Isabel Thomas

Awards

• Shortlisted for the Association of Science Education Book of the Year 2017
• Shortlisted for Royal Society Young People's Book Prize 2016
• Shortlisted for Blue Peter Book Awards 2011

Organisations

• Society of Authors
• The Association for Science Education
• Primary School Governor

Details

About me

I am a science writer, children's book author and journalist for children's science magazines Whizz Pop Bang and The Week Junior Science+Nature. I also write for outreach projects such as Oxford University’s Parents for STEM Futures, inspiring children from diverse backgrounds to pursue science careers.

With more than 150 published titles, there is a book in my repertoire to delight every child, from the lyrical and atmospheric Moth: An Evolution Story and the quirky Little Guides to Great Lives series, to the irreverent Self-Destructing Science activity books. I am a primary school governor and STEM Ambassador, and blog/vlog about primary literacy and science education for Oxford Owl. For grown-up readers, I have contributed to the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2018/19.

My talks and workshops

I love running creative, curriculum-linked events for schools, libraries and festivals. I can tailor most workshops to suit ages 4 to 11.

• Moth: An Evolution Story
  A workshop that fuses literacy and art with science. Children learn about the awesomeness of moths, the impact of humans on their habitats, and the story of the peppered moth – the most famous example of natural selection in action. Working with my brand new picture book Moth.
• Build Your Own Body!
  Hands-on science with a twist, to entice reluctant readers… and reluctant scientists! Based on my Self-Destructing Science series.
• Little Guides to Great Lives
  Be inspired by the stories of ordinary people who changed the world, including Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart and Leonardo da Vinci, and start planning and writing your own biography.
• Science Writing Bootcamp
  Find out what scientists and science writers have in common! Children work in teams to master the rules of writing awesome non-fiction, enjoying fascinating facts on the way.

I also run workshops for grown-up writers on planning, writing and pitching non-fiction.

What schools say

“Pupils enjoyed a VIP visit from author Ms Isabel Thomas, on World Book Day, who ran inspirational workshops and activities with the girls. Pre-prep pupils were captivated with story-telling.”
– St Mary’s School, Cambridge

"Thank you so much for your amazing hard work and preparation for the fantastic three events today. It was so lovely to see all the children and teachers enjoying it."
– Little Ealing Primary School, London

“We thoroughly enjoyed having you, and the children (and teachers) had a great time.”
– Kingshott School, Hitchin

“Even some of my reluctant writers have shown renewed enthusiasm for writing since.”
– St Peter’s School, St Albans

My fees

I charge £350 per day for an all-day visit (3 or 4 workshops), or £250 for a half-day visit (1 or 2 workshops). If I need to travel for more than one hour from my home in Cambridge, then I also charge for travel.

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