Kenneth Oppel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kenneth Oppel
Oppel (2016 at the Berlin International Literature Festival)
Born	(1967-08-12) August 12, 1967 (age 58) Port Alberni, British Columbia
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	Canadian
Education	Trinity College, Toronto
Period	1985–present
Notable works	Matt Cruse series The Silverwing Saga
Notable awards	Governor General's Literary Award 2004 Airborn The Times Children's Novel 2005 Skybreaker
Spouse	Philippa Sheppard
Children	3

Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a super talented Canadian writer who creates amazing books for young people. He's known for his exciting adventure stories and fantasy tales that take readers to incredible worlds. Many of his books feature brave characters and thrilling journeys, making him a favorite author for kids and teens.

Kenneth Oppel's Life Story

Kenneth Oppel was born in Port Alberni, a town in British Columbia, Canada. He spent his childhood living in different places, including Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, and Ireland, which gave him lots of experiences to draw from for his stories.

How Kenneth Oppel Started Writing

In 1985, when Kenneth Oppel was still in high school at St. Michaels University School, he wrote his very first book! It was called Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure. A family friend knew the famous author Roald Dahl, who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This friend helped Oppel send his book to Roald Dahl's agent. Imagine getting advice from someone connected to such a famous writer!

Oppel later went to the University of Toronto. He studied cinema and English at Trinity College. While he was in his final year there, he wrote another book called The Live-Forever Machine, which was published in 1992. After college, he moved to England and continued writing many more books. He even got some ideas for his stories while working and typing up student papers!

Kenneth Oppel's Popular Book Series

Kenneth Oppel has written several popular book series that kids and teens love. One of his most famous is the Silverwing series. This series is about bats and their incredible adventures. It includes books like Silverwing, Sunwing, Firewing, and Darkwing. The Silverwing books were even made into a TV show!

He also wrote the exciting Matt Cruse series. These books take place in a world where giant airships fly through the sky. The series includes Airborn (published in 2004), Skybreaker (2005), and Starclimber (2008). These stories are full of adventure and mystery high above the clouds.

Awards and Recognition

Kenneth Oppel has won many important awards for his books. In 2004, he received the Governor General's Literary Award for English language children's literature. This was for his book Airborn. He also won a Printz Honor Award from the American Library Association for the same book. In 2005, his book Skybreaker was named The Times Children's Novel of the Year. These awards show how much his stories are loved and respected by readers and critics alike.

Kenneth Oppel is married to Philippa Sheppard. She is a professor who studies the works of William Shakespeare at the University of Toronto.

Kenneth Oppel's Books

Kenneth Oppel has written many books for young readers. Here are some of his selected works:

See also

In Spanish: Kenneth Oppel para niños