Erin Bow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erin Bow
Erin Bow photographed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Salon du livre de Montréal 2016.
Born	Erin Noteboom April 1, 1972 (1972-04) (age 53) Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Occupation	Author
Language	English
Citizenship	Dual: American and Canadian
Education	Creighton University
Alma mater	Creighton University
Period	2001–present
Genre	Young adult, Speculative fiction, Science fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Historical fiction, Bildungsroman
Notable works	Plain Kate
Notable awards	TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (2011) Monica Hughes Award (2014) Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award (2016)
Spouse	James Bow
Children	2 children

Erin Bow (born April 1, 1972) is an author from both America and Canada. She is famous for writing exciting books for young adults. Her stories often mix science fiction and fantasy.

Erin Bow has won many important awards for her books. These include the 2011 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for Plain Kate. She also won the 2014 Monica Hughes Award for Sorrow's Knot. In 2016, she received the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award for The Scorpion Rules. Most recently, she won a 2019 Governor General's Award for Stand on the Sky.

Growing Up and Learning

Erin Noteboom was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in the USA. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, with her younger sister. As a child, Erin loved science, writing, and exploring the woods.

When she was in eighth grade, her family moved to a new suburb. She went to Mercy High School and finished in 1990. In high school, she was very active. She started the math club and was the leader of the debate team.

After high school, Erin went to Creighton University. She studied physics (the study of how the universe works). She also took writing classes. She chose physics because she felt it was easier to learn writing on her own.

Later, Erin joined a special program to study particle physics. This is a branch of physics that looks at the smallest parts of matter. She even worked at CERN in Switzerland for a summer. CERN is a huge science lab where scientists use big machines to study tiny particles. While in graduate school, Erin found out she had a brain tumor. This made her think about what was most important. She decided to leave her physics studies and focus on writing poetry full-time.

Her Writing Journey

Before writing books for young adults, Erin Bow wrote poetry and a memoir (a story about her own life). During this time, she had different jobs. All these jobs were connected to her love for writing.

She was an editor for a poetry magazine called New Quarterly. She also helped organize writing workshops in Kitchener, Ontario. For a while, she worked part-time at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. She also took part in a special program for writers at Rossland Summit School. Erin Bow has also given talks about how science and literature can connect.

What Inspires Her Stories?

Erin Bow's novels often feature young people in exciting science fiction and fantasy worlds. She believes that fantasy books are important. She says they help young readers fall in love with reading. She also enjoys writing about big questions that don't have easy answers.

Her ideas often come from places she knows. These include the prairies (flat grasslands) where she grew up. She also finds inspiration in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Black Hills in South Dakota. She also uses ideas from Lakota and Russian folklore (old stories and traditions).

Erin Bow likes to create characters that are diverse. Her characters don't always have a set race or sexual orientation. Her stories often explore important ideas. These include acting on faith, doing what is right, and what it means to be human.

Awards and Special Mentions

Many of Erin Bow's books have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. These include Plain Kate (2010), The Scorpion Rules (2015), Stand on the Sky (2019), and Simon Sort of Says (2023).

Her books have also appeared on many "best-of" lists. In 2010, Kirkus Reviews said Plain Kate was one of the best books of the year. The Young Adult Library Services Association also put it on their 2011 list of Best Fiction for Young Adults. In 2013, Kirkus Reviews and Quill & Quire named Sorrow's Knot as one of the best books. The Scorpion Rules was named a best book by Chapters and Kirkus Reviews in 2015. In 2023, Kirkus Reviews also named Simon Sort of Says one of the best middle grade books.

Her Life Today

In 1997, Erin Noteboom moved to Canada. She married another author, James Bow, who is Canadian.

Today, Erin Bow lives in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She lives with her husband, their two children, and their two pets. She writes her books in a special shed in her backyard. She also enjoys cooking.

Her Books

Fiction Books

The Prisoners of Peace Series

Prisoners of Peace is a book series by Erin Bow. It takes place in a future world called a dystopia. This world is set on the prairies of Saskatchewan. In this future, children of rulers are kept as hostages. This means they will be harmed if their country goes to war. The children live together in a special school. They must follow the rules set by the AIs (smart computer programs) that run the school.

Short Stories

Erin Bow also wrote a short story called "A Stone of the Heart" in 2001. She wrote it with her husband, James Bow. This story was part of a collection of Doctor Who stories called Missing Pieces.

Poetry Books

Erin Bow has published two books of poetry under her maiden name, Erin Noteboom. Her poems have also appeared in other collections and magazines.

Other Writings

In 2013, Erin Bow wrote an essay called A Defense of Fantasy: Classical Literature v. Modern YA. She wrote it for a website called YA Interrobang. She has also written short essays for the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics.