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Larry Loyie 2010 Update

Photos, Features, Resources, Goodbye Buffalo Bay reviews, and a preview of
The Moon Speaks Cree by Larry Loyie

2009 was another great, busy, exciting year for award-winning Cree children's book author Larry Loyie and his partner and editor Constance Brissenden ...

2009 could be called the year of Goodbye Buffalo Bay (Theytus)
Larry Loyie's first chapter book.

Goodbye Buffalo Bay, with its themes of residential school life and moving on, took off with phenomenal response, reviews and sales. The book is the true, first-person story of Larry Loyie's residential school days and moving on.

Thank you to all librarians, teachers, readers, conference organizers and www.goodminds.com who invited us to visit and speak. Thank you to Theytus and the Canada Council for funding for book launches.

Please watch for Larry Loyie's next book, The Moon Speaks Cree, an illustrated winter adventure featuring young Lawrence, winter adventures, hard-working toboggan dogs and a Mosoom (grandfather) with beautiful memories.

For a sneak preview, see the end of this file!

Features and study material on Larry Loyie, see ...

Canadian Teacher Magazine: "Residential Schools, Resources for Teaching" by Larry Loyie http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/pdf/CTM_Nov09_Residential_Schools.pdf

Unesco: "Larry Loyie: Never Give Up Your Goals" http://www.unesco.ca/en/activity/education/documents/ThePowerofLearning.pdf

Legacy Magazine:  "Elder in demand for childhood stories" by Dianne Meili http://www.legacymagazine.ab.ca/current_issue.html?IK=538&Step=2&Story=4

Goodbye Buffalo Bay selected reviews, see...

"This is a riveting book, not to be missed!" http://papertigers.org/review/USA/papertigers/GoodbyeBuffaloBay.html

"A wonderful read that is gently and succinctly told."
http://www.canlitforkids.com/WinterMid08_09/Winter_Mid08_09.html

"Highly Recommended"http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol15/no10/goodbyebuffalobay.html

"This memoir owes much of its power to its author's candor, his openness about his feelings... As this book ends, Larry is still a teenager, but one who has gained a measure of freedom from guilt and anger. We can only hope that there is more to come from this fine writer." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/new-in-childrens-books/article1170695

"Time and again throughout his haunting memoir, Loyie captures a feeling, a scene through the deft use of reverberant detail and understated emotion. He is always true to the perspective, emotion and understanding of his adolescent self... His grandfather kept reassuring him that 'the life you loved will come back one day. You will find a way to make it happen.' He did, and does once again for readers." http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Worlds+enter+while+school/1828325/story.html
More photos from 2009 -- The year of the log house near High Prairie, Alberta.


We met many wonderful librarians. Here are Larry and Constance with Laura Reilly at new Grande Prairie Regional Library, Alberta.


A tour of the Rainy River School District in Ontario area in February 2009 was memorable for good weather and great students.


In addition to many school visits, we gave several writing workshops, including the High Prairie Municipal Library in March.

April and May were exhilarating, with book launches of Goodbye Buffalo Bay in McBride, British Columbia and Vancouver.


We launched at the Vancouver Public Library, Carnegie Libary, and Gathering Place in Vancouver.


After Vancouver, we flew to Ontario and toured for three weeks. The Durham District School Board and Trillium Lakelands District School Board pulled out all the stops!

Back in Surrey, British Columbia, the W. F. Davidson Elementary School invited us to its Aboriginal Day, May 27. It truly was an amazing day with 600 students enthusiastically participating. Aboriginal program coordinator Debra Merrier invited us and did an outstanding job with school staff and students.


The Young Alberta Book Society tour in October gave us the chance to travel to Alberta communities of Wetaskiwin and Hughenden.

On the road in Alberta

We finished 2009 with Larry Loyie's great-granddaughter Bri-anna Loyie and Aboriginal education advisor Ron Walker at H.E. Beriault Jr. High School in Edmonton. A proud feeling!

Larry Loyie also acted as Elder Mentor to Metis student and playwright Danielle Richard at Grande Prairie Regional College. Dani's play Sonny's Song will be staged in Feburary-March at the college as part of the Arctic Winter Games. The play is a real winner!

Larry Loyie and Danielle Richard

A peek at The Moon Speaks Cree...

As promised, a look at The Moon Speaks Cree, a forthcoming book by Larry Loyie with Constance Brissenden... an excerpt ... (copyright 2009 Larry Loyie)

    Mosoom's eyes did not leave the fiddlers. He sat without moving for a long time. Transfixed, Lawrence watched his grandpa.

    His mother leaned over and said, "Why are you staring at Mosoom?"

    Lawrence wasn't sure what to say. "There are sparkles on his eyes," he finally said. "Sometimes Mosoom smiles to himself."

    Mama put her arm around her son. "Those are tears that sparkle. The light from the gas lamp makes them shine. Mosoom is remembering happy times of long ago. I’m sure he has many memories. He was the best fiddle player in this part of the country when he was young."

    "Are they sparkles like the diamonds Elizabeth talks about?"     

    "If memories can bring tears to one's eyes, they are worth more than diamonds."

     Mama hugged Lawrence. "Go and join the other children at the window. It’s just about midnight."

For more information on The Moon Speaks Cree, please email us at livingtradition@telus.net