Virtual Author Visits Available

In this day and age, when we all face excalating transportation costs and budget cuts, I am pleased to offer you a virtual author visit to your classroom.
By simply downloading Skype I can address your students, answer their questions, show them my (new) books and share information with them on reading and writing.
Cost for a one hour Skype visit is $200 (reduced from the standard $250 per hour classroom presentation) with no added travel or accommodation expenses.
If you would like to arrange a suitable date and time, please contact me: margriet@margrietruurs.com

Workshop offered on Salt Spring

If you live on or near Salt Spring you might be interested in the workshop I will be teaching:

Library Cuts

If you are a teacher, parent, booklover in B.C. you have probably heard about the pending funding cuts to BC libraries. Not long ago our premier promised "to make BC the most literate province in Canada." Now, however, the government is cutting not just special programs but core funding to libraries. This means that children's programming, Summer Reading clubs, even the B.C. One Card may all soon disappear.
Please let your voice be heard by contacting your MLA, the premier and others. You can find details on this website: http://www.stopbclibrarycuts.ca/

International School visit

I just received this photo from the International School in Teipei, Taiwan I visited earlier this year. They took this photo of me reading to students. It is now hanging, framed, on the wall of their library. A wonderful memento!

A Great Summer Read!

Who says they don't write books like they used to? I just finished reading a wonderful children's novel. Couldn't put it down! JOURNEY TO THE RIVER SEA by Eva Ibbotson is a blend of Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn and Pippy Longstocking. Bound to become a classic - I loved the characters, the settings, everything about it. If you need a good read this summer, be sure to try this book.
On the page of "Recommended Reads" on this website, you will find a list of many of my favorite books, including this one.

NorthWords Writing Camp

After the long weekend I will be flying to Terrace, B.C. to conduct a creative writers' camp at the Public Library. I look forward to working with children who want to write and illustrate their own stories. Hopefully it won't be as hot as it is now!

Writers' Workshops

During the past week I spoke at the Oregon Coast Children's Writing Workshop in Oceanside, Oregon. What a gorgeous setting to spend the week talking about children's writing. There were some 50 participants from across the country as well as great writers, an agent and editors. Now I'm looking forward to getting home and writing!

New Book!

Summer is flying by at Between The Covers, our booklovers' B & B. I'm having fun hosting people from all across the world in our Fiction and Poetry room. Good news: my brandnew book is now out! MY SCHOOL IN THE RAIN FOREST has been several years in the making. It is published by Boyds Mills Press, ISBN 978-1-59078-601-7-51795 and can be ordered from any bookstore or online.

The book shares stories and information about many countries around the world and how children attend school. It includes a school via the radio in Australia, a school on a ship, a floating school in Cambodia and many more. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Books, Beds and Bedtime Stories

Time flies when you're having fun. I AM having fun making big breakfasts for our many guests at Between The Covers, sharing stories and books with them. Many of our first guests have been teachers who enjoy our book theme. We now have bookings from Australia, Newfoundland and many other places and look forward to meeting more booklovers here in our piece of paradise.
When I am not doing laundry or weeding the lavender, I am editing my upcoming book: Amazing Animals.
I hope you are finding time to read good books. For a list of some of my favourite books to read this summer, click on the 'for readers' tab on my website.

Booklovers' B & B - Big News!!

After months of hard work, renovations, planting, mowing, painting and moving furniture we are now proud to tell you that we have opened BETWEEN THE COVERS, Booklovers' B & B here on Salt Spring Island, B.C.!
The place looks gorgeous. We have two rooms:
• The Poetry Room has a queen size bed, sitting area, kitchen counter with microwave and coffee maker, private entrance and private bathroom.
• The Fiction Room has a king size bed, a hide-a-bed couch and also private entrance and private bathroom. The hut tub on the deck overlooks acres of lavender and farm fields. Deer wander by daily. The rooms have bookcases full of an eclectic assortment of books. You can even take a book with you once you get into it!
My daughter-in-law Hannah is a great (English) cook and we look forward to working on fancy breakfast menu's. We plan to serve all sorts of homemade things as well as our own farm eggs! We finished building a gorgeous chicken coop this weekend!
So, if you need a break and get away from it all this summer, and if you like to read, come stay at Between The Covers!
www.betweenthecoversbandb.com