CANSCAIP
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers<br>La société canadienne des auteurs, illustrateurs et artistes pour enfants
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Marsha Skrypuch

Author, Librarian

 

Member profile details

Membership level
Member
First Name
Marsha
Last Name
Skrypuch
Province or Territory
Ontario
Craft
  • Author
  • Librarian
Member Photo
Website
www.calla.com
Facebook
Marsha J. Skrypuch
LinkedIn
Marsha Skrypuch
YouTube
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Professional information

Bio
Marsha Skrypuch is the author of many books for children and young adults. She has written more novels about Armenian immigrants than any other author in the English speaking world, yet she is not Armenian. "I write about people who must give up everything that is dear to them and travel to a new country. To me, these people are heroic."

Marsha tricked her teachers into thinking she knew how to read until it all caught up with her in grade 4 when she failed the provincial reading exam. Adding insult to injury, they made her repeat the year. As the tallest and oldest kid in the class, she didn't want to be seen learning to read with little skinny books and she was too proud to ask for help, so she taught herself how to read by taking out the fattest book in the children's section of the Brantford Public Library -- Oliver Twist. She kept on renewing it for a whole year. Reading that book was a turning point in her life. She decided that she loved reading, and wanted to write too.

Marsha loves speaking with students of all ages, especially those who are struggling academically or who feel "different".
Available For
Writing workshops for adults or children
School and library presentations
Keynotes
Professional development workshops
Conferences
Publications
Adult Non-Fiction

Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006
I was the editor for this book. There were 12 contributors


Young Adult Fiction

Daughter of War
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008

Nobody's Child
Dundurn, 2003

Hope's War
Dundurn, 2001

The Hunger
Dundurn, 1999

Middle grade non-fiction

One Step At A Time: A Vietnamese Child Finds Her Way. Pajama Press, September 2012.

Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan's Rescue from War. Pajama Press, Nov 2011


Pre-Teen Fiction

Making Bombs For Hitler
Scholastic, Feb 2012

Stolen Child
Scholastic, 2010

Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk (Dear Canada)
Scholastic, 2007


Children's Fiction

Call Me Aram
Fitzhenry & Whiteside , 2009
Muriel Wood, illlustrator

Aram's Choice
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006
Muriel Wood, illlustrator

Silver Threads
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004
Michael Martchenko, illustrator

Enough
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2000
Michael Martchenko, illustrator

The Best Gifts
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1998
Halina Below, illustrator

Silver Threads, first edition
Penguin, 1996
Michael Martchenko, illustrator
Awards
One Step at a Time, Horn Book, 2013
One Step at a Time: CCBC Best Books starred selection
Making Bombs for Hitler, CCBC Best Books starred selection
Making Bombs for Hitler, Silver Birch Fiction winner, 2013
Making Bombs for Hitler, MYRCA 2014 nomination
Last Airlift, Red Maple Honour Book, 2013
Last Airlift: Red Cedar Information Book Winner, 2013
Last Airlift: Cooperative Children's Center 2013 Choice
Stolen Child: Starred selection, CCBC Our Choice
Stolen Child: 2012 Saskatchewan Diamond Willow nomination
Stolen Child: 2011 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Honour Book
Stolen Child: Winner of the 2011 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Americas
Stolen Child: Canadian Library Association 2011 Children's Book of the Year nomination
Stolen Child: Resource Links Best Book, 2010
Stolen Child: OLA Best Bets, top ten juvenile fiction list in 2010
CANSCAIP silver pin for volunteerism, 2010
Stolen Child: Golden Oak nomination, 2011
Calliope Award for mentorship and excellence in writing, Humber School for Writers, 2010

2010 Woman of Distinction, World Congress of Ukrainian Women's Organizations
For: body of work

2010 nomination: Silver Birch Express
Category: writing
For: Call Me Aram

2010 nomination: Golden Oak
Category: writing
For: Call Me Aram

2010 Herstory inspiring women calendar selection

2010 Calliope Award
Category: For outstanding writing and mentoring, Humber School for Writers

2009 nomination: White Pine
For: Daughter of War

2008 Order of Princess Olha
Category: the highest honour bestowed on citizens of foreign countries, by Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
For: Enough

2008 nomination: Golden Oak
For: Aram's Choice

2007 nomination: Silver Birch Express
For: Aram's Choice

2007 nomination: Canadian Library Association Children's book of the year
Category: writing
For: Aram's Choice

2006 nomination: BC Stellar
For: Nobody's Child

2005 nomination: Red Maple
For: Nobody's Child

2005 nomination: Alberta Rocky Mtn Book Award
For: Nobody's Child

2004 nomination: Sask Snow Willow
For: Hope's War

2004 nomination: Alberta Rocky Mtn Book Award
For: Hope's War

2003 nomination: MB Young Readers' Choice Award
For: Hope's War

1996 OLA Best Bets
For: Silver Threads

1996 nomination: Amelia Frances/Howard Gibbon Award
Category: illustration
For: Silver Threads
Other Memberships
The Writers' Union of Canada
SCBWI
Authors' Booking Service
IBBY
CCBC
Content Copyright © 1996-2011 CANSCAIP

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Phone: 416-515-1559, Email: office@canscaip.org

 
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