Heather Stemp
BIO
Biography

Heather Stemp has a B.A. in English an M.Ed. in Special Education and 24 years of teaching experience in English, Physical Education, Cooperative Education, and Special Education at the secondary school level. For the last six years of her 30-year career, she taught Educational Psychology/ Special Education and Instructional Methods/Classroom Management in the Faculty of Education at Nipissing University.

When she retired, she decided to shake things up a bit by learning to write historical fiction. She wanted to explore her Newfoundland roots, early aviation, and the lives of women who dared to step out of traditional roles. In 2014, the first book in her Ginny Ross Series, Amelia and Me, was shortlisted for the Red Cedar Award. In 2020, her second book, Under Amelia’s Wing, was shortlisted for the Red Maple Award (Forest of Reading) and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People. The third book in the series, Beyond Amelia is now available. When she is not writing historical novels, Heather writes articles for Downhome Magazine which is published in Saint John’s Newfoundland.

 

ADDRESS
City: North Bay, Province/Territory: Ontario
EMAIL
GENRE
Historical Fiction
LANGUAGES
English
PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Title
Amelia & Me
Publisher
Nimbus Publishing
Year
2013 (Flanker Press) 2020 (Reissued Nimbus Publishing)
Title
Under Amelia's Wing
Publisher
Nimbus Publishing
Year
2020
Title
Beyond Amelia
Publisher
Nimbus Publishing
Year
2024
AWARDS
Awards
Name
Red Cedar Nominee
Publication
Amelia & Me
Year
2014
Name
Red Maple Nominee
Publication
Under Amelia's Wing
Year
2021
Name
Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People Nominee
Publication
Under Amelia's Wing
Year
2021
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Presentation details
Audience Size
Audience size
Negotiable
Presentation Genre
Historical Fiction
Presentation Length
60 min
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Presentations

Heather collaborates with teachers and/or librarians to customize visits to meet the students’ interests and the teachers’ curriculum requirements.  

Here are a few suggestions for in person and virtual classroom visits:

Invite Amelia Earhart into Your Classroom

(She will arrive in a full flying outfit, if desired)

Interview Amelia or ask her to describe:

  • her time in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland before her flight- the secrecy, the  other female pilots trying to beat her across the Atlantic, and those who helped her
  • her actual flight- the problems, how she solved them, where she landed, her “staged” reception, and the world’s reaction

Other characters from, Amelia and Me, could be used in a similar manner. For example:

  • interview Ginny Ross, the main character, or ask her to tell you about growing up in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and how difficult it was to follow her dream of becoming a pilot.
  • interview Joseph Ross, Ginny’s grandfather, or ask him to describe the depression in Newfoundland in 1932 and how it affected store owners like him
  • interview Rose Archibald (Ginny’s aunt) or ask her to tell you about the role of women in 1932
  • interview Heather Stemp, the author, or ask her to describe how family stories can be turned into books, the writing process, the editing process, or why people write books

A similar approach can be used to explore Heather’s second book, Under Amelia’s Wing, which is set at Purdue University in 1936. Ginny Ross is enrolled there as a mechanical engineering student. Amelia Earhart is there as a part-time career counselor for women and aviation advisor. Characters from the book can be interviewed or asked to describe certain aspects of the story. This book is for young adults, grades seven and eight. The use of costumes with this age group can be discussed with the teacher before Heather arrives.

Curriculum connections are numerous in these STEM friendly historical novels so hands-on activities can be included in different content areas. The interests of the teacher and the students will define the visit.

Historical black and white photos, videos, and maps can be used, if desired.

Presentation Fee(s)
225
Workshop details
Audience Size
Negotiable
Intended Audience
Middle grades 4-6 for Amelia & Me YA grades 7-9 for Under Amelia's Wing Adult audiences for discussions of early aviation, Newfoundland history, gender roles
Workshop Length
60 minutes
Workshop Description
Workshop description

Presentations

Heather collaborates with teachers and/or librarians to customize visits to meet the students’ interests and the teachers’ curriculum requirements.  

Here are a few suggestions for in person and virtual classroom visits:

Invite Amelia Earhart into Your Classroom

(She will arrive in a full flying outfit, if desired)

Interview Amelia or ask her to describe:

  • her time in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland before her flight- the secrecy, the  other female pilots trying to beat her across the Atlantic, and those who helped her
  • her actual flight- the problems, how she solved them, where she landed, her “staged” reception, and the world’s reaction

Other characters from, Amelia and Me, could be used in a similar manner. For example:

  • interview Ginny Ross, the main character, or ask her to tell you about growing up in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and how difficult it was to follow her dream of becoming a pilot.
  • interview Joseph Ross, Ginny’s grandfather, or ask him to describe the depression in Newfoundland in 1932 and how it affected store owners like him
  • interview Rose Archibald (Ginny’s aunt) or ask her to tell you about the role of women in 1932
  • interview Heather Stemp, the author, or ask her to describe how family stories can be turned into books, the writing process, the editing process, or why people write books

A similar approach can be used to explore Heather’s second book, Under Amelia’s Wing, which is set at Purdue University in 1936. Ginny Ross is enrolled there as a mechanical engineering student. Amelia Earhart is there as a part-time career counselor for women and aviation advisor. Characters from the book can be interviewed or asked to describe certain aspects of the story. This book is for young adults, grades seven and eight. The use of costumes with this age group can be discussed with the teacher before Heather arrives.

Curriculum connections are numerous in these STEM friendly historical novels so hands-on activities can be included in different content areas. The interests of the teacher and the students will define the visit.

Historical black and white photos, videos, and maps can be used, if desired.

 

Workshop Fee(s)
225
School presentation details
Audience Size
Negotiable
Intended Audience
Middle grades 4-6 for Amelia & Me YA grades 7-9 for Under Amelia's Wing
Presentation Length
60 minutes
Presentation Description
Presentation description

Presentations

Heather collaborates with teachers and/or librarians to customize visits to meet the students’ interests and the teachers’ curriculum requirements.  

Here are a few suggestions for in person and virtual classroom visits:

Invite Amelia Earhart into Your Classroom

(She will arrive in a full flying outfit, if desired)

Interview Amelia or ask her to describe:

  • her time in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland before her flight- the secrecy, the  other female pilots trying to beat her across the Atlantic, and those who helped her
  • her actual flight- the problems, how she solved them, where she landed, her “staged” reception, and the world’s reaction

Other characters from, Amelia and Me, could be used in a similar manner. For example:

  • interview Ginny Ross, the main character, or ask her to tell you about growing up in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and how difficult it was to follow her dream of becoming a pilot.
  • interview Joseph Ross, Ginny’s grandfather, or ask him to describe the depression in Newfoundland in 1932 and how it affected store owners like him
  • interview Rose Archibald (Ginny’s aunt) or ask her to tell you about the role of women in 1932
  • interview Heather Stemp, the author, or ask her to describe how family stories can be turned into books, the writing process, the editing process, or why people write books

A similar approach can be used to explore Heather’s second book, Under Amelia’s Wing, which is set at Purdue University in 1936. Ginny Ross is enrolled there as a mechanical engineering student. Amelia Earhart is there as a part-time career counselor for women and aviation advisor. Characters from the book can be interviewed or asked to describe certain aspects of the story. This book is for young adults, grades seven and eight. The use of costumes with this age group can be discussed with the teacher before Heather arrives.

Curriculum connections are numerous in these STEM friendly historical novels so hands-on activities can be included in different content areas. The interests of the teacher and the students will define the visit.

Historical black and white photos, videos, and maps can be used, if desired.

Presentation Fee(s)
225
Programs & Interests
Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro
Yes
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar
Yes