McNicoll, Sylvia
Biography
Sylvia McNicoll was born in Ontario but grew up in Montreal, Quebec. She graduated from Concordia with a BA specialization in English, minor in economics while working daytime in corporate finance. She began her writing career when she stayed at home to raise her three children and took Paul Kropp's Writing for Children Course at Sheridan College, the project for which turned out to be her first published novel Blueberries and Whipped Cream (Gage Jeanpac 1988). Winner of the 1996 Silver Birch Children's Choice Award and the 1997 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice for Bringing Up Beauty, Sylvia McNicoll has wriitten more than 25 books. She's written short stories, first chapter, middle school, reluctant reader and young adult novels, series fiction (under a pseudonym, Geena Dare), developmental work for the National Film Board as well as an adult non-fiction "Coles Notes". Sylvia enjoys being active: swimming, (she loves waterslides), crosscountry skiing, cycling and inline skating. But as far as career goals, the only thing Sylvia thinks is as much fun as writing and reading is telling stories about her stories to young people. A judo move, snail costumes, whipped cream faces--you never know what she might do in her interactive writing process performances.
Awards & Recognitions
1996 Silver Birch for Bringing Up Beauty
1996 Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award for Bringing Up Beauty
2000 Explora-toy Best Novel for Caught in a Lie
Other Information
Related Websites or Blogs
Sylvia McNicoll in CM Magazine
Published Work
[as Sylvia McNicoll]
2008. Last Chance for Paris. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside (Fiction)
2007. Slam Dunk Robot. Richmond Hill: Scholastic. (Fiction)
2006. Beauty Returns. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside. (Fiction)
2003. A Different Kind of Beauty. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside. (Fiction)
2000. Caught in a Lie. Markham, Ont.: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1999. Bringing up Beauty. Don Mills: Maxwell MacMillan Canada. (Fiction)
1999. Martial Arts for Kids: Judo, Karate, Taekwando and Six Other Sports. Toronto: Coles Publishing. (Nonfiction)
1999. Grave Secrets. Toronto: Stoddart Kids. (Fiction)
1997. Walking a Thin Line. Toronto: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1996. The Big Race. Richmond Hill: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1990. Project Disaster. Richmond Hill: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1999. Double Dribble. Markham, Ont.: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1999. Smoky and the Gorilla. Markham, Ont.: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1999. Mom and Dad's Guide to Martial Arts. Toronto: Chapters Ltd. (Nonfiction)
1996. The Big Race. Richmond Hill: Scholastic. (Fiction)
1992. Facing the Enemy. Toronto: Nelson Canada. (Fiction)
1990. More Than Money. Toronto: Nelson Canada. (Fiction)
1989. The Tiger Catcher's Kid. Scarborough: Nelson Canada. (Fiction)
1989. Jump Start. Toronto: Collier-MacMillan Canada. (Fiction)
1988. Blueberries and Whipped Cream. Toronto: Gage. (Fiction)
[As Geena Dare]
1999. Dan: Double Drama. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1999. Lauren: Dream Dating. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1999. Nikki: Stolen Dreams. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1999. Jenna: Standing Tall. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1999. Abbi: Secret Stranger. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1998. Jenna: Dancing Dreams. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1998. Dan: Clowning Around. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
1998. Matt: Heartbreak Hero. London: Orchard Publishing. (Fiction)
