New England SCBWI can not endorse or recommend any one speaker over any others, nor can we guarantee satisfaction with the programs of any given speaker.
Maine author Mary Morton Cowan has focused on writing for young readers for more than twenty years, and has completed several courses focusing on that genre. A graduate of Bates College, she concentrated her studies in English and Music. She has written three books for young readers. Her latest book, "Captain Mac: the Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer"(Calkins Creek, 2010), won the 2010 National Outdoor Book Award (Children’s category), a John Burroughs Award for an outstanding natural history book, is an Honor Book with the Society of School Librarians International, is on Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2011 edition, and is recommended by the National Science Teachers Association. The book was also a finalist in the 2011 SCBWI Crystal Kite Members Choice Award, New England Region.
Cowan received Maine Library Association’s Lupine Honor Award for "Timberrr… A History of Logging in New England" (Millbrook Press, 2003). Earlier, Mary was awarded an Anna Cross Giblin nonfiction work-in-progress grant by SCBWI to write the logging book.
Her first book, an historical novel, Ice Country (Cricketfield Press 1995, paperback 1997), is a teenager’s adventure to the Arctic with Commander Donald MacMillan, aboard the Schooner Bowdoin.
Nearly 70 of her articles, stories, and activities have been published in children’s magazines. Several have been reprinted in textbooks and anthologies, some are included in reading comprehension programs for standardized tests, and a few are online.
Cowan has long been involved in child development and education. She has taught piano and organ lessons, assisted in school reading and writing programs, and served as a library aide. For many years, when she lived in Rochester, NY, she was active in her local Girl Scout Council in several capacities—from troop leader to Council CEO. In 1994, she and her husband moved back to Maine, where she has taught adult education writing courses, served as a career mentor for middle- and high-school students, and as a local judge for an annual State Essay Contest. She is a visiting author in schools, and speaks to a variety of community groups. She and her husband have two children and four grandchildren.
Selected Works:
Captain Mac: the Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer (Calkins Creek, 2010). The adventurous life story of a man who explored and researched the eastern Arctic and subarctic and its peoples for nearly 50 years.
Timberrr…A History of Logging in New England (Millbrook 2003). Maine Library Association Lupine Honor Award winner. Recipient of SCBWI nonfiction work-in-progress grant, 1999.
Ice Country: One Boy’s Adventure in the Arctic with Commander Donald MacMillan (Picton Press 1995). Historical fiction.
Numerous articles, stories and activities in children’s magazines, including AppleSeeds, Calliope, Cobblestone, Faces, and Highlights for Children.
About Captain Mac: “Mary Morton Cowan has brought Arctic explorer Donald B. MacMillan back to life with this lively account of his adventurous career. From his boyhood as the son of a ship’s captain in Provincetown, Massachusetts, to his many years spent in far northern Greenland, readers will share the thrilling highlights of his life as an explorer, researcher, and teacher. Cowan conveys MacMillan’s love for the people and places of Labrador, Baffin Island, and Greenland, and readers will come to appreciate them as well. Meticulously researched, this book tells a compelling and inspiring story that will be enjoyed by many young readers.”—Genevieve LeMoine, curator/registrar of the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and Arctic Studies Center, Bowdoin College
From an 8th grade teaching team at Falmouth Middle School, following a character workshop: “Thank you for your fine presentation…. It is a wonderful opportunity for our student writers to appreciate the level of effort necessary to truly develop interesting and complex characters that add to the depth of their stories. … They, and we, are richer for the experience.”
Program Info
Program Descriptions:
BOOK TALKS:
CAPTAIN MAC: THE LIFE OF DONALD BAXTER MACMILLAN, ARCTIC EXPLORER. (grades 4-12)
Where my idea came from and how it developed first into an historical novel (Ice Country, 1995), then a biography. Includes a computerized presentation and other visuals. Reading and discussion. (40-50 minutes)
TIMBERRR…A HISTORY OF LOGGING IN NEW ENGLAND. (grades 3-12)
How my idea became a published book. Includes visuals. Reading and discussion period. (30-50 minutes)
WRITING WORKSHOPS:
DIGGING UP STUFF. (grades 4-12)
Research! How to find sources for both non-fiction and historical fiction projects. Adaptable to what topics teachers are covering with their students. (40-60 minutes)
WRITING IT RIGHT. (grades 4-12)
Getting specific. Writing and rewriting. Choosing the best words. When to use dialogue vs. description. Discusses different points of view. (30-50 minutes)
WRITING A REPORT. (grades 4-8)
Getting started. Making factual research come alive. Writing creative opening sentences/paragraphs. (40-60 minutes)
CREATING CHARACTERS. (grades 4-12)
Uses characterization worksheets to create unique characters. Includes a student activity. (40-60 minutes)
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A FREE LANCE WRITER? (grades 4-12)
Career discussion: skills and education needed, working schedule, work habits, income, etc. (30-50 minutes)
MAGAZINE STUFF. (grades 2-3)
Sharing my younger magazine folk tales and articles. Using visuals, show how an article gets from an idea to the published magazine. Question and answer time. (30-40 minutes)
FINDING FACTS. (grades 2-3)
Interactive discussion, with visuals, learning a variety of ways to find facts for early level report-writing. (30-40 minutes)
Program Pricing:
Please see my website for details.
Special Features:
To make my presentations more meaningful to all involved, I customize them to meet the needs of individual schools and community groups. Most programs are planned for Language Arts classes, although all my published work is well suited for Social Studies classes. I share my working papers with students, as well as research material and artifacts relating to the topic.
Audience Levels:
Lower Elementary; Upper Elementary; Middle School; High School; Adult
Contact Info
Contact Email:
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Contact Address:
7 Hearthside Rd.
Home City:
Standish
Home State:
Maine
Contact Phone:
207-892-6313
Articles
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Mary Morton Cowan