The Dragon Seer’s Gift Winner of the 2012 IODE Violet Downey Book Award for Canadian Children’s Literature

Janet McNaughton, author of The Dragon Seer's Gift, wins IODE Violet Downey Book Award for the second time! The $3,000 prize was announced at the time of 112th National Annual Meeting of IODE Canada on 26 May 2012. This is the 28th year that the award has been made available to Canadian authors.

The story for this award-winning children’s book, published by Harper Collins Canada, is set in Janet McNaughton’s home province of Newfoundland using the streets and buildings of current St. John’s.

“Gwyn Rae isn’t adjusting to grade seven. Bullied at school and failing in most subjects, he reluctantly agrees to undertake a Heritage Fair project to boost his grade in history. His older sister Maddie joins him, and together they begin to sift through the papers of their ancestor, the Reverend Daniel Rae, who came to Newfoundland from Scotland in the late 1880s. Talented and eccentric, he died in a shipwreck ten years later.

As Daniel’s papers draw Gwyn and Maddie in, strange things start to happen. A mysterious key that once belonged to Daniel buzzes when they touch it and parts of Daniel’s notebooks appear to be invisible to others. On a day when the city of St. John’s is closed by a winter storm, Gwyn and Maddie set out to investigate The Kirk, the downtown church where Daniel Rae was once a minister. There, the door that the key unlocks, launches Gwyn and Maddie on the adventure of their lives. A hidden world of dragons is suddenly revealed to them and a promise once made by a gifted young magician, their ancient ancestor, demands their help.”

The Dragon Seer’s Gift is a story that both boys and girls will enjoy, as they become excited about “H”, who only Gwyn and Maddie can see.

IODE Canada is Canada’s premier women’s charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals through education support, community service and citizenship programs. For a list of past winners or for more information about IODE, please visit www.iode.ca or contact Linda Dennis, Chair of the IODE Violet Downey Book Award Committee, at 416-487-4416 or iodeadmin@bellnet.ca.


Submitted by:
Sandra Smith
Public Relations Officer IODE Canada
Ph: 416-487-4416 1-866-827-7428
Fax: 416-487-4417 iodecanada@bellnet.ca