You’ve probably heard about scientists using photos of whale flukes to identify individual humpbacks. Did you know that a similar strategy is being used to count and identify zebras? Originally called StripeSpotter, it’s a barcode scanner. A barcode scanner for ... Read More  

  Have a junior science lover on your holiday shopping list? Here’s how to give them a special treat: Buy a copy of Fox Talk or Fuzzy Forensics from your favourite bookseller Email a copy of the receipt to shop@foxtalk.ca ... Read More  

Have a junior science lover on your holiday shopping list? Here’s how to give them a special treat: Buy a copy of Fox Talk or Fuzzy Forensics from your favourite bookseller Email a copy of the receipt to shop@foxtalk.ca Include ... Read More  

  Have a junior science lover on your holiday shopping list? Here’s how to give them a special treat: Buy a copy of Fox Talk or Fuzzy Forensics from your favourite bookseller Email a copy of the receipt to shop@foxtalk.ca ... Read More  

Have a junior science lover on your holiday shopping list? Here’s how to give them a special treat: Buy a copy of Fox Talk or Fuzzy Forensics from your favourite bookseller Email a copy of the receipt to shop@foxtalk.ca Include ... Read More  

Ann emptied her purse onto the bedspread and poked through the coins. Ninety-seven cents. A Barbie doll cost three dollars. She sighed. “I’ll never earn enough.” Tree branches scraped against the window, and Ann flinched, her pulse jumping. “It’s ... Read More  

It was one of those projects that was on my list for years. Also one of those projects that sounded simple, but turned out to be a bit more complicated in the actual implementation. Read More  

Summer was the bestest time of year. Kaylee loved lying in warm grass, looking for cloud pictures. She loved running through the sprinkler. The ice-cream truck came every day. But the bestest part of summer was going to Grandma’s ... Read More  

Every autumn, monarch butterflies make an amazing journey.  They fly from their summer homes in the northeastern United States all the way to Mexico.  The trip takes two whole months, and it is dangerous.  But if they make it, monarchs ... Read More  

It was Science Literacy Week last week, a Canada wide celebration of science and science books. *emerges from whirlwind* *plucks twigs from hair* *empties biscuit crumbs from pockets* *collapses in heap*   I visited one school and three branches ... Read More  

I’m at Word on the Street today, at the Halifax Central Library. If you’re in town, come check out this amazing free literary festival. I’ll be reading at 2pm in the BMO Community Room. Stop by and say hello! ... Read More  

If you had any exposure to the Rio Olympics at all, you probably noticed the giant hickeys several athletes – most notably Michael Phelps – were flaunting all over their events. Attacks by enormous octopodi? Nope. Cupping bruises. If ... Read More  

I’ve blogged before about the importance of fact checking sources when researching nonfiction for kids. This post is about a slightly different research challenge that, in the age of the internet, is becoming a huge problem. I sometimes teach ... Read More  

Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? It was quite possibly one of the weirdest things to ever go viral, but it raised a TON of money in support of ALS research. Which was awesome, because ALS, better known as Lou ... Read More  

All across the forests of Canada, wolves look for the same things.  They look for clean water and safe dens.  They look for a place where deer or moose are plentiful.  When wolves find everything they need in one ... Read More  

Why do TV shows have science consultants when they clearly don’t listen to what their consultants tell them? I have often wondered this. Generally while watching forensics procedurals. I still haven’t recovered from that episode of Bones where Dr. ... Read More  

If you’ve been here before, you probably know I love domesticated foxes (enough to write a book about them), but arctic foxes will always have a special place in my heart. One reason is that I spent 6 years ... Read More  

If you’re in Nova Scotia, come on out. It’s a great opportunity to meet local authors, chat kid lit, and pick up a signed book. Free and open to the public – hope to see you there! Read More