The Secret of the Stone House (22 page)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judith Silverthorne
is the author of five previous books, including the prequel to this one,
The Secret of Sentinel Rock
, which received the Saskatchewan Book Award for Children’s Literature in 1996. The books in her Dinosaur series,
Dinosaur Hideout
and
Dinosaur Breakout,
have also been listed for several awards.

Judith Silverthorne works as a writer, film producer, and cultural administrator in Regina. For more information on Judith and her work, consult her Web site at:
www.judithsilverthorne.ca.

Coteau Books
began to develop the
From Many Peoples
series of novels for young readers over a year ago, as a celebration of Saskatchewan’s Centennial. We looked for stories that would illuminate life in the province from the viewpoints of young people from different cultural groups and we’re delighted with the stories we found.

We’re especially happy with the unique partnership we have been able to form with the LaVonne Black Memorial Fund in support of
From Many Peoples
. The Fund was looking for projects it could support to honour a woman who had a strong interest in children and their education, and decided that the series was a good choice. With their help, we are able to provide free books to every school in the province, tour the authors across the province, and develop additional materials to support schools in using
From Many Peoples
titles.

This partnership will bring terrific stories to young readers all over Saskatchewan, honour LaVonne Black and her dedication to the children of this province, and help us celebrate Saskatchewan’s Centennial. Thank you to everyone involved.

Nik Burton

Managing Editor, Coteau Books

Lavonne Black

My sister LaVonne
was born in Oxbow, Saskatch-ewan, and grew up on a small ranch near North-gate. She spent a lot of time riding horses and always had a dog or a cat in her life. LaVonne’s favourite holiday was Christmas. She loved to sing carols and spoil children with gifts. People were of genuine interest to her. She didn’t care what you did for a living, or how much money you made. What she did care about was learning as much about you as she could in the time she had with you.

We are proud of our LaVonne, a farm girl who started school in a one-room schoolhouse and later presented a case to the Supreme Court of Canada. Her work took her all over Saskatchewan, and she once said that she didn’t know why some people felt they had to go other places, because there is so much beauty here. LaVonne’s love and wisdom will always be with me. She
taught me that what you give of yourself will be
returned to you, and that you should love, play, and live with all your heart.

LaVonne felt very strongly about reading and education, and the LaVonne Black Memorial Fund and her family hope that you enjoy this series of books.

Trevor L. Black, little brother

Chair, LaVonne Black Memorial Fund

LaVonne Black
was a tireless advocate for children in her years with the Saskatchewan School Boards Associa-tion. Her dedication, passion, and commitment were best summed up in a letter she wrote to boards of education one month before her death, when she announced her decision to retire:

“I thank the Association for providing me with twenty-three years of work and people that I loved. I was blessed to have all that amid an organization with a mission and values in which I believed. School trustees and the administrators who work for them are special people in their commitment, their integrity, and their caring. I was truly blessed and am extremely grateful for the opportunities and experiences I was given.”

LaVonne was killed in a car accident on July 19, 2003. She is survived by her daughter, Jasmine, and her fiancé, Richard. We want so much to thank her for all she gave us. Our support for this book series,
From Many Peoples,
is one way to do this. Thank you to everyone who has donated to her Memorial Fund and made this project possible.

Executive, Staff, and member boards of
The Saskatchewan School Boards Association