Learn more about author Nidhi Kamra by visiting her website! Welcome to STEMinism Sunday! As a former woman in science, I have a deep and enduring interest in the experiences and representation of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). This series will be an opportunity for me – and you – to learn more about these intellectual badasses. Today, we have the first of two guest posts from Nidhi Kamra. “Quarantine.” That’s…

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Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s writers! Today’s guest: Heather Camlot. Take it away, Heather! “Where do your ideas come from?” That’s the question I get asked most from children and adults alike. The simplest answer is, from my life. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t have a wild and crazy life full of intrigue and adventure. Quite the opposite in fact. But there are things that have happened, questions gone…

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Welcome to Mad Science Mondays, where we talk about depictions of science in movies, TV shows, books, and the media. We dissect the good, the bad, the comical and the outright irresponsible. Who says learning about science can’t be fun? If you’re anything like me, media coverage of climate change has given you the following impressions: Dependence on fossil fuels is the main reason for climate change. Individuals bear ultimate responsibility for climate change, because…

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Welcome to Teach Write! This column draws on my 20 years’ experience teaching writing to kids, university students, and adult learners. It includes ideas and exercises that teachers and students can use in the classroom, and creative writers can use to level up their process. Last time I shared the inspirations for some of my short stories and novel manuscripts, as a first attempt to answer the question, “Where do writers get their ideas?” Most…

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First, a quick announcement! On July 23rd, I’m doing a virtual Q&A with the Federation of BC Writers, as part of their Author Connections series. Now is your chance to pick my brain on all aspects of research, writing, and publishing books for kids! This is a public event – non-members are welcome to attend. See the Public Appearances page for all the details.  And now, onto STEMinism Sunday! Welcome to STEMinism Sunday! As a…

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Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s writers! Today’s guest: Danielle Younge-Ullman. Take it away, Danielle! The idea for my teen novel, HE MUST LIKE YOU, which comes out on July 14, arrived in a kind of backwards manner. Let me explain: about a year before the #metoo movement took off, there was a high profile harassment story in the Canadian news. It involved harassment in the workplace, and harassment…

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Welcome to Mad Science Mondays, where we talk about depictions of science in movies, TV shows, books, and the media. We dissect the good, the bad, the comical and the outright irresponsible. Who says learning about science can’t be fun? One of the reasons I started Mad Scientist Mondays was because a lot of people don’t actually know any scientists. As a result, cultural depictions of science and scientists – like those in movies and…

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Welcome to Teach Write! This column draws on my 20 years’ experience teaching writing to kids, university students, and adult learners. It includes ideas and exercises that teachers and students can use in the classroom, and creative writers can use to level up their process. When asked where we get our ideas, writers often joke “The idea store.” In an age where we can type “writing prompts” into Google and return literally thousands of starting…

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Welcome to STEMinism Sunday! As a former woman in science, I have a deep and enduring interest in the experiences and representation of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). This series will be an opportunity for me – and you – to learn more about these intellectual badasses. Today, we’ve got a guest post from conservation biologist and children’s writer, Rina Nichols. I have always loved animals and nature—and it was in…

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Well, here we are. In the three years I spent working on The Boreal Forest and preparing to release it into the world, I never in my wildest dreams expected to have to do it during a pandemic. And it’s been both harder and more hopeful than I could have imagined. I lost opportunities to celebrate… but new ones arose that wouldn’t have been possible under other, more “normal” circumstances. I’ve learned things and met…

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