A Fitting Tribute to an Extraordinary Man: the Ralph Hancox Memorial Scholarship

Ralph Hancox,  1929—2017
Portrait by Patrick Fitzgerald

With the support of Simon Fraser University, the family of Ralph Hancox has established a Memorial Scholarship in Ralph Hancox's name. A scholarship fund for students in the Master of Publishing Program will be established to honour Ralph’s commitment to the publishing industry and his dedication to his students at Simon Fraser University’s Master in Publishing Program. The purpose of the scholarship will be to support a master’s student education recognizing that Ralph valued education, writing and a wondering mind and his students who demonstrated these qualities.

Ralph joined the SFU staff and worked as Adjunct Professor in the late 1990’s. He worked with Anne Cowan-Buitenaus and Rowland Lorimer in the newly established Master of Publishing Program. Ralph served as Adjunct Professor and Professional Fellow Emeritus at Simon Fraser University where he published a textbook on ‘Managing the Publishing Process’ for the Canadian Center for Studies in Publishing. There, he was honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Service for 10 years of teaching before he retired again at the age of 80, in 2009.

For more information or to contribute to the Ralph Hancox Memorial Scholarship, click here.

Ralph recently published three works of fiction with Fictive Press: his crime duology, Con Job and Scandalous, and his novel of social commentary, The Ape & the Peacock.

P.J. le Pooch Fans

It's great to have readers around the world. These P.J. le Pooch fans are from Great Britain!

Book II in the P.J. le Pooch series – P.J. le Pooch & the Haunted Inn – is now in production. Stay tuned!

OCTOBER FERRIES TO GABRIOLA LAUNCHED IN STYLE!

It was another full house for Charlotte Cameron at the Gabriola Library for the launch of her play, October Ferries to Gabriola. Thank you to everyone who attended and the actors who dramatized two scenes.

P.J. le Pooch Gets Top Rating from CM!

Click here to order in print or ebook 

★★★★/4
Highly Recommended
by CM: Canadian Review of Materials*

It doesn't get much better than that! 

I'm working on P.J. le Pooch's next adventures for middle-grade readers, so it's very gratifying—not to mention, motivating!—to have his first novel get such a glowing endorsement.

*CM: Canadian Review of Materials is a prestigious online publication, from the University of Manitoba, of particular interest to teachers and librarians.

Surprise your Kids for Passover!

"Janet Ruth Heller’s The Passover Surprise is a nicely illustrated chapbook for young readers with clear print, great chapter titles, well-placed black-and-white illustrations, and a pleasing lesson well-told. The story’s set around 1960, when civil rights hit the schoolroom and the news, fathers might have served in the Second World War, and girls were still not supposed to like the same things as boys. It’s a deceptively simple tale in which life isn’t fair, but love and trust, with a measure of kind communication, might ease the pain. 

"Readers will learn about sibling rivalry and parental mistakes, while absorbing the joys of stamp collecting, Jewish Sabbath and Passover, and family love. As Lisa learns of the world’s many faults, her own problems fall into pleasing perspective, and her mother’s advice proves wise and comforting.

"A great book to build good family relationships (complete with a neat discussion guide), and an intriguing window into the world, The Passover Surprise is highly recommended." —Sheila Deeth, author of Psalm Stories and other books

R.I.P. Ralph Hancox: A Great Loss

Ralph Hancox: 1929-2017

I am very sad to announce the passing of my dear friend and Fictive Press author Ralph Hancox. Beyond his remarkable lifetime achievements and brilliance, Ralph was an extraordinary individual—charming, funny, thoughtful and compassionate. Many have benefited from his kindness and interest—and I was fortunate enough to be one of them. He took a chance on me when I was young and virtually unskilled and offered me my first first real job, as his administrative assistant in the Reader's Digest book department in Montreal. This effectively launched my decade-long association with the Digest and my subsequent business-writing career. In the last two years, I had the privilege of working with Ralph again, this time as his editor and publisher of his three novels: Con Job, Scandalous and The Ape & the Peacock. I shall miss him greatly.

How to Deal with Unfairness in a Father

A chapter book for middle grades

Bonnie Ferrante talks about the complex issue of how a child deals with an unfair father in her review of Janet Heller's chapter book for middle grades, The Passover Surprise.

Read Bonnie Ferrante's in-depth interview with Janet Heller, "A Life-long Mission of Equality and Inclusion."

P.J. le Pooch Featured in Nanaimo Bulletin

A big thank-you to Rachel Stern
of the Nanaimo News Bulletin
for her article about my middle-grades novel,
P.J. le Pooch & the Magic Sketchbook.

The Passover Surprise: Recommended for Children 11-15

"In Janet Ruth Heller’s The Passover Surprise  (illustrated by Ronald Kauffman; Fictive Press, 48 pp. $11), Jewish traditions, stamp collecting, sibling rivalry and familial affection are all part of the story of Lisa, who craves a “big blue stamp album” as a gift for finding the afikoman. Readers will root for Lisa and a happy holiday."

Reviewed by Gloria Goldreich, "Stories for Children to Celebrate and Commemorate," Hadassah Magazine, Dec., 2016

Serious Moral Issues Discussed in Wide-ranging Interview with Carol Matas

Tucson Tales, a publication showcasing new and established writers, has posted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview about Tucson Jo, Carol Matas' award-winning historical novel for middle grades.

 

Carol talks about the story behind the story—cowboys and Jews, antisemitism, even in the American Wild West, and important moral issues of relevance in today's world. A must read for teachers—and for kids of all ages.

Carol Matas talks about the meaning of fredom in this excerpt from the Tucson Tales interview:

Q: Incorporating more serious themes into your work for children seems to be an important part of what you do. Does this ever extend beyond the page? Do you ever engage in a dialogue with children, say, after a reading? If so, what comes of it? How do you children react after reading your stories?