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 will be released in September, 2023. When she is not writing historical novels, Heather writes articles for Downhome Magazine which is published in Saint John’s Newfoundland.
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.
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.
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.
