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 57) 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 Canadian children's writer.

Biography

Oppel was born in Port Alberni, and spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, and Ireland.

In 1985, Oppel wrote his first book Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure, while at St. Michaels University School. He attended at the same time as actors Andrew Sabiston and Leslie Hope, fellow writers John Burns and Bert Archer, and just before the NBA's Steve Nash and Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield. Oppel forwarded the newly completed manuscript to a family friend who knew Roald Dahl, who in turn recommended it to his agent. Oppel went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree in cinema studies and English at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, writing The Live-Forever Machine (1992) during his final year. Oppel moved to England and wrote a number of books during that period, gleaning several ideas while working at typing students' papers. From 1995 to 1996, Oppel worked as an editor at Quill & Quire, the trade magazine of the Canadian publishing industry.

He wrote four books for the Silverwing novel series: Silverwing, Sunwing, Firewing and Darkwing. He also wrote another series, the Matt Cruse saga, including Airborn (2004), Skybreaker (2005) and Starclimber (2008).

Personal life

Oppel is married to Philippa Sheppard, a Shakespeare scholar and instructor at the University of Toronto.

Awards and Recognition

Throughout his career, Kenneth Oppel has received numerous awards and honours for his contributions to children's literature. These awards recognize the quality and impact of his storytelling.

• 1998: Mr. Christie's Book Award for Silverwing.
• 2002: Red Maple Award for Firewing.
• 2004: Governor General's Award for Children's Literature (Text) for Airborn.
• 2005: Michael L. Printz Award (United States) for Airborn.
• 2005: Red Maple Award for Airborn.
• 2009: Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Young Adults for Starclimber.
• 2010: Red Maple Award for Starclimber.
• 2012: Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Young Adults for This Dark Endeavour.
• 2014: Red Maple Award for The Boundless.
• 2015: Governor General's Award for Children's Literature (Text) for The Nest.
• 2016: Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, which recognizes a body of work for young readers.
• 2019: Red Maple Award for Inkling.

Timeline

• 1967: Born on August 31, in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada.
• 1984: First Book Written (Fantastic Dare). Oppel was only 17 years old at the time.
• 1985: Fantastic Dare is published.
• 1990: The Live-Forever Machine is published. This book tells the story of two friends who find a machine that can make things live forever, leading to unexpected and sometimes funny consequences.
• 1992: Follow That Star is released.
• 1995: Dead Water Zone is published. This book is a science fiction story set in a future where water is scarce and dangerous.
• 1997: Silverwing is published. It was the first book in a fantasy series about bats and became incredibly popular, bringing him widespread recognition.
• 1999: Sunwing, the second book in the Silverwing series, is released. Shade continues his journey, facing new dangers and meeting different kinds of animals.
• 2001: Firewing is published. This book follows Shade's son, Griffin, on his own adventure into the mysterious underworld.
• 2004: Airborn is published. This book introduces Matt Cruse, a cabin boy on a giant airship, and Kate de Vries, a young scientist. They get caught up in a thrilling adventure involving strange creatures and hidden islands.
• 2005: Skybreaker, the second book in the Airborn series, is released. Matt and Kate embark on a new quest to find a legendary airship and its treasure.
• 2007: Darkwing, a prequel to the series set millions of years before Silverwing, is published. This book explores the ancient history of the bats and how they came to be.
• 2008: Half Brother is published. The book won the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award.
• 2009: Starclimber, the final book in the trilogy, is published. Matt and Kate join a daring mission to travel into space using a revolutionary new technology.
• 2011: This Dark Endeavour is released. This is a prequel to the classic story Frankenstein, telling the story of young Victor Frankenstein and his twin brother Konrad as they search for the Elixir of Life. It's a gothic adventure that delves into themes of ambition and mortality.
• 2012: Such Wicked Intent, the sequel to This Dark Endeavour, is published, continuing Victor Frankenstein's story.
• 2013: The Boundless is published. This is a thrilling adventure set on a massive, mile-long train called The Boundless, which travels across Canada. It blends fantasy and historical elements.
• 2015: The Nest is released. This is a creepy and atmospheric horror story for young readers about a boy dealing with anxiety and strange visitors who offer to help his family.
• 2017: Every Hidden Thing is published. This is a historical adventure story set in the late 19th century about two rival families of dinosaur hunters.
• 2018: Inkling is released. This is a heartwarming story about a boy whose life changes when a small, inky blob comes to life from his father's sketchbook.
• 2020: Bloom is published, the first book in a new science fiction series called The Overthrow. This series is about three teenagers who discover they have strange new abilities after mysterious black rain falls on Earth, bringing with it alien plant life.
• 2021: Hatch, the second book in The Overthrow series, is released.
• 2022: Thrive, the third book in The Overthrow series, is published, concluding the trilogy.
• 2023: Ghostlight is published. This is a spooky mystery set in Toronto about a teenager who gets involved with a secret society that hunts ghosts.

Selected works

See also

In Spanish: Kenneth Oppel para niños