Garrett, Leslie 1964–

PERSONAL: Born June 2, 1964, in London, Ontario, Canada; married Dan Kelly; children: Sophie, Spencer, and Charlotte. Education: Graduate of York University.

ADDRESSES: Home—1097 Saint Anthony Place, London, Ontario N6H 2R4, Canada. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. E-mail—leslie.g@sympatico.ca.

CAREER: Editor for Kids Toronto, Cottage Life, and Toronto Families, all Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

MEMBER: Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers.

AWARDS, HONORS: National Magazine Award (Silver), 2002, for Garrett's work in Cottage Life,.

WRITINGS:

Superkids: Young Heroes in Action (young adult), HarperCollins (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.

Record Breakers: True Stories of This Century's Amazing Kids (young adult), HarperCollins (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2000.

Superkids Too!: More Young Heroes in Action (young adult), HarperCollins (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

The Story of Muhammad Ali (juvenile), Dorling Kindersley (New York, NY), 2002.

The Push and Pull Playground, Pearson Education (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

The Dictionary of Forces and Energy, Pearson Education (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Helen Keller: A Photographic Story of a Life (juvenile), Dorling Kindersley (New York, NY), 2004.

Tom Longboat: coureur de fonds (young adult), Chenelière Éducation (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2004, published as Tom Longboat: Born to Run, Pearson Education (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

David Suzuki: l'amour de la nature (young adult), Chenelière Éducation (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2004, published as David Suzuki: Champion of Nature, Pearson Education (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Leslie Garrett has written for a young Canadian audience in volumes that document the accomplishments of heroic and high-achieving young people. Her first such title, Superkids: Young Heroes in Action, chronicles the examples of bravery and selflessness exhibited by young people, including two who rescued children from a burning house and an eleven-year-old girl who saved her grandmother from an assailant. Quill and Quire contributor Sarah Ellis noted that Garrett "provides a carefully chosen range of heroes, including not just acts of physical bravery but those of social responsibility and activism." Ellis noted that Garrett, a journalist, "does a good job of putting the events into context, and of creating real shaped stories."

In Record Breakers: True Stories of This Century's Amazing Kids Garrett profiles eleven young record breakers ranging in age from nine to twenty. Six are American, and two Canadian, with one each from the United Kingdom, Japan, and Romania. Some of the feats, like Ryan Tripps's record-breaking lawnmower ride to raise money for a friend who needed a new liver, are very unusual. Other subjects include Subaru Takahashi, the youngest person to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean, and Cristen Powell, the youngest woman to win a drag race in the Top Fuel category. A Quill and Quire writer noted that Garrett "has unearthed some fascinating characters, and the stories are fast-paced and focus on the determination of the participants to fulfill their dreams."

Among Garrett's books are biographies for younger children. In The Story of Muhammad Ali, she introduces boxing as a sport, while sidebars offer historical notes and explanations of boxing terms. In addition to documenting Ali's career, Garrett notes his religious beliefs, political activism, and humanitarian works, as well as his battle with Parkinson's disease. Water color paintings and black-and-white photographs compliment the text. School Library Journal contributor Hannah Hoppe called the volume "a good introduction to boxing and to Ali."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 1, 2002, Karen Hutt, review of The Story of Muhammad Ali, p. 1134; June 1, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of Helen Keller: A Photographic Story of a Life, p. 1757.

Kliatt, January, 2005, Penelope Power, review of Helen Keller, p. 29.

Quill & Quire, June, 1997, Sarah Ellis, review of Superkids: Young Heroes in Action, p. 62; November, 2000, review of Record Breakers: True Stories of This Century's Amazing Kids, p. 39.

School Library Journal, April, 2002, Hannah Hoppe, review of The Story of Muhammad Ali, p. 130.

ONLINE

Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers Web site, http://www.canscaip.org/ (February 22, 2005), "Leslie Garrett."