Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 12, 2007

NUNAVUT - Five communities in Nunavut will get a special visit this month from an accomplished Canadian writer.

Liam O'Donnell, who has been writing comics and graphic novels for years, will travel North later this week to do his part for TD Canadian Children's Book Week, which starts Nov. 17 and ends Nov. 24.

Liam O'Donnell is a graphic novel writer who will tour several communities in Nunavut this month during book week. - photo courtesy of Melanie McBride

O'Donnell, who once wrote television scripts, made a transition to writing comics years ago and produced some of his most well-known work during the years he wrote the Maxfinder Mystery comics in Owl Magazine. His most recent publication was the third collection of these comics, which was released in September.

Catherine Hoyt, chair of the board for the Iqaluit Centennial Library, said Book Week is a chance for kids to meet writers and illustrators face to face. This year's visitor will be good fit for kids between Grades 4 and 8.

"There are a lot of reluctant readers in that age group," she said. "This is really a chance for kids to talk to someone they really admire."

O'Donnell's public presentations are going to be more than just a speech. He plans to get kids involved in acting out Maxfinder Mystery stories and to teach them about how a graphic novel is produced, showing images by Michael Cho who does some illustrations for his work.

"I'm going to come and talk to the kids and talk to them about what it's like being a writer, where I get my ideas and how I turn my ideas that start in my head into a script," he said.

O'Donnell realizes that not all kids have the same interests when it comes to reading.

"I think kids learn differently, and some kids really dive into books that are just all text, and other kids, you know, that's not their thing," he said, adding a graphic novel "combines text and visuals into a very nice format that is easy to sort of get into."

Because of the Internet and video games, he said, kids are becoming more inclined to read text that is "non-linear." He says reading, in whatever form, is essential for kids no matter what they plan to do with their lives.

"Reading spans across all subjects. If you want to excel at school - no matter what subject you want to excel at - you need to know how to read," he said.

O'Donnell arrives in Iqaluit on Nov. 19, and it is expected he will travel to Clyde River, Pond Inlet and Iglulik.