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Photo of Liam O'Donnell

Liam O'Donnell

Author

Toronto, Ontario
Email: liamodonnell@gmail.com
Web: www.liamodonnell.com

Born: Northern Ireland.

Biography

Liam was born in Northern Ireland and came to Canada when he was five years old. He studied media at Ryerson University and has worked on film sets in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

He left the movie industry in 1999 when his first book, System Shock, was plucked from a slush pile of 800 other manuscripts and published by A & C Black in London, UK. System Shock is part of the "Graffix" series of books that combine comic book elements with straight narrative text to appeal to reluctant readers. System Shock was a hit with both teachers and readers and was voted by Bristol inner-city kids as a book "that made them want to read to the very last page."

Liam has since used this "Graffix" format to adapt TV scripts for Kids Can Press and create the popular comic strip Max Finder Mystery. Appearing monthly in Owl magazine and illustrated by Michael Cho, Max Finder Mystery is a "you-solve-it" comic that challenges readers to spot the clues and solve the case.

Liam's latest picture book series, "Pet Tales", is published by Soundprints Publishing in the USA. Each book in the series follows a "day in the life" of a pet with a unique job.

Liam lives in Toronto and frequently writes for Canadian Bookseller magazine, Today's Parent and several children's magazines. He loves playing video games and going camping, but not at the same time.

Published Works

Picture Books

Winston In the City, Soundprints, 2005
Daisy On the Farm, Soundprints, 2005
Pepper's Snowy Search, Soundprints Publishing, 2004
Ginger Leads the Way, Soundprints Publishing, 2004
Lucy and the Busy Boat, Soundprints Publishing, 2004
Duncan: A Brave Rescue, Soundprints Publishing, 2004
Baxter Needs a Home, Soundprints Publishing, 2004
Tracker: On the Job, Soundprints Publishing, 2004

Graphic Novels

My Dad the Rock Star: Rebel Without a Nose Ring, Kids Can Press/Nelvana, 2002
Moville Mysteries: Raiders of the Lost Jockstrap, Kids Can Press/Nelvana, 2002
System Shock, A & C Black, 2000

Comic Strips

Max Finder Mystery, 2002– present, appears monthly in Owl Magazine
M-Team: Adventures of the Mighty Mites, 2001—2002, appeared monthly in Owl Magazine.

Awards

Max Finder Mystery, 2004 Voted by Owl readers as the magazine's best regular feature.

Available For

School and library visits. I'm available for readings of my picture books, with tie-ins into pet care and community for grades 1– 3. For grades 5– 8, I offer presentations about creating comics and mystery writing.