Marsha Skrypuch

Born 1954
Occupation Author
Genre Children's Literature

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (born 1954) is a Ukrainian Canadian children's writer who lives in Brantford, Ontario.

She received a BA in English and a Master of Library Science from the University of Western Ontario, and began writing fiction in 1992. After being rejected more than 100 times, her first book, "Silver Threads," was published in 1996.[1]

Marsha Skrypuch is the author of many books for children and young adults. She has written more novels about Armenian immigrants than any other author in the English-speaking world, yet she is not Armenian. "I write about people who must give up everything that is dear to them and travel to a new country. To me, these people are heroic."

Marsha tricked her teachers into thinking she knew how to read until it all caught up with her in grade 4 when she failed the provincial reading exam. They made her repeat the whole year. As the tallest and oldest kid in the class, she didn't want to be seen learning to read with little skinny books and she was too proud to ask for help, so she taught herself how to read by taking out the fattest book in the children's section of the Brantford Public Library—Oliver Twist. She kept on renewing it for a whole year. Reading that book was a turning point in her life. She decided that she loved reading, and wanted to write too.

Marsha loves speaking with students, especially those who are struggling academically or who feel "different".[2]

Works

Awards and nominations

2013 Red Maple Non-fiction Honour Book: Last Airlift

2013 Silver Birch Fiction Winner: Making Bombs For Hitler

2012 CCBC Best Books for Kids: Making Bombs For Hitler

2012 CCBC Best Books For Kids, Starred Review: Making Bombs For Hitler

2012 CCBC Best Books For Kids: Stolen Child

2012 CCBC Best Books for Kids: Last Airlift

2012 Finalist, CYBILS YA/MG non-fiction: Last Airlift

2012 Hamilton Book Award nomination for Last Airlift

2012 Red Cedar Winner, Last Airlift

2011 Ontario Library Association "Best Bets 2011" for Last Airlift

2011 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Honour Book, Stolen Child

2011 Saskatchewan Diamond Willow nomination, Stolen Child

2011 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Americas, for Stolen Child

2011 Golden Oak nomination for Stolen Child

2011 Canadian Library Association Children's Book of the Year nomination, Stolen Child

2010 Resource Links Best Book, Stolen Child

2010 Ontario Library Association "Best Bets" top ten juvenile novel of the year, Stolen Child

2010 CANSCAIP Silver pin for volunteerism

2010 Calliope Award for outstanding writing and mentoring, Humber School for Writers

2010 Woman of Distinction, World Congress of Ukrainian Women's Organizations

2010 Silver Birch Express and Gold Oak nominations for Call Me Aram

2010 Herstory inspiring women calendar selection

2009 White Pine Award nomination for Daughter of War

2008 Order of Princess Olha, the highest honour bestowed on citizens of foreign countries, by Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine, for her writing on the Holodomor. In particular, her book, Enough.

2008 Ontario Golden Oak Award nomination for Aram's Choice

2007 Ontario Silver Birch Award nomination for Aram's Choice

2007 Canadian Library Association Children's Book of the Year shortlist for Aram's Choice

2006 ResourceLinks "Best of the Best 2006" in Children's Book category for Aram's Choice

2006 CCBC's Our Choice for Aram's Choice

2006 BC Stellar Award nomination for Nobody's Child

2005 Ontario Red Maple Award nomination for Nobody's Child

2005 Alberta Rocky Mountain Book Award nomination for Nobody's Child

2004 ResourceLinks "Best of the Best 2004" in novel category for Nobody's Child

2004 CCBC's Our Choice Award for Nobody's Child

2004 Alberta Rocky Mountain Book Award nomination for Hope's War

2004 Saskatchewan Snow Willow nomination for Hope's War

2003, Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award nomination for Hope's War

2002, Nominated for the W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize for her body of work and mentorship of other writers

2002, Selected to tour Manitoba for CCBC's BookWeek

2002, CCBC's Our Choice Award for Hope's War

2001, ResourceLinks "Best of the Best 2001" in picture book category for Enough

2001, CCBC's Our Choice Award for Enough

2000, CCBC's Our Choice Award for The Hunger

1996, Taras Shevchenko for Silver Threads

1996, OLA Best Bets for Silver Threads

1996, Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award shortlist for Silver Threads

References

  1. ↑ Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch profile, Canadian Review of Materials
  2. ↑ http://www.scbwi.org/MemberProfile.aspx?u=2924522414179012

External links