Kids' Science Writers

As I mentioned in the previous post, two other children's writers and I were invited to speak in Whitehorse at the annual Canadian Science Writers' Conference. The three of us (who had never met before) shared a family apartment at Yukon College, and were most congenial roommates. How lucky! Check out this photo of us with science journalist, Jennifer Kaban (second from left). Jude Isabella (left) is the editor of Yes Mag, the science magazine for kids. Pippa Wysong (right) has a Q&A website for kids called Ask Pippa. We three roommates spoke together on a panel about writing science books and other publications for kids. We also were the hosts for Family Day at Beringia Centre, a day where local Whitehorse kids came to learn about our books, us and the amazing land and creatures of Beringia. Aside from our enjoyable speaking responsibilities, the three of us founds lots of time to stay up late under the midnight sun, eat some tasty Mexican food and tour the stunning Yukon wilderness. What a wonderful trip!

Check out Yes Mag at: www.yesmag.ca

Ask Pippa is at: www.askpippa.ca

My Friend, the Woolly Mammoth

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of visiting Whitehorse, Yukon for the first time. I had been invited to be a speaker at the Canadian Science Writers' Conference, held in Whitehorse this year. The theme of the conference was International Polar Year and many of the talks were about climate change and the warming of the polar ice. In conjunction with the conference, three children's science writers (me included) were asked to participate in Family Day at the Beringia Interpretive Centre. Beringia is the ancient land mass that existed between Siberia and Alaska during the Ice Age. It was a land of ice, giant mammals and the First People of North America. Fascinating! Here's me at the Beringia Centre with my new friend, the giant woolly mammoth. Click on the photo to see the mammoth in its impressive size. To find out more about Beringia Centre, go to: www.beringia.com.

Writing on the West Coast

It's a wonderful life here on the west coast. In summer, the sky and ocean are a brilliant blue and the sun brightens up my daily walks. In winter (and several of the other seasons), it rains so often that there's nothing I'd rather do than huddle in my office and warm myself by the glow of my computer screen. Vancouver is a great place to be a writer!

First Day of Summer

It's the first day of summer and I celebrated by picking up a flat of juicy, red strawberries at the local farmer's market. Those berries have now been transformed into a dozen delicious jars of jam. They're on the kitchen counter, waiting to be devoured by my family and anyone else who drops by. I always tell people that if I wasn't a writer, I would be a cook. Maybe not a restaurant cook, but a person who makes jam and pies to sell at the farmer's market. Mmm... Summer!

Welcome to My Blog!

I may be the last author on Earth to have a blog. Dare I say: Better late than never?