Home
Born on April 4, 1957 in Moncton, New Brunswick, French immersion teacher Diane Carmel Léger grew up in the Acadian village of Memramcook in New Brunswick and graduated with a teaching degree from the Université de Moncton in 1979. She taught French in the Maritimes before transferring in 1982 to Victoria, British Columbia. After more than 20 years on the West Coast, she returned to live in Memramcook.
Homesickness led to her first kidlit title, La butte à Pétard, an historical novel depicting the expulsion of her Acadian ancestors in 1755. Living in Emily Carr's, "House of All Sorts" inspired her to write The Attic of All Sorts and Emily Carr's Attic, illustrated by Michael Léger. Maxine's Tree is the result of her family's involvement in working to preserve the ancient rainforest of Carmanah Valley from clearcut logging. This story about a five-year-old girl trying to save a tree from logging sparked a well-publicized protest by the IWA in Sechelt which argued that such stories simplistically provide a negative view of logging. Rosette and the Muddy River, set on the mud flats of the Bay of Fundy, was recommended by the B.C. Ministry of Education. She has co-authored three adult plays with her sister Patricia Léger. Deep Fried Dreams was produced in French and English on both coasts and in the Yukon. As a designated Canada Council Reader, she first toured libraries and schools in Canada and the United States in 1991.
AWARDS:
Mention spéciale Prix France Acadie 1990 for La butte à Pétard.
The Canadian Children's Book Centre Choice Award 1991 for Maxine's Tree.
The Canadian Children's Centre Choice Award 1992 for The Attic of All Sorts.
L'arbre de Maxine: Finalist for the 2005 Prix France-Acadie
La butte à Pétard: Winner for 2006 Hackmatack Award
BOOKS:
La butte à Pétard (New and augmented edition, Bouton d'or Acadie, 2004)
Cédric et le porc-épic (Les éditions de la chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 2002)
Charlotte et la dame aux corbeaux (Les éditions de la chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 2002)
Rosette and the Muddy River (Orca, 1991)
The Attic of All Sorts (Orca, 1991)
Maxine's Tree (Orca, 1990)
La butte à Pétard (Les éditions d'Acadie, 1989)
L'arbre de Maxine (Les éditions des Plaines, 2004)
Who's in Maxine's Tree? (Orca Book Publishers, 2006)
Qui est dans l'arbre de Maxine? Les éditions des Plaines, 2006
Emily Carr's Attic (Orca, 2008). Illustrated by Michael Léger.
[BCBW 2008] "Kidlit" "French"
Homesickness led to her first kidlit title, La butte à Pétard, an historical novel depicting the expulsion of her Acadian ancestors in 1755. Living in Emily Carr's, "House of All Sorts" inspired her to write The Attic of All Sorts and Emily Carr's Attic, illustrated by Michael Léger. Maxine's Tree is the result of her family's involvement in working to preserve the ancient rainforest of Carmanah Valley from clearcut logging. This story about a five-year-old girl trying to save a tree from logging sparked a well-publicized protest by the IWA in Sechelt which argued that such stories simplistically provide a negative view of logging. Rosette and the Muddy River, set on the mud flats of the Bay of Fundy, was recommended by the B.C. Ministry of Education. She has co-authored three adult plays with her sister Patricia Léger. Deep Fried Dreams was produced in French and English on both coasts and in the Yukon. As a designated Canada Council Reader, she first toured libraries and schools in Canada and the United States in 1991.
AWARDS:
Mention spéciale Prix France Acadie 1990 for La butte à Pétard.
The Canadian Children's Book Centre Choice Award 1991 for Maxine's Tree.
The Canadian Children's Centre Choice Award 1992 for The Attic of All Sorts.
L'arbre de Maxine: Finalist for the 2005 Prix France-Acadie
La butte à Pétard: Winner for 2006 Hackmatack Award
BOOKS:
La butte à Pétard (New and augmented edition, Bouton d'or Acadie, 2004)
Cédric et le porc-épic (Les éditions de la chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 2002)
Charlotte et la dame aux corbeaux (Les éditions de la chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 2002)
Rosette and the Muddy River (Orca, 1991)
The Attic of All Sorts (Orca, 1991)
Maxine's Tree (Orca, 1990)
La butte à Pétard (Les éditions d'Acadie, 1989)
L'arbre de Maxine (Les éditions des Plaines, 2004)
Who's in Maxine's Tree? (Orca Book Publishers, 2006)
Qui est dans l'arbre de Maxine? Les éditions des Plaines, 2006
Emily Carr's Attic (Orca, 2008). Illustrated by Michael Léger.
[BCBW 2008] "Kidlit" "French"
