Mina Witteman – author | editor | teacher of creative writing

Posts tagged “Boreas en de zeven zeeën”

Boreas Sails On As a Vroege Lijster!

Posted on June 30, 2022

No joy greater for a writer than receiving your author copies! In the midst of my first bout of Covid-19, a wonderful box of books arrived at my Berkeley writer’s abode. And this was a special shipment: the school edition of Boreas en de zeven zeeën! When my publisher told me that Noordhoff publishers, the acclaimed educational publishing house in the Netherlands, wanted to acquire the rights for Boreas en de zeven zeeën [Boreas and the Seven Seas] to publish a school edition in their famous Lijsters series, I didn’t have to think twice. All my writer’s life I have wanted my books to spur on as many children as possible to improve their reading and to find joy in reading. And these lijsters…

Categories: A Bit of Everything

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Boreas Elected for Reading Promotion!

Posted on February 17, 2020

Founded in 2012, the Dutch National Reading Coalition (Leescoalitie) promotes and stimulates reading in schools in the Netherlands. Every two years, the Reading Coalition publishes an anthology with excerpts from well-known Dutch children’s and young adult books. This year’s edition features an excerpt from Boreas en de vijftien vrienden (Boreas and the Fifteen Friends), the final book of the Boreas series. I am beyond stoked and proud that my book has been chosen to promote reading in schools because… well, this is a children’s writer’s dream! A national acknowledgment that top educators in the Netherlands believe that my book will stimulate students to read. I couldn’t wish for more!     The free anthology, Een stuk! Meer (One Piece! More), was published in January 2020 and…

Categories: Books, Children's books, YA books

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Interactive Boreas Map

Posted on August 26, 2019

KINDERBOEKENWEEK WORKSHOP MET GROTE BROER! Tijdens de Kinderboekenweek (of daarvoor of daarna!) de wereldkaart van Boreas maken in de klas? Dat kan met Grote Broer Kunsteducatie! Superleuke workshop waar ook nog eens techniek bij aan te pas komt. Helemaal Boreas!   “Met de hele klas maken de kinderen de wereldkaart van Boreas na. Het is niet zomaar een kaart, het is een interactieve kaart! De kinderen gebruiken verschillende technieken, zoals LED-lampjes, batterijen en pop-upsystemen. In groepjes werken ze aan de zeven delen. Aan het eind van de workshop worden alle zeven delen samengevoegd tot één uniek verhaal.”

Categories: Books, Children's books, Views Abroad

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Birthday Present

Posted on July 21, 2019

To celebrate my birthday (and because the book is flying out the stores!), my wonderful editor at Ploegsma Children’s Books just let me know they started the next print run for Boreas en de zeven zeeën. So… YAY, birthday!   I have also received a copy of the lesson plans that CPNB, the foundation for collective promotion of the Dutch book and organizer of the Dutch Children’s Book Week since 1954, had stellar educators make to support teachers of every elementary school in the Netherlands. Super exciting and I have designed my school visits with these plans in mind, so they seamlessly add to the wonderful work of teachers and their endeavors to promote reading and children’s books in their classrooms. Requests for school…

Categories: A Bit of Everything, Books, Children's books

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Boreas 4!

Posted on March 30, 2018

  A sneak preview of the fourth Boreas book: Boreas en de vijftien vrienden! The cover isn’t final yet, but I am pretty sure it will be as exciting as the first three Boreas books. Pub date is set for early September this year, right on time for the Dutch National Children’s Book Week.

Categories: A Bit of Everything, Books, Children's books

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Clipper Stad Amsterdam

Posted on March 12, 2018

Today, I visited the clipper Stad Amsterdam, a tall ship from the Netherlands which is currently moored at the San Francisco Embarcadero. Quarter Master Frank van Wamelen and Captain Andi Manser welcomed Boreas and me aboard their ship, where I presented them with copies of the three Boreas books for the ship’s library to entertain crew and guests during long ocean crossings. So, from now on, Boreas will sail the seven seas aboard the Stad Amsterdam, too! Next destination is Mexico. I am excited and so is Boreas. And the Captain and the Quarter Master? They can’t wait to start reading the books! Here are some pictures:   Of course, I hurried back home to finish Boreas 4 which will come out this fall.

Categories: A Bit of Everything, Books, Children's books

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