User:RickBook/sandbox

Rick was born and raised on a wheat farm near Loreburn, Saskatchewan, and has spent much of his career in Toronto as a writer.

Rick’s first short story collection, the award-winning Necking With Louise was published in Canada (Red Deer Press 1999) and the U.S (Harper Collins 2000). His second short story collection, Christmas in Canada, was launched to critical acclaim in November 2003 (Red Deer Press). He is the author of three historical fiction novellas: Blackships, Thanadelthur and Sacagawea, for the series Young Heroes of North America (Heartland). He has also written a children’s picture book (Penumbra) and several stories in anthologies for Canadian schools.

Rick started his career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a news reporter, and spent many years in advertising, writing campaigns for multinational corporations and threadbare charities. His documentaries have won awards around the world and he’s written an IMAX film shown in Japan. His articles have appeared in the Globe & Mail, Today’s Senior, Kanawa and in OWL magazine where his work won an Association of Educational Publishers distinguished achievement award in 2008. His article, “Dreams in the Dust” in Canada’s History magazine (2013) was nominated for a Western Magazine award in 2014.

As an author, Rick has toured through southern Ontario, western Canada, and the North where he led creative writing workshops for young people and adults. He participated in the Learning Through the Arts program in Toronto high schools, conducted workshops in southern Ontario schools during Freedom to Read Week, read at the Eden Mills Writers Festival and The Winnipeg International Writers Festival, and toured in the Northwest Territories from Hay River to Inuvik during National Book Week. Rick also taught English and Literature at Seneca College in Toronto for six years.

Rick Book publishing history

2003               Christmas in Canada, a collection of Christmas stories (fiction & historical fiction), Red Deer Press

An Our Choice selection by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 2005

2002               Sacagawea: The Making of a Legend, historical fiction novella, Heartland

2001               Blackships and Thanadelthur in Young Heroes of North America, Volume 1, historical fiction novellas,

Heartland

2001               “Sun Dogs,” short story, winner of the Vicky Metcalf Short Story Award

Canadian Authors Association 2000; published in Boys' Own: An Anthology of Stories for Boys,

Penguin Books Canada

2000               "Saying Good-Bye To the Tall Man," short story, in Close Ups, short story collection, Red Deer Press,

proceeds to the Canadian Children's Book Centre

1999               Necking With Louise, short story collection, Adult/YA, Red Deer Press

Winner: Vicky Metcalf Short Story Award for Sun Dogs, Canadian Authors Association

Winner: Alberta Book of The Year for Children (Young Adults)

Runner Up: Canadian Library Association YA Book of the Year 2000

Starred review: US Publisher's Weekly

Our Choice: Canadian Children's Book Centre

Selected: Books For Teen's List 2000, New York Public Library

1998               "Grandpa's Wooden Diary," children's illustrated story published in an anthology for Canadian schools,

Prentice Hall Ginn

1997                The Day They Saved Her Majesty, co-authored with John Brown, children's illustrated story published in

an anthology for Canadian schools, Prentice Hall Ginn

1992               The Lonely Seagull, children's picture book, Penumbra Press