• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Don't be afraid to try! Make connections! Be persistent! Ask questions and never take no for an answer! Learn the secrets and amazing stories of successful inventors!

How to Become an Accidental Genius is full of inspiring tales of famous and lesser-known inventors who have changed the world, from George Washington Carver, Mary Anderson (inventor of the windshield wiper) and inventor and actress Hedy Lamarr to Frank Epperson (of Popsicle fame) and Mary Sherman Morgan (The Woman Who Saved the U.S. Space Race). Readers will be amazed at the inventiveness of these geniuses. The book focuses on inventors from North America but includes stories from around the world. Organized into eleven chapters that highlight the qualities inventors have in common, the book also features profiles of inventive kids and teenagers.

Liz is one nosy author, which is why she loves writing non-fiction. She’s very curious about why people do what they do, and likes sharing with kids the amazing facts and secrets that she uncovers.As a kid in Thornhill, Ontario, the idea of being a writer never crossed Liz’s mind—she figured most authors were already dead and they definitely weren’t Canadian. Besides, it was science that interested Liz.But writing was already part of Liz’s life. After dinner on school nights, Liz and her two brothers would trudge up to their rooms, close their doors and start to do their homework—or so their parents thought. A few minutes later, a piece of paper would come sliding under Liz’s door. One of her brothers had drawn a picture, usually of some weird creature.Liz really couldn’t draw (still can’t!), so the only way she could respond was to write a short story, often about a mad scientist or space alien. She would slip the story under her brother’s door and—well, not a lot of homework got done.At university, Liz studied sciences—there was hardly any writing involved at all. But after university, she was hired as an editor at OWL magazine, where she could combine writing and her love of science. But it wasn’t long before Liz had a goal: to write a book. Her first one was about lions and since then she’s written more than fifty others.Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns (2008) is one of her favourite books because royalty has always fascinated Liz. She loved going behind the scenes with monarchs from Cleopatra to Dracula to find out just what they would do to hold onto power or protect their families.Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries (2013) was the winner of numerous awards, including the Crime Writers of Canada 2014 Arthur Ellis Award in the Juvenile/YA category. Liz’s latest book with Annick Press, Galloping Through History: Incredible True Horse Stories (Spring 2015), combines, once again, her outstanding storytelling skills with her passion for history. This time her love of animals also shines through as she recounts the stories of six horses that changed the way humans live, travel, fight, work, and play.Liz lives in Toronto with her husband, Paul, and their cat Cosimo. While she writes, he is usually sprawled across her desk—often right on the book she needs for research!

Elizabeth MacLeod's profile page

 

Frieda Wishinsky
est l'auteure de plus de 40 livres pour enfants. Parmi les ouvrages déjà
parus, on peut citer, entre autres,

Ounga Bounga, Tu es méchante Lily-Ange!, Le sac à main de la reine,
Canada en vedette

et les romans de la série Catastrophe! Elle vit à Toronto, en
Ontario.

 

FRIEDA WISHINSKY has written over seventy books for children, including Oonga Boonga; You're Mean, Lily Jean; the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award winner Please, Louise!; the middle-grade series Survival, and the non-fiction books Explorers Who Made It . . . or died trying; Everything but the Kitchen Sink and Colossal Canada. Frieda lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband. Visit her online at www.friedawishinsky.com.

Frieda Wishinsky's profile page

Jenn Playford has over 20 years' experience illustrating creative solutions in the field of editorial, publishing, advertising and product design, and her work has been showcased in Communication Arts and How magazine. Some of her clients include Zoomer magazine, Food Illustrated (UK), the LA Times, Delta Airlines, United Way, Running Press, Klutz Publishing and Galison/Mudpuppy. Recently her illustrations have been animated into videos for the Royal Bank of Canada and Locallove.ca. Jenn grew up in Europe and Toronto, and her international experiences have greatly influenced her, along with a passion for design, fashion and books. She now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her two children.

 

Jenn Playford's profile page

• Short-listed, Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
• Nominated, Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards
• Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
• Commended, Children’s Book Council Best STEM Books List
• Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets

“An ingenious exploration of the masterminds who accidentally created great inventions…you will love this.”

The International Educator

"A fantastic mini-encyclopaedia…Get your thinking caps on, be inspired and you may accidentally stumble onto something when you were thinking of creating something else! This is How to Become an Accidental Genius."

Resource Links

&quotAn engaging tour of the inspirations behind a host of marvelous inventions.&quot

Kirkus Reviews

"With many geniuses included and a good deal of space devoted to illustrations, each introduction is limited in length but usefully concise. An informative overview with an upbeat look and a lively text."

Booklist

"Here’s hoping books such as this one help to ignite the curiosity and problem-solving skills of future geniuses."

Quill & Quire

&quotA worthy addition to the pantheon of books on inventors and inventions.&quot

School Library Journal

&quotA valuable contribution to the genre…Teachers involved with science fairs will want to share the wisdom of How to Become an Accidental Genius with the young and curious students under their guidance. Highly Recommended.&quot

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

★ “Engaging and thought provoking, this book is treasure trove of inspirational people and ideas. There is a plethora of terrific black-and-white photographs, lively illustrations, motivating quotes and sidebars packed with additional information.”

Canadian Children's Book News, Red Leaf Literature title

“An inspiring book…Vivid color photographs, a glossary, resources and an index make this a useful reference for deciding on a subject for further research.”

Youth Services Book Review