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no tv no fair

No TV? No Fair!

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Here’s what No TV? No Fair!  is all about:

The Rule: No TV, no computers, no video games. For one whole month! Chloe Lambert is so angry, she’s seeing red. But soon her fiery red turns to a simmering orange, and finally to a laughing yellow. In fact, Chloe even begins to wonder if life would be better if there were no more machines! But when something happens to her good friend Mr. Z., Chloe has to decide: Are machines good for us or bad?

Read an excerpt from No TV? No Fair!

CHAPTER ONE – The Rule

Zap!

Chloe Lambert’s mom switched off the TV. Chloe scrunched up her face as she stared at the blank screen. She was in the middle of watching her all-time favourite show, The Taylor Twins. Jake and Josh Taylor were just about to perform their latest hit song, “Heartbreak Summer”.

“We’re shutting off the television for one month,” Chloe’s mom announced. “Starting now.”

Chloe’s face suddenly became unscrunched. Her eyes got very wide. Her mouth dropped open. No TV for a month? She was so surprised, she couldn’t say a word. Her mom must be joking!

Chloe checked her mom’s face. She wasn’t joking.

Stomp. Stomp. STOMP!

Chloe’s older brother Mark stormed down the two steps that led into the family room. What’s he doing in here? Chloe thought. Mark still had seventeen minutes left in his turn on the computer. Chloe knew this because in exactly seventeen minutes, the computer was all hers. Mark slumped onto the couch beside her. His dark, messy hair hung in his eyes, but Chloe could still see the grouchy look on his face. Grouchier than usual, that is. Mark was thirteen and, according to Chloe’s parents, suffered from “perma-frown”.

Chloe’s dad followed Mark into the family room and stood in front of the TV beside their mom. Chloe’s parents were still in their work clothes. Her mom was dressed in a navy skirt and a white blouse, and her dark hair was pulled back. Her dad wore a grey shirt tucked into black dress pants, and had his glasses on. He usually only wore his glasses for work, and Chloe always thought they made him look serious. In fact, at that moment, both her parents looked like they meant business.

“We’ve made a family decision,” Chloe’s mom said. “No TV and no computer in our house for the next thirty days.”

What? Chloe’s mouth opened even wider. No computer, either? It was bad enough that Chloe had to live without The Taylor Twins, My Two Crazy Lives, and Rock School, just to name a few of her favourite shows. But they wanted her to give up her computer games, too?

“No fair!” grumbled Mark. “How is it a family decision? I’m a part of the family, and this sure wasn’t my decision.”

“What about me?” Chloe said. “I wasn’t even finished watching The Taylor Twins. And I was going to beat the last level of Swamp Creature Showdown 2 on the computer today.”

* * * *

…to find our what happens next, read No TV? No Fair! by Karin Adams

Who is “No TV? No Fair!” for?

I wrote this book for young readers, but I hope that parents will enjoy the story, too! With humour and heart, this book takes a look at what happens when a modern family decides to turn off their TVs and computers for a month. (Hint  – everyone struggles at first, even mom and dad!). You’ll laugh and sympathize with ten-year-old Chloe, who goes from hating the rule (“no fair!”) to trying to convince her friends to unplug all of their machines. Will Chloe really give up technology forever?

Purchasing a copy of No TV? No Fair!

You can ask for No TV? No Fair! by Karin Adams  at your favourite local bookstore. It is published by James Lorimer & Company Ltd. and distributed by Formac Lorimer Books in Canada, and by Orca Book Publishers in the USA. ISBN10: 1-55277-471-6 or ISBN13: 978-1-55277-471-7.

Or, here are a few places where you can order online:

CANADA

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amazon-ca-logo
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USA

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Worldwide

“No TV? No Fair!” is carried by most major booksellers around the world! To find an online seller in your country, or just want to see more shopping options, you can do a web search for “No TV? No Fair!” by Karin Adams.

Governor Semple School – Friends Who Are Family

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I visited a very special grade 3/4 class at Governor Semple School last week. There are many reasons why I call this class special! First, they were bursting with ideas, enthusiasm and creativity. Second, this class is in so many ways just like the class that I imagined Chloe Lambert from “No TV? No Fair!” being a part of. (For one thing, the school is a hop, skip and jump away from Kildonan Park in Winnipeg – the park that Chloe visits and loves in the book!). Third and most important, this class shared with me an amazing discovery: you don’t have to be related to be family. Or, said another way – your friends are your family. So, this class wasn’t “just” a class, but a family of friends, one that I was welcomed into for an amazing morning of sharing.

I was invited to Room 1 for a morning of students sharing various projects that they had done based on “No TV? No Fair!” (and according to their teacher – another special person!- many of these project ideas came from the students’ own imaginations). Each student had a bound book full of creative art work, book reviews, character sketches, character portraits, wordles, scary stories, imaginary “penalties” for breaking the No TV/No Computer rule, and so much more – there were even double-sided placemats that perfectly captured the ghostly suspense of Mr. Z’s radio story on one side, and gorgeous pressed autumn leaves on the other! The students had many questions for me about the book and about writing – questions that really made me think! And I met students who were phenomenal artists, writers, comedians, thinkers…I even got to watch a dance rehearsal for an upcoming recital (in fact, I think the recital may have already taken place, and I just know it was AWESOME!).

We celebrated out visit with scrumptious cupcakes – mmmmmmmm….. I was presented with a colorful collage poster with the names of my new friends, a special card, and a magnificent arrangement of tissue paper flowers – just like the ones Chloe made for Mr. Z when he was recovering in the hospital. It’s an incredible piece of art! I move it around my house to inspire me – it’s right beside my computer when I write and it’s in my kitchen when I’m dreaming up something to cook for dinner. I’m a little like Mr. Lambert who loves to experiment in the kitchen – but I try not to burn the vegetables! 🙂 Stay tuned – as soon as I charge up my camera, I’m going to post a photo of these stunning, colourful flowers. They are so beautiful, they must be shared with the world!

I will never forget this family of friends at Governor Semple school and hope to visit again sometime. Till we meet again!

Karin 🙂

Creativity in Full Bloom at Prairie Rose School

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I had so much fun visiting Prairie Rose School on Wednesday, February 16! (Did you know that this school was built on the site of what was once Prairie Rose Dairy Farm? How cool is that – and the perfect backdrop for a discussion about “Lights! Curtains! Cows!” 🙂 )

First of all, I would like to thank the teachers and librarians who organized the visit, the two students who showed me around the school and made sure that I got to the appropriate classrooms, and of course all the amazing students and teachers who invited me to read and chat with them! The school even presented me with a lovely  thank you gift full of tasty treats – well, THANK YOU!

What can I say about the impressive students at Prairie Rose? First of all, they had GREAT ideas! In each class, before reading Chapter One of “No TV? No Fair!”, I asked them what they thought the book was about and what might happen in it. I heard so many different and creative ideas, I thought “wow – they could all write their own books, and they would be fantastic!”. I was thrilled to hear that many of the students actually do have an interest in creative writing, and maybe even being published. We talked a lot about how important it is to edit, edit, edit and make sure that our writing is the best it can be – students had great ideas about how to do this, and I was happy to share some of my tips, too. To all you budding writers, I say: Follow your dreams, work hard, be patient, and always remember to write for the love of telling a great story!

Speaking of great stories, when I asked students what they liked to do instead of watching TV and playing on the computer, students couldn’t wait to share all of their hobbies and pastimes – reading, basketball, snow angels, snow forts, playing with brothers and sisters, drawing, music – the list goes on and on. This is obviously a very talented bunch with a lot of energy…way to go!

In each class, we shared many laughs as we read “No TV? No Fair!” and imagined what Chloe would do without her TV and computer for a whole month (yikes!). In one class, we also talked about how there is also a serious side to consider whenever we’re using the computer. Being safe is “key”, of course . Also, we talked about how being kind and thoughtful to others is just as important online as it is offline. Excellent points – thanks for a great discussion!

Thanks again for a super visit. It’s always inspiring to meet young readers, and makes my job of writing books even more fun. I hope we meet again soon…enjoy the rest of I Love To Read week, Prairie Rose –  and have a good year!

Karin 🙂

Always a Good Day At Greenway!

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Imagine my surprise when I stepped through the doors to Greenway School, and there stood a funky, colorful, flashing sign saying “Welcome, Karin Adams!”.  This school certainly knows how to welcome its guests – thank you to teacher organizers and hosts, and all you fantastic students for instantly making me feel at home! (Student volunteers who led me from class to class also made sure I didn’t get lost in this beautiful two-storey building – thank you! 😉 ). This was my second visit to the very awesome Greenway School, and it was just a superb as the first.

One thing that I noticed right away in the classrooms I visited was this amazing, positive energy – a real passion for learning and trying new things! From grade one to grade six, I was met by class after class of attentive listeners who were also bursting with ideas and questions to share when we chatted.  It was also super cool to see posters in many of the classrooms with tips about observing, writing, and editing one’s creative writing work. I know that you had questions for me, but I learned a lot from you, too!

I also noticed a passion for creative expression. I loved how many students “mimed”  Chloe’s facial expressions and body language as I read from “No TV? No Fair!”. Not only does this tell me you were “into” the story, I could tell that there is a huge love for drama and acting at this school – which is very, very cool (I adored acting and putting on shows with my friends at school – I actually still take theatre classes, and  as you know, “Lights! Curtains! Cows!” is all about a super fun show). Also, there was gorgeous artwork all over the halls and classroom walls (keep reading “No TV? No Fair!’ and you’ll see that Chloe would LOVE Greenway!)

Thanks once again for having me at Greenway – till we meet again!

Karin 🙂

National Family Literacy Day – Celebrate with me at Chapters!

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Hi All!

Happy National Family Literacy Day on Thursday January 27, 2011!  A great day to curl up together with a great new book or an old favorite, and let your imaginations soar!  (Of  course, January in Manitoba has many perfect days to stay in with a book – ha ha!).

I will be at Chapters (Polo Park location in Winnipeg) from 4pm-8pm along with several other local authors (I’m not sure who yet – I’m excited as you to find out!). We’ll be celebrating this special day with some word-related activities, and of course we’ll all be surrounded by books! Come on out, meet some local writers, check out some books (even get signed copies!) and share your love for reading with us!

And, stay warm! 😉

Karin 🙂

Book Signing at Chapters Bookstore

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Hello Readers – especially those of you in Winnipeg!

I will be the guest author at Chapters Bookstore (Polo Park location) in Winnipeg  this Sunday November 14, 2010 (super exciting!)!

I’ll be available to meet readers, chat about my novels, and sign books. Both “Lights! Curtains! Cows!” and  “No TV? No Fair!” will be available. If you’re going to be in the area, or maybe doing some Chrismtas shopping (books make awesome gifts!), I would LOVE to meet some local readers, so please stop by and say hello anytime between noon and 6pm!

Looking forward to seeing you at Chapters!

Karin 🙂

No TV? No Fair! – A Number One Bestseller!

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Following a terrific launch event at McNally Robinson Booksellers (Winnipeg), my new book “No TV? No Fair!” is their number one bestselling book for young people this week! What a an awesome start for this story!

The news was released on Saturday, May 22, 2010 in the Winnipeg Free Press:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertainment/books/Winnipeg-Bestsellers-94605984.html

I want to thank everyone who picked up a copy this week (and told your friends about it, too)! I really hope you enjoy the story and the characters as much as I do (some of my favorite personalities are in this one, for sure!).

Being on McNally’s bestseller list  is a great honour for an author. Icing on an already delicious cake if I may borrow that metaphor for a moment…I certainly hope it means that even more people will come across “No TV? No Fair!” and spend some time with Chloe, Mark and Mr. Z!

Thanks to all my readers and friends – you’re the best, and you’ve made my week!

Karin 🙂

“No TV? No Fair!” – It’s Here!

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No-TV-No-Fair-Small-ImageIt’s finally here! My second book No TV? No Fair! has arrived and I’m so excited. You might think that since this is my second book, that somehow I might not be as giddy as when my first book came out  – NO WAY! This whole dream that I’m living – getting to write stories I love for young people (the best-ever audience) – just keeps getting better and better! Receiving my copies of the book was like waking up on your birthday – awesome!

In No TV? No Fair! ten-year-old Chloe Lambert’s parents decide that the family is going offline for one whole month: no TV, no computers, no video games. At first, Chloe and her teenage brother Mark are stunned, flabbergasted, and angry – NO FAIR! How are they going to survive!?!?!? Soon, Chloe discovers that she actually likes to do other things, like art, and listening to stories about the olden days told by her friendly neighbour, Mr. Z.  But what will happen when Chloe takes the rule too far and tries to ban all machines forever?

Find out by reading No TV? No Fair! today! Click here for more information about No TV? No Fair!

(Psst…Have you ever tried going without TV, computer, or your vids? Was it your choice, or did somebody else decide? What was it like? What did you do instead?)