Diane Swanson
Diane Swanson was a Canadian writer of science books for children. She published over 70 books and was winner of several awards including Parents' Choice Award, Mid-America Publishers Association Award and Orbis Pictus Award.
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 Honours 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 wrote over 70 books and 450 magazine articles.
Swanson lived in Victoria, British Columbia. Her hobbies were hiking, piano-playing, and reading. She was married with 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
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
Swanson was recipient of the following awards:| Year | Book | Award | Result |
| 1993 | The Emerald Sea | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1994 | The Emerald Sea | Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award | Short-listed |
| 1994 | The Emerald Sea | B.C. Book Prizes | Short-listed |
| 1995 | Why Seals Blow Their Noses | Mid-America Publishers Association Awards | Winner - Best Illustrated Book, one Color |
| 1995 | Safari Beneath the Sea | Orbis Pictus Award | Winner - Outstanding Nonfiction for Children |
| 1995 | Coyotes in the Crosswalk | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1995 | Safari Beneath the Sea | Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children | Winner |
| 1995 | Safari Beneath the Sea | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1995-96 | Safari Beneath the Sea | Utah Children's Informational Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1996 | Coyotes in the Crosswalk | Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 1997 | Buffalo Sunrise | Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 1997 | Safari Beneath the Sea | Garden State Children's Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1997-98 | Sky Dancers | B.C. Red Cedar Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1998 | Buffalo Sunrise | International Reading Association's Young Adult Choice Award | Short-listed |
| 1998 | Bug Bites | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1998 | Bug Bites | Ontario Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 1998 | Welcome to the World of Bears | Parents' Choice Award, US | Winner |
| 1998 | Welcome to the World of Otters | Parents' Choice Award, US | Winner |
| 1999 | Animals Eat the Weirdest Things | Mr. Christie's Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1999 | Animals Eat the Weirdest Things | Ontario Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 1999 | Animals Eat the Weirdest Things | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Short-listed |
| 1999-2000 | Bug Bites | B.C. Red Cedar Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2000 | Welcome to the World of Moose | B.C. 2000 Book Award | |
| 2000 | Welcome to the World of Beavers | B.C. 2000 Book Award | |
| 2000 | Welcome to the World of Skunks | B.C. 2000 Book Award | |
| 2000 | Welcome to the World of Porcupines | B.C. 2000 Book Award | |
| 2000-01 | Animals Eat the Weirdest Things | B.C. Red Cedar Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2001 | Animals Eat the Weirdest Things | Rocky Mountain Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2001 | White Raven | Los Angeles' 100 Best Books | |
| 2002 | White Raven | Voice of Youth Advocates, American Library Association | Non-fiction honor list |
| 2002 | Hm? | Ontario Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 2002 | Hm? | Informal Education Product of the Year Award for Linguistic Intelligence | Winner |
| 2002 | Burp! | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2002 | White Raven | Science in Society Award | Short-listed |
| 2002-03 | Burp! | Rocky Mountain Award | Short-listed |
| 2002-03 | Burp! | Atlantic Provinces Hackmatack Award | Short-listed |
| 2002-03 | Hm? | Ontario Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 2003-04 | Hm? | B.C. Red Cedar Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2003-04 | Up Close: Skin That Slimes and Scares | B.C. Red Cedar Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2003-04 | Nibbling on Einstein's Brain | B.C. Red Cedar Book Award | Short-listed |
| 2004-05 | Tunnels! True stories from the edge | Hackmatack Award | Winner |
| 2006-07 | The Wonder in Water | Silver Birch Award | Short-listed |
| 2006-07 | Turn It Loose | Red Cedar Award | Short-listed |
| 2008 | Bugs Up Close | Silver Birch Express Award | Finalist |
| 2008 | Bugs Up Close | Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award | Finalist |
Other memberships
CWILL B.C.Canadian Children's Book Centre