IsabelThomas
Writerandeditor
Tel:07766104497
[email protected]
www.isabelthomas.co.uk
Profile
IsabelThomasstudiedHumanSciencesattheUniversityofOxford,andisnowasciencecommunicatorand
children’sauthor.Shehaswrittenmorethan130titles,someofwhichhavebeenshortlistedfortheRoyal
SocietyYoungPeople’sBookPrize,theASEScienceBookoftheYear,andtheBluePeterBookAwards.
Isabelalsowritesforchildren’ssciencemagazineWhizzPopBang,andforscienceoutreachprojects
includingwww.dementiaexplained.organdParentsforSTEMFutures.Shevolunteersasaprimaryschool
governorandSTEMAmbassador,andblogsaboutcreativeearlyyearsandprimaryeducationforOxford
EducationandOxfordOwl.
Career
AuthorandConsultant
BasedinCambridge,2010topresent
Authorofmorethan130titles,forpublishersincludingBloomsbury,OxfordUniversityPress,Laurence
King,DorlingKindersley,Collins,Pearson,QuartoandRaintree.Pleasevisitwww.isabelthomas.co.ukto
findoutmore.MybookshavebeenshortlistedfortheRoyalSocietyYoungPeople’sBookPrize2016,The
AssociationofScienceEducationBookAward2016,andtheBluePeterBookAwards2011.Ialsorunevents
atschools,libraries,andliteraryfestivals.
Asaconsultant,Itakeonvariedprojectsfromconceptoriginationanddevelopmenttocommissioningand
projectmanagement.Herearesomerecentexamples:
•ConsultingfortheMathematics,PhysicsandLifeSciencesDepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford,to
createaprintanddigitalresourcefortheParentsforSTEMFuturesproject.
•Planningandwritingachildren’websiteforAlzheimer’sResearchUK,explainingdementiatochildren
andyoungpeople(launchedNovember2015).
•DevelopmentofteachingresourcesandpromotionaleventsformarketingdepartmentsatMacmillan
Children’sBooksandLonelyPlanetKids.
•CommissioninganddevelopmentoflargeseriesofphonicstitlesforOxfordUniversityPress.
•EditorialdevelopmentofanonlineCPDresourceonEffectiveGovernanceforOxfordUniversityPress.
•WriterforWhizzPopBang!children’ssciencemagazine.
A&CBlackPublishers,London
SeniorCommissioningEditor,2006to2010
Responsibleforstrategyanddevelopmentoftheeducationallist.PreviouslyCommissioningEditor,
responsibleforestablishinganewnon-fiction/tradelist.
PinwheelPublishers,London,2006
EditorialManager/ManagingEditor
LedPinwheel’snon-fictioneditorialteam,creatinginnovativenoveltytitleswithaneducationalfocus
fortheUSandUKtrade,schoolandbookclubmarkets.
HarcourtEducation,Oxford
Publisher,HarcourtGlobalLibrary,2005to2006
ResponsiblefortheHeinemannLibraryandRaintreeEarlyYearsandKS1lists,leadingateamoffive
editorialstafftopublishcurriculum-linkedandrecreationaltitlesforco-editionmarkets.
HarcourtEducation,Oxford
CommissioningEditor,SecondaryScience,2005
ResponsibleformanaginganddevelopingtheHeinemannpost-16andinternationalsciencelists.Worked
closelywithpartnersincludingCambridgeAssessmentandtheUniversityofYork.
HarcourtEducation,Oxford
ManagingEditor,HarcourtGlobalLibrary,2001to2004
JoinedHarcourtontheirfast-trackgraduatetrainingschemeandwaspromotedtoEditorandthen
ManagingEditor.PartoftheteamthatintroducedtheRaintreeimprintintotheUK.
UniversityofOxford,Oxford
Tutor,HumanPhysiology,2001to2003
PreparedundergraduatesfromthreecollegesforPreliminaryExaminations.Thisinvolvedanalysisofthe
syllabusinordertosetreadinglistsandcoursework,assessmentofwrittenworkandhelpingstudentsto
understandtopicsindepththroughdiscussioninweeklytutorials.
Education
UniversityofOxford,MansfieldCollege
BA(Hons)HumanSciences(2:1)
Genetics;animalbehaviour;humanphysiology;ecology;evolution;anthropology;demography;
microbiology.
AwardedOxfordUniversityJournalismScholarship(2000)
MatthewArnoldSchool,Oxford
ALevels:Mathematics(A),Physics(A),Chemistry(A),Biology(A)
Socialmedia
Website:www.isabelthomas.co.uk
Facebook:@STEMagineering
Twitter:@raisingchimps
Publications
Titlesinaseriesarelistedaftertheseriestitle.
Tradenon-fictionandfiction
WhizzPopBang!magazine(monthlyarticlesandfeatures)
Biographies:LeonardodaVinci/AmeliaEarhart/MarieCurie/NelsonMandela(LaurenceKing,2018)
MOTH(Bloomsbury,2018)
TerrificTimelines:Dinosaurs/Cars(LaurenceKing,2017/8)
CreateYourOwnChristmas(Bloomsbury,2017)
Self-DestructingScienceSpace/PlantsandAnimals/Body/Machines(Bloomsbury,2016and2017)
SpaceRacers:MakeYourOwnPaperRockets(LaurenceKing,2017)
WhatonEarth?Wind/Water(QED,2016)
23WaystoBeanEco-Hero(Quarto,2016)
FairyTalesToday:Hansel&Gretel/TheEmperor’sNewClothes(CuriousFox,2015)
PetProjects:Hamster/Horse/Cat/Dog(Raintree,2015)
Stickyscapes:PolarLandscapes/TropicalForests(LaurenceKing,2015)
MyFirstBookof…Horses&Ponies/Cats/Dogs/BabyAnimals(Bloomsbury,2014)
MyFirstBookof…Diggers/EmergencyVehicles/ShipsandBoats/Bikes(Bloomsbury,2014)
MyFirstBookof…Cars/Trains/TrucksandTractors/Aircraft(Bloomsbury,2013)
ZoomEncyclopedia(DorlingKindersley,2012)
WhatYouNeedToKnowNow(DorlingKindersley,2010)–shortlistedfortheBluePeterBookAwards,2011
BigIdeasthatChangedtheWorld(DorlingKindersley,2010)
Educationalnon-fictionandfiction
WheretoSpotRobots(OUP,2018)
FantasticJobsandWheretoFindThem(OUP,2018)
AJourneyThroughTime(OUP,2018)
What’sitmadeof?(CollinsBigCat,2018)
YouAreHere!(CollinsBigCat,2017)
ReadingPlanet:DinosaurWorldRecords/TheSpaceStation/ShoppingMischief/BaxterVisitsBowWow/
ExploretheWorld(andComeBackAlive)/MyAntarcticDiary/MyTurn!(RisingStars,2017)
GreatArtists(OUP,2016)
RobotZoo(OUP,2016)
FrozenHotels(OUP,2016)
WildWaterfallAdventures(OUP,2016)
HowtoBuildaHouse(CollinsBigCat,2016)
TheMysteriousWorldofMicroorganisms(CollinsBigCat,2015)
TheWorld’sFirstWomenDoctors(CollinsBigCat,2015)
TheMisadventuresofCharlesDarwin(OUPInFact,2015)
HowtoChangetheWorld(OUPInFact,2015)
ScienceShocks(OUPProjectXOrigins,2014)
AlphabetFun!/NumberFun!(Raintree,2014)
WhenWilltheSunGoOut?(AndotherStrangeSolarSystemScience)(PearsonBugClub,2013)
DealingwithFeelings:Angry/Jealous/Sad/Happy/Proud/Shy/Caring/Worried(Raintree,2013)
ATimeTraveller’sGuidetotheFuture(CollinsBigCat,2012)
Scienceeducation
AnimalRivals:LionvsTiger/ElephantvsRhinoceros/SharkvsKillerWhale/ScorpionvsTarantula
(Raintree,2017)
ExtremeHabitats/xxx(Capstone,2017)
Animalympics:Gymnastics/SwimmingandDiving/StrengthandEndurance/Athletics(Raintree,2016)
Read&Experiment:Forces/Magnets/Materials/Plants(Raintree,2015)
Read&Experiment:Sound/Light/Electricity/Heating&Cooling(Raintree,2015)
Pets’Guides:Gerbil/GuineaPig/Bird/Rat&Mouse/Snake/Chicken(Raintree,2014)
CitySafari:Fox/Pigeon/Seagull/Raccoon/Hedgehog/Rat/Squirrel(Raintree,2014)
Sci-Hi:ShouldScientistsPursueCloning?/What’stheControversywithStemCells?(Raintree,2012)
AstronautTravelGuides:MercuryandVenus/StarsandGalaxies(Raintree,2012)
Radar:TopJobsStuntman/FashionStylist/CelebrityPhotographer(Wayland,2012)
ExtremeAnimals:Mammals/Bugs/Reptiles/Birds/Fish(Raintree,2012)
Radar:BoardSports/BMXFreestyle/LatinDance(Wayland,2011)
InsideMyBody:WhydoIburp?/WhydoIhaveperiods?(Raintree,2011)
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StartWithArt:Drawings/Paintings/Collages/Photographs/Prints/Masks/Models/Textiles(Raintree,
2011)
RealWorldData:GraphingPopulation/GraphingFoodandNutrition(HeinemannLibrary,2009)
Fusion:SearchandRescue/Dive!Dive!Dive!/Fireworks/TheDaytheEarthStoodStill(Raintree,2008)
AnimalsHeadtoHead:LionvsTiger/ElephantvsRhino/ScorpionvsTarantula/PolarBearvsGrizzlyBear/
KillerWhalevsShark/AlligatorvsCrocodile(Raintree,2006)
EnergyDebate:BiomassPower/SolarPower(Wayland,2007)
Teachingandoutreachresources
Mission8848teachingresources(LonelyPlanet,2018)
ParentsforSTEMFuturesprintanddigitalresource(UniversityofOxford,2017)
www.dementiaexplained.org(Alzheimer’sResearchUK,2015)
OfficialNationalNon-FictionNovembereventandteachingresources(LonelyPlanet,2015)
KS1ResourcePackforCharlieCook’sFavouriteBook(MacmillanChildren’sBooks,2014)
EarlyYearsResourcePackforTheSomething(MacmillanChildren’sBooks,2014)
WorldExplorerbookshopevent(LonelyPlanet,2014)
Not-For-ParentsKS2ActivityPack(LonelyPlanet,2013)
Onlinearticlesandfilms
Creativewaystolearnathome(TenfilmsforOxfordOwl,linktocome)
Fivewaystoencouragereluctantreaders(OxfordOwl)
Fiveideastofireupchildren’snon-fictionwritingpower(OxfordEducation)
Thepowerofstories–NationalNon-fictionNovember(FederationofChildren’sBookGroups)
Authorsandteacherspickachildren’sbookforChristmas(TheGuardian)
Sciencewritingforchildren(OxfordToday)
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