Biography
Helaine Becker is the bestselling author of more than 100 books for children and young adults, including the enduring Canadian Christmas classic A Porcupine in a Pine Tree and the international bestseller Counting on Katherine. She’s a multi-time winner of the Silver Birch Award and a two-time winner of the Lane Anderson Award for science writing for children. She has had three nonfiction titles recognized by the Junior Library Guild, and her book Lines, Bars and Circles: How William Playfair Invented Graphs was selected as a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year.#Helaine also writes for children’s television, and is in high demand as a performer at schools and festivals across North America. She has toured three times for TD Canadian Children’s Book Week and has been a featured speaker at the World Science Festival in NY, the Vancouver Writers Festival, the Tucson Festival of Books, the Frye Festival in New Brunswick, ALOUD: a Celebration for Young Readers in Toronto, the Weaving Words Festival, the Literacy for Life Conference and the Orange County Children’s Book Festival in California. She annually speaks to thousands of kids at schools and libraries all over the world, inspiring children to discover the superpower of literacy for themselves.#A New York native, Helaine has lived happily in Toronto for more than 20 years. She shares her home with her husband and a werewolf named Xena. (Her two grown sons, wisely, live elsewhere.) Helaine volunteers for several literacy organizations and charities, including First Book, ABC Literacy, CODE and Librarians Without Borders. She is also a certified pyrotechnician, so – KABOOM! – expect fireworks at any time.
Awards
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That’s No Dino!
2022 - Silver Birch Express Award, Ontario Library Association, Nominee
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The Fossil Whisperer
2022 - OLA Best Bets (Junior Nonfiction), Ontario Library Association, Commended
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Emmy Noether
2021 - Best Children’s Books List, Bank Street College, Winner
2021 - Crystal Kite Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators SCBWI, Finalist
2021 - Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens List, Capitol Choices, Winner
2021 - Vine Awards YA/Children's, Koffler Centre of the Arts, Short-Listed
2020 - Children`s Book Award, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada, Short-Listed
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Megabugs
2021 - Red Cedar Award, BC Young Reader's Choice Awards, Short-listed
2019 - OLA Best Bets, Ontario Library Association, Honour Book
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Hubots
2020 - Rocky Mountain Book Award, Ontario Library Association, Short-listed
2020 - Yellow Cedar Award, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Short-listed
2019 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, California Reading Association, Winner
2019 - Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, , Short-listed
2018 - Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award, , Honor Book
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Lines, Bars and Circles
2018 - Best Children’s Books of the Year, Bank Street College, Winner
2017 - Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
2017 - Eureka! Honor Award, California Reading Association, Winner
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Monster Science
2018 - Rocky Mountain Book Award, Non-Fiction, RMBA, Commended
2018 - Silver Birch Non-Fiction Award, Honour Book, Ontario Library Association, Winner
2017 - 2017-2018 Children's Book Award, Hackmatack, Commended
2017 - Best Books for Kids & Teens, Starred Selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
2016 - Best Bets Junior Non-Fiction, Ontario Library Association, Winner
2016 - Eureka! Silver Award, California Reading Association, Winner
2016 - Lane Anderson Award, Fitzhenry Family Foundation, Commended
2016 - Youth Book Award, Canadian Science Writers' Association, Commended
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Zoobots
2015 - Silver Birch Nonfiction, Forest of Reading, Runner-up
Non-fiction
The Fossil Whisperer, 2022
That’s No Dino!, 2021
Emmy Noether, 2020
Megabugs, 2019
Hubots, 2018
Lines, Bars and Circles, 2017
Monster Science, 2016
Zoobots, 2014