Glen Downey (writer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glen Downey
Glen Downey at Toronto Fan Expo, 2012.
Born	Glen Downey (1969-10-15) October 15, 1969 (age 55) Hamilton, Ontario
Occupation	Children's Author, Teacher, Reviewer, Ludologist
Language	English, French
Nationality	Canada
Education	B.A., M.A. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Victoria), B.Ed. (Western)
Period	2002 - present
Genre	Graphic Novel
Notable work	Graphic Poetry

Glen Downey (born October 15, 1969) is a Canadian author, teacher, and expert from Oakville, Ontario. He writes many books for young people. His books help kids and teens improve their reading and math skills. Glen Downey is most famous for being the editor of a book series called Graphic Poetry. This series won important awards like the "Texty" Award in 2010 and the Teachers' Choice Award in 2011. He created Graphic Poetry to make poetry fun and interesting for today's readers. Many of his books are part of award-winning educational series from Rubicon Publishing. These include Boldprint, The 10, Boldprint Graphic Readers, and Boldprint Graphic Novels.

About Glen Downey

Glen Downey was born in Hamilton, Ontario. From a young age, he loved to read. Even though teachers told him to read challenging books, he mostly read comic books. He also enjoyed Choose Your Own Adventure novels and Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. He loved the rulebooks for fantasy and science-fiction role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and BattleTech.

Glen's interest in games guided his education. He went to McMaster University and then the University of Victoria. He studied how games, like chess, were used in old novels. Later, he taught at universities. He even won an award for his teaching! After that, he went to the University of Western Ontario to study how to teach English and Math. In 2002, he published his first book, The Fifty Fatal Flaws of Essay Writing. Since then, he has taught in many schools. He has also taught university courses about children's books and new ways of reading in the 21st century.

Writing for Young People

Glen Downey wanted to write for kids and teens because of the books he loved when he was young. He met a publisher named Rubicon through a friend. His first book for Rubicon was Games. It was part of the popular Boldprint series. His busiest year was 2009 when he published 47 books! Recently, he worked on the Interface series. These books and online tools help students learn to ask good questions and think critically.

Glen Downey's Books

Boldprint Series

• Games (2004)
• Images of war (2004)
• Famous Trials (2004)
• Medieval Warfare (2006), with Jayn Arnold
• Motorbikes (2006), with Mark Treleaven
• Suspense (2007)

Timeline Series

• Fire Mountain (2006), illustrated by Liam Thurston
• Rebel Prince (2006), illustrated by David Okum
• Gladiator (2006), illustrated by Andrew Barr
• Escape from East Berlin (2007), illustrated by Leo Lingas
• Ice Journey (2006), illustrated by Glenn Brucker
• Freedom Train (2007), illustrated by Leigh Dragoon
• The Great Siege (2007), illustrated by Mike Rooth
• Master Leonardo (2007), with Jayn Arnold, illustrated by Mike Rooth
• Miracle Men (2007), illustrated by Anthony Brennan

The 10 Series

• Most Remarkable Writers (2007), with Jayn Arnold
• Deadliest Military Inventions (2007)
• Greatest Sports Showdowns (2007)
• Worst Sports Scandals (2007)
• Greatest Hockey Teams (2007), with Kirsten Tenebaum
• Coolest Ways to Fly (2007), with Sandie Cond
• Hottest Hollywood Cars (2007), with Maria Malara
• Most Extreme Jobs (2007)
• Most Significant Documents (2007)
• Most Unforgettable Moments in NASCAR (2007)
• Most Memorable TV Moments (2007)
• Smartest Animals (2007)
• Most Decisive Battles (2007)

Graphic Poetry Series

• Paul Revere's Ride (2009), illustrated by Mike Rooth
• The Eagle / The Kraken (2009), illustrated by Jeremy Bennison
• The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (2009), illustrated by Jeremy Bennison
• Mother to Son / Harlem Night Song (2009), illustrated by Martin Wittfooth
• Same Song / Maestro (2009), illustrated by Louise Ferguson
• Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth Toast (2009), illustrated by Mike Rooth
• This is a Photograph of Me / Girl and Horse, 1928 (2009), Alan Cook
• The March of the Dead (2009), illustrated by Mike Rooth
• The Woman I Am in My Dreams / Now I See You (2009), illustrated by Daisy Chan
• Southbound on the Freeway / Water Picture (2009), illustrated by Robin Joseph
• The Cremation of Sam McGee (2009), illustrated by Francesco Francavilla
• Life Doesn't Frighten Me / Alone (2009), illustrated by Darcy Muenchrath
• The Shark / Sea-Gulls (2009), illustrated by Jeremy Bennison
• The Choice / Song for an April Dusk (2009), illustrated by Jenn Manley Lee
• Flight of the Roller Coaster / Lake of Bays (2009), illustrated by Gavin McCarthy
• The Circle Game (2009), illustrated by Nataly Kim
• What Do I Remember of the Evacuation? (2009), illustrated by Tyler Jenkins
• Oranges / Ode to Family Photographs (2009), illustrated by Hilary Jenkins
• I am a Canadian (2009)
• Hurricane / Childhood Tracks (2009), illustrated by Bruce Roberts
• I Shall Wait and Wait (2009), illustrated by Anne Marie Bourgeois

Boldprint Graphic Novels Series

• A Goblin's Tale (2009), illustrated by Andrew Barr
• Nemesis (2009), illustrated by Robert Deas
• Spirits of the Mountain (2009), illustrated by Zsolt Mato
• Ghost House (2009), with Jayn Arnold, illustrated by Scott Lincoln
• Snake Girl (2009), illustrated by Andrew Barr
• Final Voyage (2009), illustrated by John Lucas

Boldprint Graphic Readers Series

• Party Time (2009), illustrated by Franfou
• Pets Welcome (2009), illustrated by Zsolt Mato
• Hanging Ten (2009), illustrated by Pascal Campion
• Sir Henry and the Dragon (2009), illustrated by Jason MacKay
• The Sun (2009), illustrated by Daisy Chan
• Penguins on Parade (2009), illustrated by Zsolt Mato
• What's the Problem? (2009), illustrated by Stephen Daymond
• Shaping Up (2009), illustrated by Mike Rooth
• Hoop Shot (2009), illustrated by Michelle Draycott
• Fish Food (2009), illustrated by Bernard Joaquin
• The Legend of Wountie (2009), illustrated by Katie Cusak
• Whiz Kid (2009), illustrated by Miklos Weigert and Zsolt Mato
• Now You See Me (2009), illustrated by John Lucas
• Nature's Story (2009), illustrated by Ken Turner
• Gobble! Gobble! (2009), illustrated by Ron Sutton
• Westward Ho! (2009), illustrated by Hilary Jenkins
• The Gamers (2009), illustrated by Anthony Tan and Katrina Hao
• Built to Last (2009), illustrated by Bernard Joaquin
• Then and Now (2009), illustrated by Francesco Francavilla
• The Junkyard (2009), illustrated by Karen Roy

The 10 Discovery Series

• Most Outstanding Canadian Immigrants (2012), with Anita Griffith
• Most Important Decisions in Canadian History (2012)
• Greatest Early Civilizations (2012), with Nigel Samuel
• Best Superfoods (2012)
• Coolest Everyday Inventions (2012)
• Most Incredible High-Tech Vehicles (2012)
• Most Unforgettable Olympic Medalists (2012)
• Unluckiest Teams in Sports (2012)

Remix Series

• Passport to Adventure (2012)
• World of Wonders (2012)
• Fuelling the Future (2012)

Issues 21 Series

• Digital World (2014)
• Violence in the Media (2014)
• Censorship (2014)

Boldprint Inquiry Series

• After the Fire (2020), illustrated by Christian Amiel Miranda
• Gulliver in Lilliput (2020), illustrated by Bailie Rosenlund
• Orion (2020), illustrated by Chris Henderson
• Community Heroes (2020)
• Inspiring Kids (2020)
• Animal Heroes (2020)

Other Books

• The Fifty Fatal Flaws of Essay Writing (2002)
• The 10 Essential Ways to Teach Students with Inquiring Minds (2008)
• Legendary Tales (2010)
• Interface Vol 1.2 with Carolyn Craven, Lori Lisi, et al. (2010)
• Interface Vol 2.2 with Carolyn Craven, Lori Lisi, et al. (2010)
• The Booksmart Detective Agency, Vol. 1 -- Into the Fire (2012)

Awards and Recognition

Glen Downey's books have been part of series that have won important awards: