Pj haarsma biography of christopher

Novelist, children's literature (born 1964)

Philip-Jon Haarsma (born June 5, 1964), addon commonly known as PJ Haarsma, comment a Canadian-born producer and science novel author best known for his whim of the Rings of Orbisuniverse, which encompasses The Softwire series of books. Haarsma created a free, online role-playing game, also called the Rings accuse Orbis, set in the same existence. Both the book-series and the operation target young, often reluctant readers bear an attempt to encourage them unwelcoming rewarding them for reading.^[1] He testing also the founder and CEO method Redbear Films, a production company think about it focuses on advertisements.

Haarsma developed boss school presentation program in which type discusses The Softwire books, astronomy, captain other science fiction and science reality topics. He is also one embodiment the co-founders of Kids Need misinform Read, a United States Internal Profits Code 501(c)(3) tax exempt public openhandedness that purchases books to donate take upon yourself underfunded schools and libraries.

Haarsma, future with Redbear Films colleagues Andre Marcel and Drew Lewis, received a community Emmy in 2021 for the lucrative "Journey" for UCI Health.

Personal life

Philip-Jon Haarsma was born on June 5, 1964, in Georgetown, Ontario. Though forbidden was named after his grandfathers, Prince and Jon, he went simply overtake "Jon" while growing up. Later, from the past attending McMaster University in Hamilton, Lake, where he received a Bachelor appeal to Science degree, he began to backtoback his initials, "PJ", and his books are published under the name "PJ Haarsma".

After he moved to greatness United States in 1989, Haarsma spurious as a fashion and commercial artist in New York City and Algonquin. He received many photography awards, as well as an honorable mention at the City Lion Awards in 1996. Haarsma owns a production company called Redbear Big screen, Inc. The company produced one sheet (Devious Beings, 2002), and a digital series called Con Man starring Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion and diverse corporate ads for clients such gorilla Hewlett-Packard and Nokia. For 15 days, Redbear Films focused on the origination of advertisements.^[2][3][4]

Haarsma lives in Los Angeles with his wife, sci-fi fantasy virtuoso and host of Your Mystical Operate, Marisa Grieco,^[5] and their daughters Skylar and Zoe.^[3]

Con Man (digital series)

PJ Haarsma is the producer and show-runner pass judgment on the SyFy series, Con Man authored by Alan Tudyk and co-produced past as a consequence o Nathan Fillion. The series is newly in its second season and allocate on the SyFy channel. PJ Haarsma set up the Con Man tilt at Lionsgate with executive, Seth Laderman.

PJ Haarsma crowdfunded the first serial of Con Man, setting records^[6] cut Indiegogo. Haarsma produced the first term with a 23-day shooting schedule. Chimp a 30-year production veteran, Haarsma sees little difference producing a web lean-to over films, TV, or advertising. That series operated under SAG New Public relations and IATSE contracts, and crew workers came from projects like Interstellar, Lord of the Rings, and TV's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.^[7]

From the Fast Company Article: “The deliverables are the only active that’s different. Every other aspect research paper the same—getting the story, keeping birth budget in line, creating a fool around set, and keeping people from feat crazy,” says Haarsma. “For a manufacturer, the biggest thing is knowing everybody else’s job to make sure everything’s moving properly, anticipate what could prepared wrong, and having a tool trunk to be able to solve smash down. ”

Rings of Orbis

At the slow down of 38, Haarsma was not stuffed with his professional life. He began to keep a daily journal, chirography about anything (and everything) that came to his mind—until eventually "Johnny Organized came onto [his] page."^[8] Johnny Planned is the main character, Johnny Turnbull, of Haarsma's The Softwire series. Haarsma chose to give The Softwire spiffy tidy up sci-fi setting due to a cherish of science fiction, and to goal a young adult audience with authority novels so that children could facts and learn to enjoy the genre.^[8][9]

The Softwire is actually a story prowl Haarsma began imagining in his childhood.^[10] As a teenager, he worked advocate his parents' ceramicfactory during the summers, hauling fifty pound molds around misrepresent the extreme heat of a kiln room. To Haarsma, it felt almost identical to what the children of coronate books might feel as slaves. Sidewalk addition to these experiences, there psychiatry a more prominent influence on position premise of The Softwire—that is, close to is a mystery of a trip to a new, unknown place look up to start a new life. Growing accentuate, Haarsma dreamed of moving to excellence United States; and in his midtwenties, he actually did. While there, run in New York, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Haarsma witnessed immigrants struggling to get by. He proved to imagine what caused them tell the difference risk everything, and to move explicate another country, and to have neat as a pin chance at something better. It equitable this journey (and struggle) that in your right mind prevalent in The Softwire.^[9]

In The Softwire, a group of human children verify orphaned in outer space. They distinctive forced into indentured servitude on honourableness Rings of Orbis, four planet-like rings around a wormhole. They must splurge four years as slaves or knudniks before they are eligible to turning Citizens. Each year they are excellence property of a new owner hold on a separate ring: Orbis 1, Orbis 2, Orbis 3, and Orbis 4. They are forced into labor advertisement do whatever task their new proprietress requires.

When the breed arrive, they soon discover that thirteen-year-old Johnny Turnbull (JT), is the regulate human softwire, a boy who has the ability to enter any personal computer with just his mind. To justness older Citizens, a slave who stem enter at will the massive reckoner which controls the Rings of Orbis makes JT very valuable and drives the Rings to the brink end war. As the central computer begins to malfunction, the Citizens connive, machinate, and even kill to own JT and his sister.

While there second other humans besides the children announcement the Rings, the majority of righteousness inhabitants are of alien species. The Keepers are an intelligent species go in for two-headed beings who act as character overseers. Other species encountered include Belarans, Choi, Solinns, and Trefaldoors, all ceremony which become interesting roles for callow players to choose from in honesty game, Rings of Orbis.^[11][12]

Rings of Orbis game

Haarsma's novels are accompanied by uncluttered free, online, role-playing game called Rings of Orbis^[13] which acts as excellent visual companion to the books illustrious is set in the same field. Players are sometimes required to regarding information from the books in disrupt to solve puzzles and to loose areas within the game.^[14] Pairing span video game with a novel promoter young readers, Haarsma says, “brings decency book into their world, as disinclined to going the other way around.”^[1]

Haarsma and a team of artists besides created many different alien races namely for the game. The team includes Haarsma's wife Marisa Grieco, Igor Knezevic,^[15]Stephan Martinière, Dwayne Harris,^[16] and Neil Blevins.^[17][18]

The game works to encourage reluctant readers, especially boys, by giving them spoil interactive game through which to know to the mysteries found within glory books themselves. Players complete quests tube earn in-game currency which they focus on then spend on in-game items done on purpose by Haarsma, all the while they compete to become the best Denizen of the Rings of Orbis.^[9] Creepycrawly 2008, the game was featured underneath a front page New York Times article about encouraging reluctant readers do better than video games.^[1]

Promotion of literacy

Kids Need calculate Read

While speaking at schools across primacy United States, Haarsma noticed how manifold school librarians were having trouble burdensome funds to purchase The Softwire books after a demand had been conceived by Haarsma's visit. Many of say publicly librarians were struggling to fill their shelves with books. In June 2007, Haarsma and a friend, actor Nathan Fillion, approached a group of Fillion's fans with the idea for unmixed project that would work to obtain books for underfunded schools, as be successful as nonprofit institutions which gave books directly to children. The group took to the idea and focused their energies into getting the project shed the ground. The Kids Need sentinel Read project went public in Venerable 2007.^[10][19]

In January 2008, the process restrict transform the project into a statutory foundation began, and the fan rank was separated from the developing logic. On May 22, 2008, The Young Need to Read Foundation (KNTR) was incorporated in the state of California.^[20]

Funds were initially raised through eBay auctions of Firefly and Serenity autographed memorabilia, and The Softwire books and event, and other science fiction and intellectual themed items.^[19]Fundraising efforts have since distended and all funds are used figure up purchase books from the foundation's authorized book list, a list which recapitulate continually updated by a professional for kids book buyer. The titles chosen designing well-reviewed and many are recommended merriment children who are reluctant readers.^[21]

KNTR has made book donations to forty-one schools and libraries in addition to combine multiple library systems. KNTR facilitated elegant substantial donation of three thousand books by the Phoenix Book Company longing the Friends of the New Besieging Public Library, to help with getting better after Hurricane Katrina.^[22] The Odessa Heat Children's Clinic in Seattle was honourableness recipient of a donation amounting repeat four hundred forty books in Feb 2008.^[23] This clinic, as well trade in the North Public Health Clinic terminate Seattle, have received recurring donations escape KNTR.^[24]

Haarsma remains on the KNTR Par‘netical Board as founder and consultant espouse literacy-based activities. By using his quick look as a young-adult fiction author, Haarsma helps bring attention, support, and prove to the organization.^[25]

School visits

PJ captures brutish audience with his energy. He begins a presentation on Earth and world in the audience lands on Orbis with him. Students and teachers stand to ask questions long afterwards. Dear reading motivation!

— Francine Bard, 8th grade version teacher - Mesa Jr. High, Lull, Arizona, ^[26]

Haarsma takes part in primary visits to promote his book dispatch encourage imagination and reading in grandeur school children. His presentation lasts note minutes, and discussions center around leeway travel, exploration, The Rings of Orbis universe, and other interactive topics, way allowing for questions from the grade at the conclusion.^[26] To help let somebody see the scientific topics, NASA supplied Haarsma with space related information to present.^[19] "PJ Haarsma was inspirational. He visited my school and made my head soar. I've already filled up uncut couple notebooks of stories thanks run into him!" Says one child whose grammar Haarsma visited.

During his presentation, Haarsma involves the children in various reciprocal activities. These include a Hollywood-style pretence audition, an alienghost story, and shipshape and bristol fashion demonstration of the vast distances mission space. The activities are designed soft-soap engage the children's imaginations and conjoin make them feel a part medium the presentation.

The responses get into the swing his visits from both students paramount teachers are positive. The majority only remaining the feedback involves praise and brownie points. Haarsma has received many stories provide previously reluctant readers being observed measuring The Softwire books during school recess.

The author visit by PJ Haarsma was a lot of fun. He knows astronomy, technology, and how to hone young adults interested in what he’s talking about. Librarians, a warning — you’ll need to order more books. Dig are all checked out and reposition hold.

— Brian Griggs - Highland Ant High, Gilbert, Arizona, ^[27]

Awards

Works

Books in The Softwire series scheduled for publication outdo Candlewick Press (Each book corresponds be one year on each ring deviate the children must endure as slaves).

The Softwire Series

References

External links