Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s book creators! Today’s guest: Elaine Kachala. Take it away, Elaine!
What if we could solve the world’s housing shortage and climate crisis with teamwork and technology?
Building Homes for All: Technology for A Fair and Green Planet begins with the premise that everyone deserves a home.
In this nonfiction middle-grade STEAM book, young readers explore the causes of homelessness and housing shortages, and why we need more affordable, safe, eco-friendly housing. But… when we build new housing, the construction process unleashes tons of greenhouse gases. Buildings and construction are responsible for 40% of the world’s carbon emissions.
Alas! We have a housing shortage and a climate crisis.
What if you could 3D-print eco-friendly, affordable houses in months, weeks, or even days? And what if 3D printing human settlements on the Moon and Mars helps us tackle challenges here on Earth? What if you could quickly manufacture wood buildings that actually slow climate change? And what if robots, drones, wearable devices, and immersive technologies were our super helpers?
In Building Homes for All, young readers meet innovators reimagining how we build. With cutting-edge technologies and sustainable materials, trailblazers are building faster, better, safer, cheaper, and greener. They’re proving that technology offers hope and solutions, but it takes teamwork to challenge old ideas and traditional ways of doing things to create change.
Here’s a link to a brief 2-minute book trailer.
Middle-Graders Are Ready!
Building Homes for All is part of Orca Book Publisher’s Think nonfiction series for middle-grade readers, which introduces them to issues making headlines today and encourages them to question, connect, and take action for a better future. Middle-graders are not only ready to learn about headline issues—many are living some of the realities.
I was asked this question: Affordable housing is often discussed as an adult issue. Why was it important for you to introduce these topics to children and young readers? Here’s what I said: They’re issues that young people are already aware of, and in fact, as I mention early in the book, some readers may know family or friends who are facing housing challenges—or may be experiencing it themselves. So talking about these issues gently, openly, and with accurate information helps dispel myths and reduce stigma. Also, while the challenges are real, STEAM solutions are not only possible—they are happening now. And kids can be part of the solutions!
I hope children take away three big ideas from the book. First, that with teamwork and technology, even some of the world’s toughest problems can be solved. Second, that construction, which has long been meaningful, important work, is now part of an exciting, high-tech STEAM future, with growing career opportunities open to everyone. Third, the innovators tackling these challenges don’t get it right the first time. As readers learn about their persistence and dedication, I hope they see that even experts fail—but they learn from it, try again, and find the experience deeply rewarding.
More Than A Book Launch – An Industry, Educators, Family Networking Event
To help my book reach a broader audience, I partnered with construction industry organizations, Honour The Work, Northcrest Developments, Horizon Legacy, and the Toronto District School Board’s Experiential Learning Program for my launch event. The goal was to have a panel discussion about how to spark kids’ interest in STEAM, construction, and the skilled trades. Along with my presentation, there was an outstanding panel discussion (Automation, Innovation & the Next Generation: Connecting Classrooms, Communities, and Careers), kids’ activities, and refreshments. The event was a resounding success! An entire discussion followed on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
As it happens, members of the construction industry and educators are looking for middle-grade books to help spark these conversations. It turns out that capturing kids’ interest at this age—before high school—is critical. They’re more open to STEAM subjects and less likely to hold preconceived ideas, such as that STEAM is too hard. It’s also important to challenge myths and stereotypes about working in construction, especially for parents and educators, because after all—the industry is at the cutting-edge of change with a breadth of high-tech career opportunities for students.
I will leave you with two compelling quotes from industry leaders:
“If we can 3D print 100 homes, we can do 1000 and then 10,000. We want to build a house per day, then a house per minute, and then per second. At a house per second, we can solve the global housing crisis in our lifetime!”—Jason Ballard, CEO & Cofounder, ICON Build
“We can solve this combination of human need and the planet’s need in our lifetime.”—Michael Green, Cofounder & Architect, MGA.
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- Photo of Elaine by Dorothy Puddester
Elaine Kachala writes bold, curiosity-fueled STEAM nonfiction that empowers young readers to imagine—and build—a better world with technology. She is the award-winning author of Superpower? The Wearable-Tech Revolution (Orca Book Publishers, 2022), an NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book K-12 and Building Homes for All: Technology for a Fair and Green Planet (Orca Book Publishers, 2026), a Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection. With over 20 years as a health policy writer and advisor, degrees in psychology and sociology (University of Toronto), and a master’s degree in environmental studies (York University), Elaine brings a unique perspective to STEAM topics. She hopes to write books that inspire young readers to embrace their curiosity and creativity as they learn about real-life inventors who are unafraid to dream big while thinking critically about health, social and ethical issues. Elaine also hopes that her books will be valuable resources for educators and librarians. A free curriculum-aligned teacher guide is available to help extend the book’s learning. To download a free copy, please visit https://www.elainekachala.com/.
(*please insert my picture. Photo credit Dorothy Puddester)