replicated by Russia right now, the description is apt. Here’s how the review begins:
This is an excellent and terrible book.
Well-written, it includes convincing and sympathetic characters, and it bears witness to an awful historical event: Stalin’s partially successful attempt between 1930 and 1933 to starve Ukraine to death. Its author, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, is, in her own words, “fierce in her pursuit of truth.” Read more here.
Sunday NY Times for Winterkill!
First visit of 2023
The wonderful Ms Bartholomew invited me to Riverside Elementary, Suwanee Georgia, for two back to back visits this morning. I think this is the third time I’ve visited Riverside and always, the students are such a pleasure to speak with. Thank you, Ms Bartholomew and Riverside educators for your great prepping!
I didn’t think to ask for a photo until the second session was almost over — that should tell you how excited I was to get back in the class with students after the holiday break. This spring I have a number of in person visits scheduled and I’m really looking forward to that.
Look at these smiling faces!
Koota Ooma!
It was great popping in to Koota Ooma Ukrainian Book and gift store this past Wednesday on my way home from Toronto after an informative brain-picking session with with two knowledgeable academics for my novel-in-progress. I offered to sign any of my books that Koota Ooma had on hand, thinking they might have a half a dozen or so. Much to my delight, they had a PILE — and a great variety! The first pen ran out of ink! So, if you’re looking for an autographed copy of Winterkill etc, you know where to get it!
I also did some shopping. Look at those beautiful necklaces! And picked up a fantastic book, The Zelensky Effect. You can get one too — an autographed copy, no less because later on Wednesday, author Olga Onuch had her book launch!
