Jordan Stratford facts for kids
Jordan Stratford is a Canadian author who writes exciting adventure stories for kids. He has two children with his wife, Zandra Stratford.
Contents
Life and Work
Jordan Stratford has worked in many creative fields. He was an advertising director, a filmmaker, and a screenwriter. He also taught at the Vancouver Film School and wrote for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He says that the poet Robin Skelton has been a big influence on his writing.
Steampunk Adventures
Jordan Stratford has been involved in the world of steampunk for many years. Steampunk is a cool style that mixes old-fashioned Victorian times with futuristic machines and technology, often powered by steam!
He helped start the Victoria Steam Expo, which was the first art show in Canada all about steampunk. He was interviewed for a documentary called Vintage Tomorrows, which is about the steampunk movement. At the 2012 event, he described it as "an interactive art experience." He encouraged people to get hands-on with technology – to build it, take it apart, and invent new things.
His popular children's book series, the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency novels, is described as steampunk mixed with the style of classic author Jane Austen.
The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency Series
The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series is a set of adventure books for young readers, especially girls aged 8-12. These books are all about math and science, encouraging kids to explore these subjects in a fun way.
The first book in the series, The Case of the Missing Moonstone, got its start thanks to a Kickstarter campaign. This is where people donate money online to help fund a project. The campaign quickly raised much more than its goal of $4,000! The series even got attention from the Wired magazine and io9 website. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy also recognized the series.
The Case of the Missing Moonstone has been very successful, selling over 40,000 copies around the world. It has been translated into Russian, German, and Turkish. The book was also a finalist for several awards, including the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize and the Silver Birch Award.
The second book, The Case of the Girl In Grey, came out in January 2016. The third book, The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals, was released in January 2017.
Books
Children's Books
All of the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency books are illustrated by Kelly Murphy. The series name "Wollstonecraft" comes from Mary Wollstonecraft, a famous writer. The two main characters in the books are inspired by real historical figures: Mary Shelley (who wrote Frankenstein) and Ada Lovelace (who was a brilliant mathematician and is considered the first computer programmer).
- 2018 - The Case of the Perilous Palace
- 2017 - The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals (This book connects to Mary Anning, a famous fossil hunter!)
- 2016 - The Case of the Girl in Grey (This story has links to the classic novel The Woman in White (novel))
- 2015 - The Case of the Missing Moonstone (This book is inspired by the mystery novel The Moonstone)
