Elizabeth MacLeod

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!

Books by Elizabeth MacLeod

Meet Frederick Banting (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Jim Egan

Meet Jim Egan (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Meet Clara Hughes (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Clara Hughes

Biographie en images : Voici Buffy Sainte-Marie

Meet Buffy Sainte-Marie (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Get Out and Vote!

Biographie en images : Voici J. Armand Bombardier

How to Become an Accidental Entrepreneur

Meet J. Armand Bombardier (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Mary Ann Shadd

Meet Mary Ann Shadd (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Meet David Suzuki (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici David Suzuki

Canada Year by Year - Revised Edition

How to Become an Accidental Activist

Meet Thérèse Casgrain (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Thérèse Casgrain

Scholastic Canada Biography: Meet Terry Fox 6-Copy Counter Display

Meet Terry Fox (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Terry Fox

Canadian Women Now and Then

Biographie en images : Voici Willie O'Ree

Meet Willie O'Ree (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Meet Elsie MacGill (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Elsie MacGill

How to Become an Accidental Genius

Meet Tom Longboat (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Biographie en images : Voici Tom Longboat

Meet Viola Desmond (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Meet Chris Hadfield (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Super Cats

Super Cats

Top Dogs

Canada Year by Year

Vanished

Galloping Through History

Colossal Canada

Bunny the Brave War Horse

Secrets Underground

History of Just About Everything, A

Canada Close Up: Canadian Government

Bones Never Lie

Canada Close Up: Canada's Trees

Monster Fliers

Why Do Horses Have Manes?

Marie Curie

Royal Murder

Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?

Samuel de Champlain

Thomas Edison

Mark Twain

Kids Book of Great Canadians, The

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Kids Book of Canada at War, The

Alexander Graham Bell

George Washington Carver

Eleanor Roosevelt

Kids Book of Great Canadian Women, The

Chock Full of Chocolate

Harry Houdini

Biscuits farfelus

Bake and Make Amazing Cookies

Helen Keller

To the Top of Everest

Albert Einstein

What Did Dinosaurs Eat?

Que mangeaient les dinosaures?

Wright Brothers, The

Gifts to Make and Eat

Bake and Make Amazing Cakes

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Grow It Again

I Heard a Little Baa

Bake It and Build It

Get Started: Stamp Collecting for Canadian Kids

Phone Book, The

Dinosaurs