By Jesse Robitaille
A new children’s book published by the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) hit No. 1 on Amazon within a week of its release this June.
Written by best-selling author Teresa Schapansky and edited by RCNA national youth co-ordinator Cassidy Stroud, One Little Coin hit the digital shelves in both English and French on June 22. A few days later, Schapansky’s 21st book reached the top spot on the Amazon Hot New Releases list for coins and medals. The book’s in-person launch will take place at the RCNA Convention on July 22, the show’s second of five days, when RCNA officials will offer copies autographed by Schapansky and illustrator Elly Mossman, both of Duncan, B.C.
“It was a joy working with Teresa and Elly; they know what they’re doing, and they’re total professionals,” said Stroud, who’s also the first vice-president and editorial director of the Ontario Numismatic Association.
She will be selling the book at the convention’s “Youth Booth,” where they’ll be offered alongside free coins, banknotes and other numismatic material sourced from donations and given to children aged 17 and under. Each book sold at the convention will also include a “numismatic gift that ties into the story,” according to Stroud.
“The book is geared mainly to children, say under 12 or 13, but we’re marketing it to the parents or family members of these young children to get them interested in coin collecting,” said Stroud, who added Schapansky’s writing style is “also great for children who might have reading struggles, so it could be appropriate for somebody a little bit older.”
The book will also be available at the convention’s Authors’ Alley, a new book-fair-style event sponsored by the J. Douglas Ferguson Historical Research Foundation featuring more than half a dozen authors’ recent work.
ONE LITTLE COIN AN ‘ENCHANTING TALE’
One Little Coin tells the story of a young girl who joins her school’s coin club.
The book’s blurb, found on the back cover, previews the story through one of the girl’s journal entries: “I signed up for the coin club, because to be honest, I really like money. Wasn’t that what a coin club was about? Money? That, and how to get it, how much to keep and how much to spend?
“I glanced around the room, and easily saw that the class was made up of quite an assortment of kids – polar opposites, in my opinion.
“In the end, who could have guessed that seven totally different kinds of people would form such an unlikely bond in a coin club? Maybe one day, I’ll find one little coin that will change my life, forever. Maybe I’ll find it with Jacques’s metal detector, or maybe it’ll be stuck in some couch cushion.”
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