Diane Swanson
Diane Swanson is a Canadian writer of science books for children.
Biography
Swanson was born and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta. As a child, she and her terrier Sammy would spend summers looking for ladybugs and spiders outside.She graduated from the University of Alberta with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in the social sciences.
She taught in the West Indies for two years. She researched water resources for the Canadian government while living in Ottawa.
Swanson's first book was published when she was 18. She has written over 70 books and 450 magazine articles.
Swanson lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Her hobbies are hiking, piano-playing, and reading. She is married and has two children.
Reception
The Toronto Globe and Mail described Swanson's A Crash of Rhinos, A Party of Jays as providing "a cheerfully educational vantage point from which to view the natural world and its denizens". Booklist called it "part science and part English lesson", deeming it "great for individual or classroom consumption".The Globe and Mail called The Wonder in Water a "well-laid-out and attractively illustrated book".
Nzong Xiong, writing for The Fresno Bee, described The Dentist & You as an "easy-to-read" book designed to help make dentist visits for children ages 4 to 7 "easier and less fearful". Resource Links found it to be useful for "parents wanting to prepare their children for their first visit to the dentist" or teachers, but found the book "a bit too long and detailed" for the target audience. School Library Journal, however, tagged it as "excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject".
Buffalo Sunrise was called "a full-bodied photo essay" and an "exemplary book" that "ably" recounts the history of the American buffalo by the San Francisco Chronicle. Booklist called it "a useful resource for middle-graders".
Reviewing Alligators and Crocodiles, Frogs and Toads and Penguins from the Welcome to the World of Animals series for the School Library Journal, Arwen Marshall of the Minneapolis Public Library criticized the narrow scope of the books, saying "These serviceable overviews might be useful for brief reports, but they don't cover any new ground." Resource Links found the series to provide "enough information to satisfy curiosity while also meeting their research needs", recommending the books "for any elementary school library".
Published works
''Animals Can Be So ...'' series
''Canada Close Up'' series
''Mysterious You'' series
''Nature Detectives — The Living World'' series
''True Stories from the Edge'' series
''Up Close'' series
''Welcome to the World'' series
Other books
Authored| Title | Published Date | Illustrator/Photographer | Publisher | ISBN |
| Technology for the Home | 1987 | British Columbia Ministry of Education | ||
| A Toothy Tongue and One Long Foot: Nature Activities for Kids | 1992 | Whitecap Books | 1-55110-022-3 | |
| The Emerald Sea: Exploring the Underwater Wilderness of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska | 1993 | Dale Sanders | Alaska Northwest Books | 0-88240-450-4 |
| Safari Beneath the Sea: The Wonder World of the North Pacific Coast | 1994 | Demco Media | 0-60608-861-X | |
| Sky Dancers: The Amazing World of Canadian Birds | 1995 | Doug Penhale | Whitecap Books | 1-55110-306-0 |
| Buffalo Sunrise: The Story of a North American Giant | 1996 | Whitecap Books | 1-55110-378-8 | |
| Bug Bites: Insects Hunting Insects... and More | 1997 | Whitecap Books | 1-55285-169-9 | |
| Animals Eat the Weirdest Things | 1998 | Terry Smith | Henry Holt and Company | 0-80505-846-X |
| The Doctor and You | 2001 | Annick Press | 1-55037-672-1 | |
| Nibbling on Einstein's Brain: The Good, the Bad and the Bogus in Science | 2001 | Warren Clark | Annick Press | 1-55037-686-1 |
| The Dentist & You | 2002 | Rose Cowles | Annick Press | 1-55037-729-9 |
| The Balloon Sailors | 2003 | Krystyna Lipka-Sztarballo | Annick Press | 1-55037-809-0 |
| Turn It Loose: The Scientist in Absolutely Everybody | 2004 | Warren Clark | Annick Press | 1-55037-850-3 |
| The Wonder in Water | 2005 | Annick Press | 1-55037-936-4 | |
| A Crash of Rhinos, a Party of Jays: The Wacky Ways We Name Animal Groups | 2006 | Mariko Ando Spencer | Annick Press | 1-55451-048-1 |
| Bugs Up Close | 2007 | Paul Davidson | Kids Can Press | 1-55453-138-1 |
| Cheetah Cubs and Beetle Grubs: The Wacky Ways We Name Young Animals | 2007 | Mariko Ando Spencer | Annick Press | 1-55451-083-X |
| You Are Weird: Your Body's Peculiar Parts and Funny Functions | 2009 | Kathy Boake | Kids Can Press | 1-55453-282-5 |
| Animals Aha!: Thrilling Discoveries in Wildlife Science | 2009 | Annick Press | 1-55451-164-X |
Co-authored
| Title | Published Date | Co-author | Illustrator/Photographer | Publisher | ISBN |
| Exploring Canada: Learning from the Past | 1985 | Vivien Bowers | Pgw | 0-88894-87 | |
| More than Meets the Eye | 1989 | Vivien Bowers | Pacific Educational Press | 0-88865-065-5 | |
| Why Seals Blow Their Noses: North American Wildlife in Fact and Fiction | 1992 | Douglas Penhale | Douglas Penhale | Whitecap Books | 1-55110-038-X |
| Squirts and Snails and Skinny Green Tails : Seashore Nature Activities for Kids | 1993 | Warren Clark | Warren Clark | Whitecap Books | 1-55110-062-2 |
| Coyotes in the Crosswalk: Canadian Wildlife in the City | 1994 | Douglas Penhale | Douglas Penhale | Whitecap Books | 1-55110-140-8 |
| The Day of the Twelve Story Wave: Grinding Glaciers, Howling Hurricanes, Spewing Volcanoes, and Other Awesome Forces of Nature | 1995 | Laura Cook | Laura Cook | Longstreet Press | 1-56352-260-8 |
Awards
Bugs Up Close-Finalist, Silver Birch Express Award, 2009
-Finalist, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 2008
The Wonder in Water - shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award, 2006/07
Turn It Loose - shortlisted for the 2006/07 Red Cedar Award
Tunnels! True stories from the edge, Winner of the Hackmatack Award, 2004–05
Nibbling on Einstein's Brain
- Short-listed, B.C. Red Cedar Book Award, 2003/2004
- White Raven, International Youth Library, Munich, 2002
- Nonfiction Honor List, Voice of Youth Advocates, American Library Association, 2002
- Notables 2002, Canadian Library Association
- Short-listed, Science in Society Award, 2002
- Los Angeles' 100 Best Books, 2001
Hmm?
- Short-listed, B.C. Red Cedar Book Award, 2003/2004 - Short-listed, Utah Children's Informational Book Award, 2002–03
- Short-listed, Ontario Silver Birch Award, 2002
- Winner, Informal Education Product of the Year Award for Linguistic Intelligence, 2002
Burp!
- Notables 2002, Canadian Library Association
- Children's Choices for 2002, International Reading Association and Children's Book Council
- Short-listed, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 2002
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Award, 2002–03
- Short-listed, Atlantic Provinces Hackmatack Award, 2002–03
- Winner, Informal Education Product of the Year Award for Linguistic Intelligence, 2002
Up Close: Skin That Slimes and Scares,
- Short-listed, B.C. Red Cedar Book Award, 2003/2004
Animals Eat the Weirdest Things
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award, 2001
Welcome to the World of Rabbits and Hares, 2000 Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Welcome to the World of Octopuses, 2000 Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Feet That Suck and Feed, 2000 Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Teeth That Stab and Grind, 2000 Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 1995, for Safari Beneath the Sea
Animals Eat the Weirdest Things
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed, B.C. Red Cedar Book Award, 2000/2001
- Short-listed, Mr. Christie's Book Award, 1999
- Short-listed, Ontario Silver Birch Award, 1999
- Short-listed, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 1999
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed, B.C. Red Cedar Book Award, 1999/2000
- Short-listed, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 1998
- Short-listed, Ontario Silver Birch Award, 1998
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed, International Reading Association's Young Adult Choice Award, 1998
- Short-listed, Ontario Silver Birch Award, 1997
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed, B.C. Red Cedar Book Award, 1997/98
- Winner, Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 1995
- American Library Association Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed, Garden State Children's Book Award, 1997
- Short-listed, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 1995
- Short-listed, Utah Children's Informational Book Award, 1995–96
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed, Ontario Silver Birch Award, 1996
- Short-listed, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 1995
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Short-listed for the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice, B.C. Book Prizes, 1994
- Winner, Best Illustrated Book, One Color, Mid-America Publishers Association Awards, 1995
- Short-listed, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 1993
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Welcome to the World of Porcupines, 1999
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- B.C. 2000 Book Award
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- B.C. 2000 Book Award
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- B.C. 2000 Book Award
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- B.C. 2000 Book Award
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Winner of a Parents' Choice Award, US, 1998
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Winner of a Parents' Choice Award, US, 1998
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
- Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre
- Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
Other memberships
Canadian Children's Book Centre