Glen Downey (writer)
Encyclopedia
Glen Downey is a Canadian children’s author, teacher, and academic from Oakville, Ontario
. His publications include more than eighty books for young people across a variety of genres that focus specifically on the development of child and adolescent literacy
and numeracy
. Downey is best known as the series editor of Graphic Poetry, winner of both the 2010 "Texty" Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association, and the 2011 Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books from Learning magazine. Downey came up with the concept for Graphic Poetry as a way of making poetry engaging for 21st century readers. Several of Downey's books are for award-winning educational series developed by Rubicon Publishing. These include Boldprint, The 10, Boldprint Graphic Readers, and Boldprint Graphic Novels.
novels, Fighting Fantasy
gamebooks, and the manuals and rulebooks of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing games, specifically Dungeons and Dragons and BattleTech
.
Downey’s interest in games eventually served to direct the course of his education. He received his B.A. from McMaster University in 1991, and his M.A. a year later, writing his Masters’ Thesis on the chess problem in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Victoria
in 1998, expanding on his previous graduate work in examining the development of the chess motif in the Victorian novel.
After teaching at both the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia
, where he won the Ian Fairclough Prize for Teaching in 2000, Downey left to pursue a B.Ed. in English and Mathematics Education at the University of Western Ontario
’s Althouse College. While in the program, he submitted the manuscript for his first book, The Fifty Fatal Flaws of Essay Writing, which Althouse published in 2002. Since then, he has held a variety of teaching and administrative positions at public and private institutions, and has taught courses in Children’s Literature and Twenty-First Century Literacies in the graduate education program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
.
while the two were colleagues at Appleby College. Downey’s first book for Rubicon was Games for the award-winning Boldprint series. His most prolific year to date was 2009, with 47 books published across three different series. His most recent work was on the Rubicon/Oxford series, Interface, a combination of texts and online platforms designed to "help students build the skills of critical inquiry."
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
. His publications include more than eighty books for young people across a variety of genres that focus specifically on the development of child and adolescent literacy
Adolescent literacy
Adolescence, the period between age 12 and 20, is a time of rapid psychological and neurological development, during which children develop morally , cognitively , and socially...
and numeracy
Numeracy
Numeracy is the ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts. A numerically literate person can manage and respond to the mathematical demands of life...
. Downey is best known as the series editor of Graphic Poetry, winner of both the 2010 "Texty" Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association, and the 2011 Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books from Learning magazine. Downey came up with the concept for Graphic Poetry as a way of making poetry engaging for 21st century readers. Several of Downey's books are for award-winning educational series developed by Rubicon Publishing. These include Boldprint, The 10, Boldprint Graphic Readers, and Boldprint Graphic Novels.
Biography
Downey was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and from an early age took an interest in reading. Although he was routinely encouraged by teachers to read books that would challenge him, Downey’s formative reading consisted almost exclusively of comic books, Choose Your Own AdventureChoose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome. The series was based on a...
novels, Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
gamebooks, and the manuals and rulebooks of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing games, specifically Dungeons and Dragons and BattleTech
BattleTech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
.
Downey’s interest in games eventually served to direct the course of his education. He received his B.A. from McMaster University in 1991, and his M.A. a year later, writing his Masters’ Thesis on the chess problem in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
in 1998, expanding on his previous graduate work in examining the development of the chess motif in the Victorian novel.
After teaching at both the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, where he won the Ian Fairclough Prize for Teaching in 2000, Downey left to pursue a B.Ed. in English and Mathematics Education at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
’s Althouse College. While in the program, he submitted the manuscript for his first book, The Fifty Fatal Flaws of Essay Writing, which Althouse published in 2002. Since then, he has held a variety of teaching and administrative positions at public and private institutions, and has taught courses in Children’s Literature and Twenty-First Century Literacies in the graduate education program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is a teachers' college in Toronto, Ontario.-History:OISE/UT traces its origins to the founding of the Provincial Normal School in 1847...
.
Children’s Writing
Downey’s interest in writing for children and young adults was motivated by his own formative reading experiences. He was introduced to Rubicon by David BoydDavid Boyd (author)
David Boyd is a Canadian children's author residing in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He is a retired English and Media teacher at Appleby College...
while the two were colleagues at Appleby College. Downey’s first book for Rubicon was Games for the award-winning Boldprint series. His most prolific year to date was 2009, with 47 books published across three different series. His most recent work was on the Rubicon/Oxford series, Interface, a combination of texts and online platforms designed to "help students build the skills of critical inquiry."
Boldprint
- Games (2004)
- Images of war (2004)
- Famous Trials (2004)
- Medieval Warfare (2006), with Jayn Arnold
- Motorbikes (2006), with Mark Treleaven
- Suspense (2007)
Timeline
- Fire Mountain (2006), illustrated by Liam Thurston
- Rebel Prince (2006), illustrated by David Okum
- Gladiator (2006), illustrated by Andrew Barr
- Escape from East Berlin (2007), illustrated by Leo Lingas
- Ice Journey (2006), illustrated by Glenn Brucker
- Freedom Train (2007), illustrated by Leigh Dragoon
- The Great Siege (2007), illustrated by Mike Rooth
- Master Leonardo (2007), with Jayn Arnold, illustrated by Mike Rooth
- Miracle Men (2007), illustrated by Anthony Brennan
The 10
- Most Remarkable Writers (2007), with Jayn Arnold
- Deadliest Military Inventions (2007)
- Greatest Sports Showdowns (2007)
- Worst Sports Scandals (2007)
- Greatest Hockey Teams (2007), with Kirsten Tenebaum
- Coolest Ways to Fly (2007), with Sandie Cond
- Hottest Hollywood Cars (2007), with Maria Malara
- Most Extreme Jobs (2007)
- Most Significant Documents (2007)
- Most Unforgettable Moments in NASCAR (2007)
- Most Memorable TV Moments (2007)
- Smartest Animals (2007)
- Most Decisive Battles (2007)
Graphic Poetry
- Paul Revere's Ride (2009)
- The Eagle / The Kraken (2009)
- The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (2009)
- Mother to Son / Harlem Night Song (2009)
- Same Song / Maestro (2009)
- Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth Toast (2009)
- This is a Photograph of Me / Girl and Horse, 1928 (2009)
- The March of the Dead (2009)
- The Woman I Am in My Dreams / Now I See You (2009)
- Southbound on the Freeway / Water Picture (2009)
- The Cremation of Sam McGee (2009)
- Life Doesn't Frighten Me / Alone (2009)
- The Shark / Sea-Gulls (2009)
- The Choice / Song for an April Dusk (2009)
- Flight of the Roller Coaster / Lake of Bays (2009)
- The Circle Game (2009)
- What Do I Remember of the Evacuation? (2009)
- Oranges / Ode to Family Photographs (2009)
- I am a Canadian (2009)
- Hurricane / Childhood Tracks (2009)
- I Shall Wait and Wait (2009)
Boldprint Graphic Novels
- A Goblin's Tale (2009), illustrated by Andrew Barr
- Nemesis (2009), illustrated by Robert Deas
- Spirits of the Mountain (2009), illustrated by Zsolt Mato
- Ghost House (2009), with Jayn Arnold, illustrated by Scott Lincoln
- Snake Girl (2009), illustrated by Andrew Barr
- Final Voyage (2009), illustrated by John Lucas
Boldprint Graphic Readers
- Party Time (2009), illustrated by Franfou
- Pets Welcome (2009), illustrated by Zsolt Mato
- Hanging Ten (2009), illustrated by Pascal Campion
- Sir Henry and the Dragon (2009), illustrated by Jason MacKay
- The Sun (2009), illustrated by Daisy Chan
- Penguins on Parade (2009), illustrated by Zsolt Mato
- What's the Problem? (2009), illustrated by Stephen Daymond
- Shaping Up (2009), illustrated by Mike Rooth
- Hoop Shot (2009), illustrated by Michelle Draycott
- Fish Food (2009), illustrated by Bernard Joaquin
- The Legend of Wountie (2009), illustrated by Katie Cusak
- Whiz Kid (2009), illustrated by Miklos Weigert and Zsolt Mato
- Now You See Me (2009), illustrated by John Lucas
- Nature's Story (2009), illustrated by Ken Turner
- Gobble! Gobble! (2009), illustrated by Ron Sutton
- Westward Ho! (2009), illustrated by Hilary Jenkins
- The Gamers (2009), illustrated by Anthony Tan and Katrina Hao
- Built to Last (2009), illustrated by Bernard Joaquin
- Then and Now (2009), illustrated by Francesco Francavilla
- The Junkyard (2009), illustrated by Karen Roy
Other works
- The Fifty Fatal Flaws of Essay Writing (2002)
- The 10 Essential Ways to Teach Students with Inquiring Minds (2008)
- Legendary Tales (2010)
- Interface Vol 1.2 with Carolyn Craven, Lori Lisi, et al. (2010)
- Interface Vol 2.2 with Carolyn Craven, Lori Lisi, et al. (2010)
Awards
Downey's books have been part of series that have won the following awards:| Award | Series |
|---|---|
| 2011 "Texty" Award Textbook Excellence Award ("Texty") A Textbook Excellence Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association recognizes current textbooks and learning materials based on criteria established by the group. Judges are veteran authors in appropriate subject areas. Nominations from eight subject areas are reviewed each year from... |
Interface |
| 2011 TCA for Children's Books | Graphic Poetry Boldprint Graphic Novels |
| 2010 "Texty" Award Textbook Excellence Award ("Texty") A Textbook Excellence Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association recognizes current textbooks and learning materials based on criteria established by the group. Judges are veteran authors in appropriate subject areas. Nominations from eight subject areas are reviewed each year from... |
Graphic Poetry Boldprint Graphic Novels Boldprint Graphic Readers |
| 2009 TCA for Children's Books | The 10 |
| 2009 TCA for Classroom Magazines | Boldprint |