Sarah Ellis (author)

For the 19th Century English author, see Sarah Stickney Ellis.
Sarah Ellis
Born (1952-05-19) May 19, 1952 (age 72)
Vancouver, British Columbia
OccupationWriter, librarian, teacher
Alma mater
GenreChildren's literature
Website
sarahellis.ca

Sarah Ellis (born 19 May 1952 in Vancouver)[1] is a Canadian children's writer and librarian. She has been a librarian in Toronto and Vancouver. She has also written reviews for Quill and Quire.[2] She taught writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a masthead reviewer for The Horn Book.

Ellis has said that she gets her ideas from "memories, anecdotes people tell me, radio interviews, dreams, newspaper articles, family stories, being curious, observing the world, paying attention."[3] She is a strong advocate for children's literature and she belongs to many different clubs and unions such as the Writers' Union of Canada, the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable, Children's Writers and Illustrators and many more.[4]

Biography

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Ellis was born 19 May 1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia to Joseph Walter and Ruth Elizabeth Ellis[1] and has two older brothers.[5][6]

She attended the University of British Columbia where she received her Bachelor of Arts honours in 1973 and a Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1975.[1] After receiving her MLS, Ellis began working as a librarian in Vancouver before attending Simmons College, where she graduated with a Master of Arts degree in children's literature in 1980.[1][7]

Ellis published her first book, The Baby Project, in 1986.

In 1999, she was a writer-in-residence at Massey College at the University of Toronto.[1]

Ellis retired from library work in 2007 but shortly after began teaching at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has also written reviews for Quill and Quire[2] and is a masthead reviewer for The Horn Book.

She is an out lesbian.[8]

Awards and honours

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In 1995, Ellis won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People,[9] and in 2013, she received the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence.[10] She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award four times.[6]

In 2012, Ellis was chair of the judges for the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.[11]

Awards for Ellis's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
1987 The Baby Project Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner [12][13]
1990 Next Door Neighbours Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
1991 Pick-Up Sticks Governor General's Award for English-Language Children's Literature Winner [14][15]
1992 Next Door Neighbours Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee [16]
Pick Up Sticks Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
1994 Out of the Blue Governor General's Award for English-Language Children's Literature Finalist
Pick Up Sticks Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee [17]
1995 Out of the Blue Mr. Christie's Book Award: English, Ages 12 and up Winner [18]
National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award Winner [19]
1997 Back of Beyond Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner [20]
Out of the Blue Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee [21]
2000 The Young Writer's Companion Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction Finalist
2002 Dear Canada: A Prairie as Wide as the Sea Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
2003 Salmon Forest Science in Society Book Award Winner [22]
The Several Lives of Orphan Jack Governor General's Award for English-Language Children's Literature Finalist
2004 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Shortlist [1]
Mr. Christie's Book Award: English, Ages 8–11 Winner
National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award Winner [23]
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Finalist
2007 The Queen's Feet Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize Finalist
Odd Man Out Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Shortlist [1]
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Winner
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award Winner [10][24]
2008 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee [25]
2016 Outside In Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee [26]

Publications

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Middle grade and young adult fiction

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  • The Baby Project (1986)
  • Next Door Neighbours (1990)
  • Pick Up Sticks (1991)
  • Out of the Blue (1994)
  • The Several Lives of Orphan Jack, illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin (2003)
  • Odd Man Out (2006)
  • Outside In (2014)
  • Dodger Boy (2018)

Picture books

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Ben series

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The Ben books are illustrated by Kim LaFave.

  • Ben Over Night (2001)
  • Big Ben (2001)
  • A+ for Big Ben (2015)
  • Ben Says Goodbye (2015)
  • Ben and the Scaredy-Dog (2018)

Short story collections

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  • Back of Beyond: Stories of the Supernatural (1997)

Dear Canada Diary books

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  • A Prairie as Wide as the Sea: The Immigrant Diary of Ivy Weatherall (2002)
  • A Season for Miracles: Twelve Tales of Christmas (2006)
  • Days of Toil and Tears: The Child Labour Diary of Flora Rutherford (2008)
  • A Christmas to Remember: Tales of Comfort and Joy (2009)
  • That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton (2011)

Nonfiction books

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  • The Young Writer's Companion, illustrated by Juan Fitzherbert (1999)
  • From Reader to Writer: Teaching Writing Through Classic Children's Books (2000)

Anthologies edited

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  • Girls' Own: An Anthology of Canadian Fiction for Young Readers (2001)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Ellis, Sarah 1952-". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  2. ^ a b Ellis, Sarah. Quill and Quire. January 2009. [full citation needed]
  3. ^ "Sarah Ellis: Writer, Reader, Storyteller, Librarian". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Sarah Ellis". CANSCAIP members. Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers (canscaip.org). Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Ellis, Sarah". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  6. ^ a b "About". Sarah Ellis. Archived from the original on 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  7. ^ Donohue, Kathleen. "Sarah Ellis". Oxford University Press 2001
  8. ^ "Secret garden". Xtra. Archived from the original on 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  9. ^ "1995 Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-02-05. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  10. ^ a b Martha Perkins (April 11, 2013). "Sarah Ellis and Lorna Crozier to receive Lieutenant Governor Award". WE Vancouver. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  11. ^ "And the Judges Are..." Shelf Awareness. 2013-06-04. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  12. ^ "B.C. Book Prize winners". Quill and Quire. 2007-05-04. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  13. ^ "1987 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  14. ^ "Governor General's Literary Awards". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  15. ^ "1991 Governor General's Literary Awards Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  16. ^ "1992". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  17. ^ "1994". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  18. ^ "1994 Mr. Christie's Book Award Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  19. ^ "1995 National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  20. ^ "1997 Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  21. ^ "1997". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  22. ^ "2003 Science in Society Book Award Recipient: David Suzuki and Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  23. ^ "2004 National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  24. ^ "2007 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award Recipient: Sarah Ellis". Canadian Children's Book Centre. Archived from the original on 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  25. ^ "2008". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  26. ^ "2016 Nominees". Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
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