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Juliana Armstrong, a teacher of Anishnaabemowin language & culture, became an artist after growing up watching her mother and gokmis crafting. Juliana draws her inspiration for her paintings from carrying her children during pregnancy and from the natural world. With great appreciation for the Ojibway culture and language, it is important for her to share her art. Raised on Christian Island, she is a member of and resides in Nipissing First Nation, Ontario.
martha attema was born on a dairy farm in Friesland, one of the northern provinces in the Netherlands. In 1981, martha immigrated with husband, Albert and three children to Canada. In 1995, she published her first novel, A Time to Choose. This war novel set in Friesland and deals with the Resistance and won the Blue Heron Book Award. Since this initial success martha has written numerous books for young people. For more information, visit marthaattema.com.
Dan Bar-el was born in Edmonton, grew up in Ontario, got lost briefly in Manitoba and now resides in Vancouver. Each year, Dan gives numerous presentations in schools and libraries across North America both as an author and as a storyteller. He takes great delight in opportunities to travel, see new places and visit with young readers. Visit his website at www.danbarel.com.
José Barreiro currently serves as assistant director for history and culture research and also directs the Office for Latin America at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. A member of the Taino Nation of the Antilles, Dr. Barreiro, a pioneering figure in Native American journalism and publishing, was an early editor and contributor at Akwesasne Notes (1976–1984). He and John Mohawk founded the Indigenous Peoples Network.
Arin Cole Barth (they/them) is a white, autistic, agender, queer person who lives in Longmont, Colorado with their partner, Marika. Born and raised in Colorado, they’re a devoted Rockies fan, and enjoy scoring games, but are too superstitious to actually buy a jersey. When not watching baseball, Arin enjoys cooking, playing Dungeons & Dragons, road trips, and queering the medical field.
Andrea Beck is the author/illustrator of the popular book series and TV show, Elliot Moose. Andrea is known for creating earnest characters that inhabit a world of warmth and friendship, appealing to children and parents alike. Beck studied at OCAD, York University and the University of Toronto and began her career as a toy designer. Her award-winning designs were featured in Canadian media and sold from coast to coast. Later, reading to her children, Beck was inspired by picturebooks and she began to write. Beck lives in Unionville, ON, with her two sons, her beagle Tillie and about 30 goldfish in the backyard pond. For more information, visit www.andreabeck.com.
Marsha Blacksmith is an educator and First Nations language and culture facilitator at Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. She is from Cross Lake, Manitoba.
Lisa Boivin is a member of the Deninu Kue First Nation. She is an interdisciplinary artist and a PhD student at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. Lisa uses images as a pedagogical tool to bridge gaps between medical ethics and aspects of Indigenous cultures and worldviews. She is currently working on an arts-based thesis that address the colonial barriers that Indigenous patients navigate in the current healthcare system. Lisa strives to humanize clinical medicine as she situates her art in the Indigenous continuum of passing knowledge through images.
Patricia Bow has been reading ever since the local library opened its magic doors for her and writing since she was old enough to hold a crayon. She uses a computer now instead of a crayon, but the thrill of the story hasn't changed. She writes what she loves to read: fiction with a strong flavour of the strange and mysterious, anchored by down-to-earth heroes.
Gail Bowen is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Joanne Kilbourn. Winner of both the Arthur Ellis Best Novel Award and the Derrick Murdoch Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Crime Writers of Canada, in 2008 Bowen was named “Canada’s Best Mystery Novelist” by Reader’s Digest. She was selected as one of "The 100 Most Popular Contemporary Mystery Authors" for an upcoming Library Unlimited reference book. For more information, visit www.gailbowen.com.
Michael Bradford was born in 1975 in St. Albert, Alberta. He has worked as a grass cutter, waiter, pizza-delivery boy, literacy teacher, elementary-school vice-principal and published poet. Button Hill is his first novel. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with his wife and two children. Visit www.michaelbradford.ca for more information.
Kristi Bridgeman has illustrated several books for children. Her fine-art pieces can be found at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and Sooke Harbour House Gallery. Born and raised on the west coast of Canada, Kristi resides and paints in her home-based studio at the edge of the rainforest on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Constance Brissenden, BA (University of Guelph), MA (University of Alberta, theater) wrote a number of books with her partner, Larry Loyie. A nonfiction writer and editor of more than 14 books of history and travel, she was a writing instructor in Simon Fraser University's Writing & Publishing program for 18 years. In 1993, Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden launched the Living Traditions Writers Group to encourage writing in Indigenous and other communities. A lifelong freelancer, Constance Brissenden continues to write, edit and teach writing and theater.
Halie Bruce is a member of the 'Namgis First Nation of northern Vancouver Island. She was called to the Bar in 2008. Her practice areas include Aboriginal law, family law, child welfare, fisheries law, Indigenous laws and governance, and Aboriginal business law. She has devoted part of her practice to restorative justice, including writing Gladue Reports for bail, sentencing and appeal courts in British Columbia. Halie co-edited Box of Treasures or Empty Box? Twenty Years of Section 35.
Cate May Burton is a passionate educator and social-justice advocate with a particular interest in such issues as democracy, climate change and justice for Indigenous Peoples. She grew up in an activist household, which sparked her dedication to making a better world. She has a deep love of reading, learning and meaningful conversation. Cate holds a master’s degree in women and gender studies from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Mi'kmaq territory. She continued her studies at the Social Justice Institute at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on Musqueam territory. At the time of writing this book, Cate was studying education at the University of British Columbia.
Eva Campbell was born in Ghana and spent her childhood in Barbados and Jamaica. She studied painting at the College of Art in Ghana (BA) and the University of Victoria (MFA). Eva has had numerous art exhibitions in Canada, the United States, Ghana, Barbados and Britain. She is the visual arts teacher at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia.
Anne Laurel Carter is a multi-award-winning author of books for children, including Under the Prairie Sky (Orca 2004). When she's not writing, she's reading. Anne lives in Toronto, Ontario, where she works full-time as a teacher-librarian.
Norma Charles has written numerous books for kids, including The Accomplice, nominated for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. Norma has been a teacher and a teacher-librarian and has taught Creative Writing at UBC. For more information, visit www.normacharles.ca.
Norman Chartrand is Saulteaux–Métis Anishinaabek. He is Jennifer's great-uncle and the son of Elise Beauchamp and Arthur Jacque (Jimmy) Chartrand. Elise Beauchamp was the daughter of Philoméne Klyne and Jean Beauchamp. Julia Brass was the daughter of Julia McLeod of Pelly and George Brass. Jean Beauchamp was the son of Nancy Chartrand and Joseph Beauchamp. His ancestors come from the Riding Mountain territory in Manitoba.He is a member of the Pine Creek Indian Band in Camperville, Manitoba.
Michael Cook was the editor of How Can One Sell The Air?.
?strong>Deborah L. Delaronde-Falk?/strong> is Métis and lives in central Manitoba on a cattle ranch along the western shores of Lake Winnipegosis. She honours her Métis heritage by writing and publishing under her maiden name. Deborah’s twelve published stories (with the exception of ?i>Friendship Bay?/i> and ?i>The Rabbit’s Race?/i>) focus around Métis protagonists with story situations that she hopes will convey the way of life of the Métis people in both a historical and contemporary context. ?i>Louis Riel’s Day: The Fur Trade Project?/i> is Deborah’s twelfth book. Deborah was the first recipient of the Beatrice Mosionier Aboriginal Writer of the Year Award in 2015.
Sheila Egoff discovered the public library in her hometown of Galt, Ontario, at age eight, more than eighty years ago. Her love of books led to a life devoted to the promotion of children's literature and librarianship. Many of today's children's librarians credit Sheila with instilling in them a philosophy of librarianship that values literary quality and bringing books to each and every child.
Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal is a highly acclaimed artist and illustrator and was a finalist for the Governor General Award for Children’s Book Illustration. She was three years old when she first saw her mother draw. Ever since that magic moment, she never stopped creating art. She lives with her husband in Montreal, where she helps intellectually challenged people of all ages draw and paint, loves chocolate almost as much as drawing, and, like Bubbie on her scooter, cycles around town on her bike.
David Kanietakeron Fadden is an Akwesasne Mohawk artist who was born in Lake Placid, New York, and grew up in Onchiota. He is the grandson of Tehanetorens.
Mary Fairhurst Breen grew up in the suburbs of Toronto and raised her kids in an artsy, slightly gritty part of the city. A translator by training, she spent thirty years in the not-for-profit sector, managing small organizations with big social-change mandates. She also launched her own arts business, indulging her passion for hand-making, which was a colossally enjoyable and unprofitable venture. Its demise gave her the time and impetus to write her family history for her daughters. She began to publish autobiographical stories, and wound up with her first book, Any Kind of Luck at All.
Marianne Ferrer was born in Venezuela and immigrated to Canada in 1998. After attending Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec, for illustration and design, she completed her education in graphic design at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Her style is characterized by its charm, delicacy and depth. Marianne lives in Montreal, Quebec.
Helen Flook was born and grew up in the beautiful countryside of Wales. She has a degree in graphic design from the Norwich School of Art. Helen has illustrated numerous children's books, including many Orca picture books and early chapter books in the Orca Echoes series. She lives and works in Abergwyngregyn, a village in Wales.
Leanne Franson is a children's illustrator from Martensville, Saskatchewan. She studied Fine Arts at Concordia University in Montréal and afterwards headed tothe Banff Centre, School of Fine Arts for ceramics. Besides illustrating wonderful children's books, Leanne makes porcelain animals and stoneware pottery in her home ceramics studio, under the name Scattered Fingers.
Elizabeth Gatt was born in London, England, and has an MA in graphic design from the Central School of Art and Design. She worked for a number of years at the Natural History Museum in London and began illustrating children's books after her two children were born. Elizabeth now lives in Burlington, Ontario.
Christy Goerzen holds a Master of Arts in Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia. She has worked as a book reviewer, copywriter, marketing consultant, television writer, bookseller, university instructor and writing mentor. Born and raised on the West Coast, Christy lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family and two funny cats.
Born a stone's throw from the English Channel in Bognor Regis,Jo Hammond emigrated to the Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada in 1967 on a 6,000 ton freighter, sailing with a cargo of Rolls Royces, Robertsons' Marmalade, and Cutty Sark Whisky. Jo lives in an orchard by the sea just outside Gibsons with three cats and a vast collection of music.
Brian Harvey is a scientist and writer. He holds a PhD in marine biology and specializes in conservation of aquatic biodiversity. Brian’s first nonfiction book for a general audience, The End of the River, was published in 2008. He is currently finishing a second nonfiction book about sailing around Vancouver Island and is working on several fiction projects. Brian lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.brianharvey.org.
Brenda Hasiuk is an award-winning short-fiction writer whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Her first novel, Where the Rocks Say Your Name, was nominated for the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the coldest major city on earth, with her husband, author Duncan Thornton. For more information, visit www.brendahasiuk.com.
Katherine Holubitsky's first novel, Alone at Ninety Foot, (Orca Book Publishers), won the CLA Book of the Year for Young Adults and the IODE Violet Downey Book Award. She has also written Last Summer in Agatha, The Hippie House and The Mountain that Walked, all published by Orca. Katherine lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
Jesse T. Hummingbird is a Cherokee artist who has won awards for his paintings at major shows across the country. He most recently won the best of division for painting at the Heard Museum Indian Market and second place in painting at the SW Arts Festival in Indio, CA. In 2017, he was selected by the Cherokee Nation as a Cherokee National Living Treasure.
Frances Itani has published numerous books, including Requiem, chosen by the Washington Post as one of 2012's top fiction titles of the year; and the #1 bestseller Deafening, which won a Commonwealth Award, was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and was published in 17 territories. Frances is a Member of the Order of Canada and is a three-time winner of the CBC Literary Award.
Kate Jaimet is an author and journalist who recently began a freelance career after many years as a daily newspaper reporter for the Ottawa Citizen. Kate lives in Ottawa, Ontario. More information is available at www.katejaimet.com.
Warren Jefferson worked with the Suquamish tribe for further authenticity about the Suquamish people.
Warren Jefferson became interested in Native American culture after reading Black Elk Speaks in the 1960s. He lives in an intentional community called The Farm, in Summertown, Tennessee. He is also the author of Reincarnation Beliefs of North American Indians, Colloidal Silver, and Understanding Gout.
Kathy Kacer has won many awards for her books about the holocaust for young readers, including Hiding Edith, The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, Clara’s War and The Underground Reporters. A former psychologist, Kathy tours North America speaking to young people about the importance of remembering the Holocaust. For more information, visit www.kathykacer.com.
Voice of the Valley is Sheena Koops' first novel. She is an author who has stuck to the old adage "write what you know" and that faith has served her tremendously well. Sheena Koops teaches high school and lives with her family in the historic Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan.
Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of more than 25 books for children and young adults. She often writes about science, pop culture, history or a combination of the three. Her recent titles include Me and Banksy and This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes. Tanya lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
An avid reader of Grimm's fairy tales as a child, Ingrid Lee enters the world of the imagination with ease. She herself has made sandy shapes on many beaches over the years. And always, she says, she has trouble leaving them to fend for themselves at the end of the day. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, where, in addition to writing, she teaches art and English.
Diane Carmel Léger grew up in the Acadian village of Memramcook, New Brunswick. For 20 years, she lived in Victoria, British Columbia, where she taught French Immersion and wrote books in French and English. Diane has left the West but a little part of herself stayed behind in the virgin rainforests of Vancouver Island where her family was involved in saving some of the world's tallest trees. Diane has toured schools in Canada and the United States since 1991. For more information, visit www.dianecarmelleger.com
John Lekich is a Vancouver-based author and freelance writer whose work has appeared in Reader's Digest, the Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter. A former West Coast arts correspondent for The Globe and Mail, he is the recipient of ten regional and national magazine awards.
Wendy A. Lewis is the author of several stories and books. Her collection Graveyard Girl received the Canadian Authors' Association Vicky Metcalf Award for excellence in young adult short fiction. Wendy loves to visit schools and libraries to talk about the writing process and conduct creative writing workshops. She lives in Uxbridge, Ontario with her family.
Cornelia Li is a Chinese-born illustrator currently based in Toronto. She is intrigued by narrative woven into daily interactions between people and their surroundings and she set out to capture the relationship by externalizing the ideas and emotions into elements in her images. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts, the AOI, 3x3, the National Magazine Awards and more.
Irene Luxbacherc is an illustrator, children's book author and a graduate of Queen's University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Her children's books have received numerous awards and accolades, including being nominated for a Governor General's Award for illustration and chosen for USBBY's Outstanding International Books List. Irene lives in Toronto.
Oren Lyons is a faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Council of Chiefs, Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy). He has been active in international Indigenous rights and sovereignty issues for over four decades at the United Nations and other international forums. He is a State University of New York (SUNY) distinguished services professor emeritus of the University at Buffalo.
Carrie Mac's first novel The Beckoners won the Arthur Ellis YA Award, is a CLA Honour book. She is available for school and library presentations, and has been known to hold the interest of a couple hundred teens where others have failed. Maybe it's the tattoos. For more information, visit www.carriemac.com.
Isabelle Malenfant has a bachelor's degree in graphic design, but never worked in the field because she fell in love with illustration first. She likes to mix mediums such as watercolor, pastels and charcoal to create poetic and sensitive worlds. Isabelle has illustrated more than a dozen children's books, including Maggie's Chopsticks (Kids Can), which was awarded the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. She was born in northern Quebec, between gold mines and lakes, in the city of Val-d'Or. Isabelle currently lives and works in Montreal, Quebec, with her little family.
Carmen Marois publie depuis 1985 pour les adultes (recueil de nouvelles, pièce de théâtre, haïkus, articles de revues) et pour les enfants (romans, nouvelles, contes, textes scolaires, récit encyclopédique). Elle vit à Montréal.
Carmen Marois publie depuis 1985 pour les adultes (recueil de nouvelles, pièce de théâtre, haïkus, articles de revues) et pour les enfants (romans, nouvelles, contes, textes scolaires, récit encyclopédique).
Carol Matas is an internationally acclaimed author of over forty-five novels for young people. Her bestselling work, which includes three award-winning series, has been translated into fifteen languages. She has received over 100 awards and honors, including two nominations for a Governor General's Literary Award. Who's Looking is her first picture book. Carol lives in Winnipeg.
Dianne Maycock has always wanted to write books about animals. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from UBC and a combined Master's degree in Adult Education and Counselling from the University of Toronto. She has visited every Canadian province except for P.E.I., as well as most of the countries in Europe. Dianne lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her family and is available for school presentations.
Rhael McGregor is a queer Métis, NonBinary/Two-Spirit artist and animator living in Toronto, Ontario. They work primarily in writing and drawing for comics and animation and this is their first time working on a Children's book! They love creating and working on stories that make people smile.
Shaunessy M. McKay is a Mi’kmaq of Eel Ground First Nation. She received a BA in Native Studies and English from St. Thomas University.
Victoria Miles is the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including Old Mother Bear, which received a Henry Bergh award from the American Society for the Protection of Animals. Victoria lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and two daughters.
Rachelle Anne Miller studied at NSCAD University, where she earned her Bachelor of Design in 2002. She worked as a graphic designer for several years before deciding to venture out as a freelance illustrator. Rachelle's art has been featured in various international magazines and websites. Her work can be seen in children's books, greeting cards, craft supplies, children's room decor, tech accessories and more. For more information, visit www.rachelleannemiller.com
John Mohawk, a leading scholar and spokesman for the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, was a leading advocate for the rights of the Iroquois Confederacy and of Indigenous people worldwide. He served as director of Indigenous Studies at the Center for the Americas at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He died December 2, 2006, in Buffalo, New York.
Irene Morck is an accomplished author and trail-rider. Her first book with Orca, Tough Trails is based on many of her adventures riding in the Rocky Mountains. Irene lives on a farm with ten mules, one horse and her husband.
Antoine Mountain has received many awards for his art, community activism, and athletic achievement. Mountain is currently completing a PhD in Indigenous Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario but will always call Radelie Koe (Fort Good Hope), Northwest Territories home.
Born in Calgary, Mary Elizabeth Nelson has been both a teacher-librarian and a language arts teacher. She wrote her first book at age four. She has four children and three grandchildren and presently lives and writes on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Karen Nesbitt works as a high school counselor near Montréal, Québec. The mother of two teenagers, Karen spends most of her days immersed in teen culture. She lives with her husband and children in Pierrefonds, Québec. Subject to Change is Karen's debut novel.
Cynthia Nugent is a nationally recognized and award-winning children's book author and illustrator. Her first book, Mister Got To Go, is now considered a Canadian classic. All of her books have been on the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Our Choice lists. Cynthia lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her Yorkshire terrier Emma. More information is available at www.cynthianugent.com.
Shane Peacock is an award-winning novelist, playwright, journalist and television screenwriter. His bestselling series for young adults, The Boy Sherlock Holmes, has been published in ten countries in twelve languages and has found its way onto more than forty shortlists. For more information, visit www.shanepeacock.ca.
Lucas Platero (Madrid, 1970) es un activista transfeminista que tiene un doctorado en Sociología y Ciencia Política en la Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). En la actualidad trabaja como profesor en la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, y es director de publicaciones de Estudios Trans en la Editorial Bellaterra. Ha publicado numerosos artículos de investigación en revistas internacionales y estatales, y es autor de varios libros, incluyendo Trans*exualidades: Acompañamientos, factores de salud y recursos educativos (2014); Por un chato de vino: Historias de travestismo y masculinidad femenina (2015), Barbarismos Queer y Otras Esdrújulas (2017), y Cuerpos Marcados. Vidas que cuentan y políticas públicas (2019).
Waubgeshig Rice is an author and journalist from Wasauksing First Nation on Georgian Bay. He has written three fiction titles, and his short stories and essays have been published in numerous anthologies. His most recent novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, was published in 2018 and became a national bestseller. He graduated from Ryerson University’s journalism program in 2002 and spent the bulk of his journalism career at CBC, most recently as host of Up North, the afternoon radio program for northern Ontario. He lives in Sudbury with his wife and two sons.
Karen Rivers is the author of fourteen novels, mostly for young adults. Her books have been nominated for a number of awards, including the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize and the Silver Birch Award. Karen lives, reads and writes in a yellow house near the beach in Victoria, British Columbia, and can almost always be found online at www.karenrivers.com..