Each of these books showcases the hidden strengths in nature—and in us. Kids will be amazed by the abilities of owls and turtles, and inspired by Firefox, who’s surrounded by animals on her own adventures. Arnolda Dufour Bowes’ Maggie Lou, Firefox shows how hard work and perseverance can bring valuable new skills, without losing one iota of irrepressible spirit. Nicola Jones’ Saving the Spotted Owl is a fascinating nonfiction deep dive into an owl chick’s rescue. Michelle Kadarusman, meanwhile, shows us the majesty of ancient creatures through eight evocative stories told in We the Sea Turtles. Come be inspired by the wonder around us and within us. Grades 4–7. Moderated by France Perras.

Event Participants:

Arnolda Dufour Bowes

ARNOLDA DUFOUR BOWES is a Métis writer who grew up in Saskatoon but has lived around the world, from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia. She has worked in construction and nursing, and she loves new adventures, from skydiving to surfing. She is the author of 20.12 m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis, which won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the High Plains Book Award. Arnolda lives with her husband, three children and two dogs in a small town in Saskatchewan.

Nicola Jones

NICOLA JONES is an award-winning science journalist with a background in chemistry and oceanography. She writes about all science from anthropology to quantum physics, with environmental issues at the heart of it all. While she normally writes for grown-ups, she has also published for children in the magazine Current Science. In 2019, she gave a TED Talk about noise pollution in the ocean.

Michelle Kadarusman

MICHELLE KADARUSMAN grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and also lived many years throughout her father’s homeland of Indonesia before moving to Canada in the year 2000. Her books have earned numerous nominations, including for the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch Award, and the Green Earth Book Award. Her highly acclaimed novels include The Theory of Hummingbirds, Girl of the Southern Sea, Music for Tigers, and Berani. Her first picture book, Room for More, was published in 2022. Michelle now lives in Toronto, Canada and Byron Bay, Australia.

France Perras

FRANCE PERRAS is a bilingual actress who works in Theatre, Voice-overs, Live Announcing, Hosting/Moderating, and has had the pleasure of moderating at Vancouver Writers Fest since 2004. She is a recipient of a few Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, and works across the country in a variety of mediums.