Kenneth Oppel is a Canadian author of children's fiction. His books have earned him numerous accolades including the Printz Honor Award, The Times Book of the Year, and the Canadian Governor General’s Prize. Kenneth has written over 30 books; his YA novels often carry a thought-provoking narrative that takes a refreshing look at human relationships, ethics and moral dilemmas.

Kenneth began writing stories at an early age, starting with sci-fi epics, then fantasy, and when he was fourteen he wrote a story about a boy addicted to video games. This short novel was passed to a literary agent through a family friend, who offered to publish. Kenneth's books are now sold around the world and include the bestselling Silverwing trilogy, the Airborn series and standalone YA thrillers The Nest and Ghostlight. 

A recent addition to our LoveReading4Kids editorial team, Lucas Maxwell, picked Kenneth's latest novel, Best of All Worlds, as his Book of the Month and wrote, "Best of All Worlds is fast-paced and engaging, a thought-provoking look at larger, Us vs.Them rhetoric while still focusing on captivity’s impact on the individuals within the dome. I really enjoyed Oppel’s deep-dive into current social divides and the long lasting impact it has on our collective psyche." 

Best of All Worlds will have you gripped from page one...and it will stay with you for weeks afterward.

Kenneth Oppel is our Author of the Month, giving us a chance to find out a bit more about his thrilling survival novel.

Q. Best of All Worlds examines, amongst other things, how we perceive and value truth. Do you feel that we currently live in a world where the idea of truth is fragmented and that the reality we ingest online can be hard to separate from fiction?

A. Much of what we encounter online is misinformation and sometimes outright conspiracy theory. When researching Best of All Worlds I learned that about 17% of Americans believe in some form of the QAnon conspiracy which translates to 44.5 million people of voting age – more than the entire population of my country, Canada. If so many adults are victims of absolute rubbish like this, what must it be like for young people, trying to navigate the world?

Q. Some pundits feel that we currently live in a "Us vs. Them" climate both politically and socially, this is reflected in Best of All Worlds. What do you feel is the answer to help break the stigma of "the other" when it comes to information that we digest?

A. I think it might help if, instead of arguing with someone’s position, we first ask them why they believe that, and where they got their information to support their belief. If people are willing to have that kind of honest conversation it might be more productive, and we might even get to a point where we’re talking about real issues where we might have some common values or goals. The problem of course is reaching a consensus on what constitutes a trustworthy source of information. I hope Best of All Worlds might encourage young people to be more careful about what they accept as fact: Look things up from reputable, non-partisan sources, as many as possible; trust experts, not quislings of corporations or malign politicians.

Q, Do you feel we all live in a dome or bubble of our own, especially when it comes to the amount of time we spend online?

A. Yes. In particular I think social media is a colossal waste of our time and energy, and is probably shortening our attention spans, and hobbling our ability to entertain more complex thoughts.

Q. Although a lot of good can come from online activity, what kinds of conversations do you feel we need to have, especially with youth, to help bring in to focus the damage that it can bring as highlighted by Best of All Worlds?

A. Having access digitally to the treasure trove of human knowledge is wonderful. Teaching young people how to search properly for information on the internet is crucial. Don’t trust the AI overview on Google that pops up first – it’s still often incorrect. Scroll down, past the “sponsored” matches, to sources that are trustworthy. Librarians are so important here, because they can educate all people on how to determine whether a site is offering real knowledge, or good reportage.

Q. Tell us about your journey to becoming an author. Which of your many numerous books are you most proud of writing?

A. I wrote from a young age for sheer pleasure, had a very lucky break in getting my first book published when I was seventeen, and just carried on. It took me a dozen books to write one that was popular. That was Silvering. If I had to single out some personal favourites, maybe Airborn, The Nest, Every Hidden Thing – and Best of All Worlds. 

Q. As you live in Toronto, could you suggest a Canadian children&'s author or book series that you particularly enjoyed as a child, and that our readers might not be familiar with?

A. Emily of New Moon, by LM Montgomery. Most people know about Ann with an ‘e’ but Emily was always my favourite because, like me, she aspired to be a writer from a young age.

Q. What is on your to read pile? Any top recommendations for a Summer Read?

A. Paris Express by Emma Donoghue – I love trains!

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel is published by Guppy Books and is available to pre-order now. You can read Lucas Maxwell's full review here - and add this compelling sci-fi thriller to your basket, knowing that with every pound spent at LoveReading4Kids, a school close to your heart benefits.