New Cover!

I'm so excited about the revised cover to my upcoming book, Counting On Katherine. The adult Katherine was replaced by this younger version. What do you think about it?

Good news for Counting on Katherine!

Counting on Katherine (Christy Ottaviano Books, June) has been selected by the Junior Library Guild. So pleased!

Updated cover!

Coming in June - but you can preorder now!

Cover Reveal for Nonfiction Monday

I'm so excited to show off this beautiful cover design for Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13.Coming June 2018! 

Back to School Fun!

Do you find back to school scary? It's not as scary as  Monster Science, new from Kids Can Press this fall!

You'll meet six of the world's most fearsome creatures and put them under the microscope to determine fact from fiction. Could monsters really exist? What science might make that possible? WARNING: what you discover might surprise - and even terrify - you!

Consider these hair-raising possibilities:

* Can you stitch together body parts and z-z-zap them to life, like Dr. Frankenstein? Shocking!* Can you drink blood and live forever, like Dracula? Gulp.* Can you raise the dead and start a zombie apocalypse? Eek!* Can you transform into a werewolf under the light of the full moon? Arooo!
Monster Science tackles these questions and more, giving you the information you need to unlock dangerous scientific secrets. Read on, if you dare. And then take the quiz at the end of each chapter to see how you would fare as a mad scientist. Mwa ha ha!

Read the reviews here.

A STAR from KIRKUS!

I am so pleased that Worms for Breakfast (Owlkids) has gotten a starred review from Kirkus.

Here's what they say:

"Monkey chow, mealworm mush, and predator popsicles, yum yum. Here's a lively introduction to the foods zoo and aquarium animals eat and some people who choose and prepare them. Becker opens her zoo cookery book with a recipe for an appetizer—platypus party mix (crayfish, earthworms, mealworms, and fly pupae, all live and wriggling—and a table of contents labeled "Menu." Each double-page spread is a chapter. There's a puzzle asking readers to match plated food with pictured animals and a spread describing a zoo kitchen. Further pages present additional surprising recipes, introductions to zoo nutritionists, and explanations of feeding methods—from formula for newborns to special treats for picky eaters—and parties, puzzles, and games mimicking feeding activities in the wild. The description of fish-feeding includes a shoutout to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's seafood guide, and the author emphasizes the conservation mission of today's zoos. Boake's humorous computer-generated illustrations look like animal photos set on animation cels. One spread features seven nocturnal animals helping themselves to midnight snacks from the refrigerator. Superimposed on the final image of humans and the primates who are our relatives are suggestions for supporting animals inside and outside captivity. With fascinating facts and a lively design, this is a surprisingly nourishing treat. (glossary, puzzle answers, index) (Informational picture book. 7-10)"

And here's what I say: Woohoo!!!

What's New in Science Trade Books for Kids - Join Me at OLA!

If you'll be in Toronto, next Wednesday, please join Gillian O'Reilly and Jan Thornhill  and me bright and early as we present an informative and fun session (There will be giveaways!) at the OLA Superconference. 

Here are the deets:  

When: Wednesday, Jan 27 | 9:00 am - 10:30 am

Location: MTCC 206C

Days: Wednesday. Event Types: Session. Sectors: School Libraries. Subjects: Children's Resources and STEM.

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Description:

Nonfiction for children, that under-appreciated workhorse of the literary world, is currently undergoing a Renaissance. Print resources, especially in STEM fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, are more innovative – and useful – than ever. Did you know, for example, that breaking news in science frequently appears first in children’s books? Canadian authors are at the leading edge of the trend, producing ground-breaking, award-winning books that turn fact-finding into an adventure, and stimulate critical thinking skills with first-rate scholarship. In this session, we will shine white-hot laser beams on contemporary trends, explore how to evaluate science-related children’s books and determine how to highlight them in your collection. You’ll also receive a hot-off-the-press annotated list of science-related books by Canadian authors, keyed to curricular topics. This session will be led by the bloggers at http://sci-why.blogspot.ca/  where you can find the latest news related to science issues for children in Canada. PLUS: FREE BOOK DRAW!

Learning Outcomes
Learn about game-changing contemporary trends in children’s nonfiction, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM
Learn techniques for evaluating the new style of print nonfiction for children, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM
Receive a detailed, comprehensive list of Canadian science books for children, keyed by curricular topic, and links to on-line resources to make selecting science resources for children faster, easier, and more reliable.

Hope to see you there!

And the Shortlists are Out!

One of the highlights of the Canadian kidlit scene is the announcement of the OLA's Forest of Reading Awards shortlists. That was today. And it's sweeter than ever this year because Zoobots has made the Silver Birch Nonfiction Shortlist! Woo hoo Zoo!!!!!

It's an honour to be selected, and to be in such great company with such wonderful friends and colleagues like Frieda Wishinsky, Liz MacLeod, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Hugh Brewster and Deborah Ellis, among others! I'm also holding up the fist bump for all the great folks - and stellar books -  nominated in all the other categories.

I am so looking forward to meeting kid-fans at the extra school visits the award will generate, and to meeting everyone at all the great Forest of Trees festivities throughout the year! I know how much fun it all is, since I've had the great good fortune to be nominated several times before. (Psst: I've even won a few times! Boredom Blasters and Secret Agent Y.O.U. won in 2006 and 2008; What's the Big Idea? won an Honour Award in 2011.)