Celebrate Science Writers
Fiona Bayrock is the author of Bubble Homes and Fish Farts (Charlesbridge, 2009 – a Junior Library Guild Selection and BC Book Prizes finalist), 14 other science books for education and specialtymarkets, and 70+ articles, stories, and poems in children’s magazines such as Highlights for Children, YES Mag, KNOW, Odyssey, and WILD
Magazines. Over the years, Fiona has chased questions through most of the “ologies”, talking to scientists around the world about all kinds of cool science, from palindromes to solar wind, and then sharing what she finds with the most curious beings on the planet–kids! She’s constantly in search of the “Aha!”, clever puns, and her coffee.
Selected Bibliography:
Bubble Homes and Fish Farts (Charlesbridge); Sound: A Question and Answer Book (Capstone); States of Matter: A Question and Answer Book (Capstone); The Ocean Explorer’s Handbook (Scholastic U.S.) ; Bubble Homes and Fish Farts (Charlesbridge); Magazine articles; WEB SITE
Maggie DeVries WWW.MAGGIEDEVRIES.COM
Maggie de Vries is the author of seven books for children (two upcoming)and one book for adults. She teaches creative writing at UBC and UNBC and does some freelance children’s book editing for Orca, Annick and Greystone. She does school visits and writers’ workshops with all ages and speaks regularly to adults as well. Maggie lives in Vancouver overlooking the Fraser River with her husband, Roland, and their two cats, Misha and Sophie.
BOOKS: Fraser Bear: a Cub’s Life; Once Upon a Golden Apple; How Sleep Found Tabitha; Chance and the Butterfly; Tale of a Great White Fish: a Sturgeon Story; Missing Sarah: a Memoir of Loss
Claire Eamer WWW.CLAIREEAMER.COM
It’s really all about reading. When she was growing up in Saskatoon, Claire Eamer’s favourite pastime was reading. In fact, her mother sometimes had to call the Children’s Library and ask the librarians to send Claire home for supper.
After university (where she got a BA and an MA in English in order to keep on reading), Claire became a journalist, working for newspapers, magazines, and radio. That’s when she discovered the pleasure of asking questions, as well as reading, and of telling people stories about what she’d learned. Researching books about science and history lets her ask some of the best questions. And writing books about science and history for kids lets her tell the best stories.
Besides reading and telling stories, Claire has done a few other things. She taught at a couple of universities, a college, and a workplace training centre. She worked in libraries, and she helped organize a research network. Long ago, she even spent a summer making soap dishes and toilet paper hangers in a German ceramics factory. But she prefers reading and telling stories.
In 1984, after living in Saskatoon, England, Germany, Ottawa, and Winnipeg, Claire moved to the Yukon to spend a couple of years learning about Canada’s North. She has lived in Whitehorse for most of the time since then. That’s where she met her husband, Alan, and where they brought up their son. They both like reading too.
Claire writes fiction, as well as non-fiction, and has had stories published in several magazines and a science fiction anthology. And she knows lots of good books to read. Just ask her!
Books: Lizards in the Sky: Animals Where You Least Expect Them (Annick Press, 2010); Spiked Scorpions & Walking Whales: Modern Animals, Ancient Animals, and Water (Annick Press, 2009); Traitors’ Gate and Other Doorways to the Past (Annick Press, 2008)l; Super Crocs & Monster Wings: Modern Animals’ Ancient Past (Annick Press, 2008); The Canadian Rodeo Book. Co-author Thirza Jones. (Western Producer Prairie Books, 1982)
Avis Harley
Avis has taught in elementary schools in Canada and England, and has given poetry presentations in Canada, U.S., Hong Kong, and Japan. She has also taught poetry at the University of British Columbia in the Language and Literacy Education Department, exploring ways to bring children and poetry together with teachers and librarians.
Now retired from teaching, Avis devotes her time to writing poetry. Three of her poetry books she has also illustrated: FLY WITH POETRY: An ABC of Poetry; LEAP INTO POETRY: More ABCs of Poetry; THE MONARCH’S PROGRESS: Poems with Wings; SEA STARS: Saltwater Poems, is illustrated with photographs by Margaret Butschler; AFRICAN ACROSTICS: A Word in Edgeways is illustrated with photographs by Deborah Noyes.
Many of her poems are published in anthologies and magazines, and are largely focused on the natural world. When not writing and illustrating, Avis enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and music. She lives with her husband in Vancouver, British Columbia. They have one son.
Deborah Hodge WWW.DEBORAHHODGE.COM
Deborah Hodge is the award-winning author of 25 books for children. She specializes in writing engaging nonfiction for primary aged children. Her most recent title is Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm, a book on sustainable farming and where our food comes from. Her other work includes, The Kids Book of Canada’s Railway, winner of the Information Book Award of Canada, and Lily and the Mixed-up Letters, named an Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities. Deborah is a former primary teacher and curriculum writer for the BC Ministry of Education. She lives in Vancouver, BC.
Books: Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm, Kids Can Press; Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City, Kids Can Press (forthcoming); Who Lives Here? series, Kids Can Press, including: Forest Animals; Savanna Animals; Rain Forest Animals; Polar Animals; Desert Animals; Wetland AnimalsKids Can Press Wildlife series, Kids Can Press, including: Bears; Whales; Wild Cats; Wild Dogs; Beavers; Eagles; Salmon; Deer, Moose, Elk and Caribou; Denver Museum Insect series: Kids Can Press and Denver Museum of Nature and Science, including: Ants; Bees; Starting with Science: Simple Machines, Kids Can Press;Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm, Kids Can Press ISBN: 978-1-55453-561-3; Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City, Kids Can Press, ISBN: 978-1-55453-618-4
Jude Isabella WWW.JUDEISABELLA.COM
Jude Isabella is managing editor of YES Mag, the Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds. She has also written four of the magazine’s five science books for kids. Jude lives in Victoria, B.C. where — in her spare time — she is a graduate student at the University of Victoria’s department of anthropology. Her research interest is the relationship between humans and salmon (and not just as something good to eat!)
BOOKS: The Amazing International Space Station; Fantastic Feats and Failures; Science Detectives; Hoaxed! Fakes and Mistakes in the World of Science
Paula Johanson
For twenty years, Paula Johanson has worked as a writer, teacher and editor. She operated an organic-method market garden for fifteen years, selling produce and wool at farmer’s markets. Her nonfiction books on science, health and literature include Jobs in Sustainable Agriculture and Processed Food (What’s in Your Food? Recipe for Disaster) and World Poetry: Signs of Life. An accredited teacher, she has written and edited curriculum educational materials for the Alberta Distance Learning Centre and eTraffic Solutions.
Tanya Lloyd Kyi WWW.TANYALLOYDKYI.COM
Tanya Lloyd Kyi grew up in Creston, B.C. She began her writing career as a high school poet, producing pages and pages of work that her mother loved and her best friend religiously archived (possibly for a future blackmailing scheme).
Tanya enrolled in creative writing at the University of Victoria, intending to specialize in poetry. She soon found herself out of place among talented but pale people dressed all in black, who seemed to exist entirely on coffee. She elected to specialize in non-fiction instead. After completing her degree, she worked as a graphic designer for several years before switching to full-time writing.
She now lives in Vancouver, B.C., with her husband, Min, who claims to be the world’s only Burmese occupational therapist. They have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son.
Books: 50 Burning Questions (Junior non-fiction, Annick, 2010); Canadian Girls Who Rocked the World: Revised Edition (Junior non-fiction, Whitecap, 2009); Burn: The Life Story of Fire (Young adult non-fiction, Annick, 2007); Canadian Boys Who Rocked the World (Junior non-fiction, Whitecap, 2007); True Stories from the Edge: Rescues! (Young adult non-fiction, Annick, 2006);Jared Lester: Fifth Grade Jester (Junior fiction, Annick, 2006);The Blue Jean Book (Young adult non-fiction, Annick, 2005);True Stories from the Edge: Fires! (Young adult non-fiction, Annick, 2004);My Time as Caz Hazard (Young adult fiction, Orca, 2004);The Crystal Connection (Junior fiction, Whitecap, 2003);Truth (Young adult fiction, Orca, 2003);Canadian Girls Who Rocked the World (Junior non-fiction, Whitecap, 2001)
Cora Lee
Cora is a scientific writer/consultant for the pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology industries. She also writes children’s science articles and books: The Great Motion Mission (Annick Press, 2009) earned Honorable Mention, Youth Book category, Science in Society Book Award from the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, and The Great Number Rumble (Annick Press, 2007) won the 2009 American Institute of Physics’ Science Communication Award in the children’s category. Cora also volunteers as coordinator for the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS).
Books: The Great Motion Mission: a surprising story of physics in everyday life (Annick Press, 2009). Illustrated by Steve Rolston; The Great Number Rumble: a story of math in surprising places (Annick Press, 2007). Co-written with Gillian O’Reilly, illustrated by Virginia Gray
Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone
Shar Levine is an internationally award-winning, best- selling author of children’s science books and science toys/kits. Leslie Johnstone is a freelance writer and head of a high school science department. Levine and Johnstone have written over 70 books and together won the prestigious 2006 Eve Savory Award for Science Communication from the BC Innovation Council. The Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope (2008) and Backyard Science (2005), were short-listed for the Subaru Prize (hands-on science activity books). awarded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science Books and Films. The authors, who are BFF live walking distance from each other in Vancouver.
Books: Scary Science. Scholastic Books; Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope
Selected Bibliography
NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDED LIST:
Bathtub Science (Sterling Pub); First Science Experiments: Super Senses (Sterling Pub); First Science Experiments: Wonderful Weather (Sterling Pub); Kitchen Science (Sterling Pub); Science Experiments with a Microscope (Sterling Pub); Science Experiments with Sound and Music (Sterling Pub); Sports Science (Sterling Pub); The Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope (Sterling Pub); Ultimate Bubble Book: Soapy Science Fun (Sterling Pub)
Please refer to web site for the other 60 booksWEB SITE: WWW.SCIENCLADY.COM
Adrienne Mason WWW.ADRIENNEMASON.COM
Adrienne Mason is a writer and editor from Vancouver Island. She is the author of over 25 books and writes for children and adults. Her works have been short-listed several times for the Science in Society awards and her most recent children’s book, Robots: From Everyday to Out of This World, was a finalist for the Information Book Award of the Canadian LIterature Roundtable. Recently, Adrienne assisted David Suzuki with a revised version of The Sacred Balance. Adrienne also writes for magazines and her work has appeared in Canadian Geographic, National Geographic Kids, WILD, International Wildlife, Nature Canada, and other magazines from Canada. Adrienne’s “day job” is as managing editor of KNOW: The Science Magazine for Curious Kids. In 2010, Adrienne and a partner launched a small niche book publisher, Postelsia Press, which publishes books related to the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Science Books for Children: Robots: From Everyday to Out of This World. Kids Can Press, 2008; Build it!: Structures, Systems and You. Kids Can Press, 2006;Change it!: Solids, Liquids, Gases and You. Kids Can Press, 2006; Move it!: Motion, forces and You! Kids Can Press, 2005; Touch it!: Materials, Matter and You. Kids Can Press, 2005; Skunks. Kids Can Press, 2006; Snakes. Kids Can Press. 2005; Owls. Kids Can Press, 2004; Otters. Kids Can Press, 2003; Bats. Kids Can Press, 2003; Lu and Clancy Sound Off. Kids Can Press, 2002; The World of Marine Mammals. Orca Book Publishers, 1999; Oceans: Looking at Beaches and Coral Reefs, Tides and Currents, Sea Mammals and Fish, Seaweeds and Other Ocean Wonders. Kids Can Press, 1995.
Science Books for Adults: The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature. Greystone, 2007; [co-author with David Suzuki and Amanada McConnell on this revised edition]; The Nature of Spiders: Consummate Killers. Greystone, 1999; Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. Altitude, 1999.
E. PAUL ZEHR
E. Paul Zehr is a Canadian professor of kinesiology and neuroscience, as well as a science communicator at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada. He has a passion for communicating science to the general public. His July 13, 2013 Scientific American Blog post reads Fighting Tooth and Claw with Wolverine—Examining the Healing Power of an X-Man. He started writing books using superheroes to improve scientific literacy—Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine and Becoming Batman the Possibility of a Superhero.