News and Notes from the Field

I'll be honest: I have no idea how it's even December already, so today's post celebrating Antarctica is a little less polished and a little more... random. We'll start with a couple fun facts leftover from Polar research, and ... Read More  

Iz the Apocalypse took me seven years to write. I’ve honestly lost count of how many versions there were. Characters and storylines came and went as I fought to figure out exactly how to tell Iz’s story. My husband ... Read More  

It started with a boring writers’ bio. When my first book, a middle grade novel called Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer, was published (Cormorant/Dancing Cat Books 2021), my writing accomplishments were pretty slim, so in my bio ... Read More  

I am beyond thrilled to share that Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, is featured in the IndigoKids Christmas Gift Guide! This would be incredible news for any author, but it's particularly special for me. That's because ... Read More  

I’ve been making things up since I was a young child, although my talents went generally unappreciated back then. As a small maker-up-of-things, I felt insulted when playmates refused to believe my stories. So what if they were obviously ... Read More  

Hold on, you're saying to yourself, I think I've read this post before... You're not wrong! There are TWO World Migratory Bird Days every year, because - surprise! - migration is a round trip. At least, that's how we ... Read More  

There aren’t a lot of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) who grace the pages of history books. Perhaps it is because of lack of education or opportunity. Perhaps it’s because of gender roles. Perhaps it’s because the ... Read More  

One reason Antarctica is so unique is because it's been isolated from the rest of the planet for about 20 million years: ever since the Antarctic Circumpolar Current formed. The ACC - you guessed it - is an ocean ... Read More  

Who is the tree in your life? And whom will you be a tree to? There are many people in our lives, family, friends, teachers, and mentors, who nurture us and make us who we are today. How often do we ... Read More  

Science Literacy Week is almost over – almost, but not quite! There’s still time to get some free science-y goodness in your life, so hop on over to the Science Literacy Week website to learn about last-minute events happening ... Read More  

It’s the most, wonderful tiiiiiime of the year – at least, if you’re a science person! It’s Science Literacy Week! If you’re not familiar, Science Literacy Week is an annual, national celebration of all things science. Universities, libraries, and ... Read More  

People who write historical fiction generally love research. We have a reverence for minutiae and often find ourselves spending many hours reading about things that have nothing whatsoever to do with our stories. We love the hunt and the ... Read More  

What are the first words you think of when you read Teenagers are…? Did the words resourceful, hard-working, or resilient come to mind? We’ve all heard negative stereotypes about how today’s generation have it so easy, but we overlook the ... Read More  

I’ve always been fascinated by the story behind a book.  What sparks an idea or theme? My latest picture book, A Flower is a Friend with luminous art by Karen Patkau, published by Pajama Press, began with a packet of ... Read More  

About 5 years ago, Tech Support and I moved to Ontario. We live in a relatively new neighbourhood, and the first year, there were lawns but no trees. The second year, scattered shrubs and the occasional sapling. Now, almost ... Read More  

I’ve loved playing with words and making up stories ever since I was a child. Back then, I drank imaginary tea and served it to my imaginary guests. I pretended a goblin lived in my closet and a witch ... Read More  

It's Arctic Sea Ice Day, which means the internet is about to be covered in polar bears. Don't get me wrong - polar bears are awesome, and I would dearly love to snuggle me a bear cub, because they ... Read More  

Hi all! This post was scheduled to publish while I was away on a well-earned holiday. I returned to discover that the tech gods were also on holiday that week. Oh well, better late than never. It’s International Day ... Read More