Readings and Performances
- Vancouver Writer's Festival
- Tucson Book Festival
- Orange County (Calif) Children's Book Festival
- SCBWI Canada East Keynote
- Frye Fest
- Harbourfront Aloud
Children's Festival
- 3X Canada Council
National
- Author Tour
- Word on the Street Festival
- Owl Magazine Anniversary Celebration
- Kids Can Press Anniversary Celebration
- Hundreds of school and library appearances across Canada
To arrange for a reading or event at your location, please contact
Authors Booking Service at authors.bookingservice@gmail.com.
I have a POLICE CHECK saying I'm good to go for schools. :) Documentation provided on request.
I am a member of the Writer's Union of Canada. As such, my public performance at your location my be funded by a Canada Council grant. For more information, contact the Writer's Union.
Helaine Becker is an award-winning writer of books for children. She has written over 90 books, including the best-selling picture books, A Porcupine in a Pine Tree, Deck the Halls, and Dashing Through the Snow; You Can Read, and Sloth at the Zoom; popular non-fiction, including Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13, Megabugs,Worms for Breakfast, Hubots, Zoobots, Monster Science and Don't Stress!; and novels including Gottika, Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, and How to Survive Absolutely Anything.
She also writes for children's magazines and for kids television. She has written four seasons of Dr. Greenie's Mad Lab, a segment on Planet Echo, an environmental science show, and is hard at work on several other projects.
Helaine is a popular presenter and performer at schools internationally. She was selected to tour four times for Canadian Children’s Book Week (Yukon in 2006, Nunavut in 2008, and Manitoba in 2014 and Montreal in 2019). She has presented at Vancouver Writers Fest, Tucson Festival of Book, IFOA, the Orange County (California) Children's Festival, the Festival of Women Writers, Frye Fest, Weaving Words, and other major venues. She has also been the keynote speaker at SCBWI Canada East's regional conference in 2016. She presents to kids AND to writers, teaching writing skills re: fiction, non-fiction, verse and the business side of writing.
Both an American and Canadian citizen, Ms. Becker attended high school in New York and graduated cum laude from Duke University in another century. She is married, with two sons, and is an active swimmer, runner, cyclist, and compulsive read-aholic. She has an orange belt in karate and is contemplating going for her grapefruit belt.
Helaine loves bright shiny colorful things, especially happy faces and flowers. She is crazy about fluffy dogs, coral reefs, ice cream and color-changing nailpolish.
FUN FACTS:
> Helaine once won an owner-dog look alike contest.
> Her book Ode to Underwear was set to music by the popular Canadian band, the Irish Descendants, and played nationally on CBC radio. More people ask her to read this book than all her other funny books combined.
> Her dog Ella is the cutest dog in the world. She is a puli - a Hungarian sheepdog. Ella's predecessor, Marley, also a puli, appeared in Boredom Blasters in her own comic strip. Sharp-eyed readers will find Marley making cameo appearances in several other of Helaine's books too!
> Helaine is a certified pyrotechnics practitioner!. That means she knows how to set up and explode fireworks.
> Helaine thinks variety is the spice of life so she is always trying new things. She has a zillion projects in the works including chapter books, graphic novels, poetry collections and more!
> Helaine recently spent 6 weeks in Ethiopia, teaching creative writing and talking to students and teachers in schools and libraries in various parts of the country.
> Helaine frequently volunteers her brain for research - as a study 'control.' That means her brain is the normal brain they are using for comparison in scientific studies. Now THAT's funny.
Photo Gallery
With fabulous children's author Sherri Fitch (and Wallace P. "Wiggy" Wigden) at the
Aloud Children's Festival
Word on the Street Book Festival
On the Main Stage at the Aloud Children's Festival
With physicist Neil Turok, accepting
our matching Lane Anderson awards for Science Writing
Photo credits: Heather Rivlin, Karl Szasz, Michael Szasz
Accepting the award at the
2006 Silver Birch Award Ceremony
At Colegio de Roosevelt in Lima, Peru, where I spent a week teaching student workshops in April '06
With the fabulous students of Blessed Kateri School.
I should have my head examined - volunteering for a brain research study at the Rotman Institute.
Our adorable Puli, named Ella, is an avid reader. Of course.
Secret Agent Y.O.U.
Japanese Edition
With fellow children's authors Helene Boudreau, Marina Cohen and Debra Kerbel.
Me, at age 9.
Reading about Wiggling.
With author Rebecca Upjohn at the Waterdown School Literacy Festival.
With some great kids at their
school in California!
Loving life!
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Test Day at Fireworks school.
I went to Vulcan, Alberta and came back as a...Vulcan.
With Bookworm, a puppet we used in the TV Show Planet Echo.
With my boyfriend!!!
With Robert Munsch at a Family Literacy Day event.
Partial List of Publications by Helaine Becker
Groundwood Books
Pirate Queen: A Storyt of Zheng Yi Sao (2020)
Henry Holt and Co.
Counting on Katherine (2018)
2019 Cook Prize Shortlist – Bank Street
2019 ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Selection
2019 Clover Award (VT) Shortlist
2019 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books
2018 Junior Library Guild Selection
2018 CCBC Best Books 2018 Starred Review
2018 Chicago Pub. Library Best Books of the Year
2019 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books
2018 Children’s Book Review Best Nonfiction Picture Books
2018 OLA Best Bets for 2018
An Equal Shot: The Story of Title IX, The Law That Changed America Forever (upcoming, 2020)
Eleanor Finds a Home (upcoming, 2021)
National Geographic Kids
Everything: Space (2015)
2016 Silver Birch Award shortlist
Scholastic Canada
We Wish You A Merry Christmas! (upcoming, 2021)
The Canadian Kids’ Guide to Outdoor Fun (2019)
Merry Quizmas! (2018)
Stress Less! (2018)
You’ve Got This! (2019)
Do Beavers Eat Poutine? Quiz Book (2017)
Deck the Halls (2016)
Don’t Stress! (2016)
Top Secret Quiz Book (2016)
Would You Survive? Quiz Book (2015)
Quiz Book About Me…and You! (2015)
Dashing Through the Snow (2014)
2014 National Bestseller
2018 CCBC Best Books for Kids/Teens
Quiz Book for BFFs 2 (2014)
Do You Dare? (2014)
Ode to Underwear (2013)
Little Jack Horner, Live from the Corner (2013)
2013 OLA Best Bet – Hon. Mention
Resource Links, Year’s Best Books
A Porcupine in a Pine Tree (2010)
2011 #1 National Bestseller
2012,2013, 2014 National Bestseller
2015 100 Best Canadian Books of All Time – Today’s Parent
Globe and Mail Bestseller
CBC Bestseller
Quill & Quire Bestseller
CBA Bestseller
Winner, CBA Libris Awards - Picture Book of the Year, 2011
Best Books for Kids and Teens, 2011
CBC Children's Book Pick, 2011
OLA Best Bets Top Ten Picture Book
Resource Links, Year's Best 2010
The Haunted House that Jack Built (2010)
The Hilarious History of Hockey (2010)
2011 Hackmatack Award Shortlist
Quiz Book for Boys (2010)
Quiz Book for Girls (2011)
Quiz Book for Spies (2012)
Quiz Books for BFFs (2012)
Looney Bay All-Stars Fiction Series:
Vol. 1 Pirate Power Play (2006)
2007 ‘Our Choice’ Selection
Vol. 2 Attack by Knight (2006)
2007 ‘Our Choice’ Selection
Vol. 3 Vikings Have a Field Day (2007)
Vol. 4 Explorers out of Bounds (2007)
Vol. 5 The Emperor Strikes Out (2007)
Vol. 6 Egyptian Slam Dunk (2008)
Vol. 7 Final Faceoff (2008)
DK Books
Our Great Prime Ministers (2017)
2018 CCBC BEST BOOKS for Kids/Teens
Dancing Cat Books
Gottika (2014)
2014 CCBC Best Books for Kids/Teens
2015 Sydney Taylor YA Notable Book
Orca Books
You Can Read (2017)
2017 Resource Links The Year's Best
2018 CLEL Bell Award Shortlist
2018 Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada
Dirk Daring, Secret Agent (2014)
2015 CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens Dirk Daring 2:Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (2016)
Owlkids Books
Gert and Alice (2020)
Sloth Goes to the Zoom (2018)
2018 First and Best 2018 – Toronto Public Library
Worms for Breakfast (2016)
2017 Willow Award Shortlist
2016 Junior Library Guild Selection
2016 Silver Birch Award shortlist
2016 CCBC Best Books for Kids and
Teens – Starred Selection
2017 Hackmatack Award Shortlist
Kids Can Press
Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You Never Heard of 2020)
That’s No Dino - Or Is It? What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur (upcoming, 2021)
Megabugs! (2019)
HuBots (2018)
2018 Calif.Reading Assoc Eureka Silver Award
2019 Yellow Cedar Award Shortlist
Lines, Bars and Circles (2017)
2018 Bank Street Best Books of 2018
2017 CCBC Best books for Kids Starred Selection
2017 Calif.Reading Assoc Eureka
Silver Award
Monster Science (2016)
2018 NYC Reads 365 List
2017 Silver Birch Award Honour Book
2016 Lane Anderson Award Shortlist
2017 Hackmatack Award Shortlist
2017 Rocky Mountain Award Shortlist
2016 Calif.Reading Assoc Eureka
Silver Award
2016 OLA Best Bet
Zoobots (2014)
2015 Diamond Willow Award Shortlist
2015 CSWA Science In Society Youth Book Shortlist
2014 Junior Library Guild Selection
2014 Capital Choices Best Books Nominee
2014 Silver Birch Honour Book
2014 CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens
– Starred Selection
Alphabest (2012)
2013 Shortlist – National Cartoonists’ Society Best Book Illustration
The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea (2012)
2013 Lane Anderson Award for Science Writing for Children
2013 CSWA Outstanding Youth Book Award
2013 Shortlist Red Cedar Award
2013 Longlist – Information Book Award
2014 Shortlist – Rocky Mountain Award
Tundra Books
Juba This, Juba That (2011)
Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Trouble in the Hills (2011) (YA)
How to Survive (2012) (YA)
Mapletree Press/Owl (Non-fiction)
Magic up Your Sleeve (2010)
2010 OLA Best Bet – Top 10 Nonfiction
What’s the Big Idea? (2009)
2011 Best of the Year –Resourcelinks
2011 Silver Birch Honour Award
2010 Cdn Toy Testing Council Best Books
2010 CCBC Best Books for Kids &Teens
2010 Longlist – Information Book Award
2009 OLA Best Bet – Top 10 Nonfiction
The Insecto-files (2009)
2010 Winner – Lane Anderson Science
Writing Award
2012 Shortlist – Red Cedar Award
2011 Shortlist – Hackmatack Award
2010 CCBC Best Books for Kids &Teens
2009 Shortlist – Silver Birch Award
Science on the Loose (2008) 64 pp.
2011 Shortlist – Red Cedar Award
2009 OLA Best Bet
2008 NAPPA Gold Award
2008 Recommended – Canadian
Children’s Book News
2008 Great Books for Kids – Canadian
Toy Testing Council
2008 CYBIL Nominee – YA/Middle
Grade Non-fiction
Mother Goose Unplucked (2007)
2009 Shortlisted – Hackmatack Award
2007 Best of 2007 – Resource Links
Secret Agent Y.O.U. (2006)
2008 Winner - Silver Birch Award
2009 Red Cedar Award
2007 ‘Our Choice’ Selection
2006 Best of the Year – Resource Links;
Top Ten Canadian Non-fiction Books for Children – Ontario Library Association
Like A Pro (2006)
2007 Recommended – Canadian Toy
Testing Council
2007 Silver Medal Independent Publisher
(IPPY) Juvenile/YA Non-fiction
2006 Nominee-Foreword Magazine Book of the Year
Funny Business (2005)
2007 Recommended – Canadian Toy
Testing Council
Shortlisted - Red Cedar Award
Are You Psychic? (2005)
2007 Shortlisted - Red Cedar Award
2006 Canadian Children's Book Centre, Our Choice Selection
2005 Ontario Library Association, Best Bets List
Top Ten Canadian Children's Books; Children’s Literature Roundtables,
Shortlist - Best Information Book of the Year
Boredom Blasters (2004)
2006 Winner - Silver Birch Award
2005 Canadian Children's Book Centre, Our Choice Selection;
Alberta Children's Choice, Shortlist—2006 Rocky Mountain Book Award
2004 Chapters/Indigo, Best of 2004;
Book Sense, Children's Picks List for Winter 2004-2005
