A Secret Agent and Their Little Books

One of my favourite parts of writing for kids is feeling like a secret member of a powerful movement. In my work, I get to learn and share stories about people creating brilliant solutions to problems. Sometimes another adult hears what I do for a living and says, “How sweet! You write little books! How nice for you!” … and then I go into a classroom full of young readers who are bursting with ideas and enthusiasm, teaching their parents how to conserve water, raising community awareness about a local issue, and working on a letter campaign to the government, and I grin. “Little books” with big ideas can empower young people to change the world, and I feel so lucky to be a part of this.

Lately, a few adults with podcasts have honed in on my books and invited me to talk about them. I think this means that I’m now a not-so-secret agent, but I’m happy to blow my cover. Here are two podcasts that I’ve spoken on recently:

Amazing Places: Dean Murdock kindly invited me to talk about placemaking, community-building, and my book Home Sweet Neighborhood.

MicCHEK: Joe Perkins was curious about the chocolate protests that started here on Vancouver Island in late April of 1947, and he asked me about what I’d learned as I researched Maggie and the Chocolate War.