Born in Montreal, Quebec, Barbara Hehner spent much of her childhood as an army brat in the far north: Goose Bay, Labrador and Churchill. After her family settled in Ottawa, Barbara completed an Honours B.A. in English Literature at Carleton University and a Master's Degree at the University of Toronto. In 1991, she also completed an MFA degree in Film and Video at York University.

Barbara began her career as a junior editor in a Toronto publishing house. This provided her with the opportunity to edit numerous adult and children's books, including The Story of Canada, published in 1992. Barbara was also the creative editor of The Spirit of Canada (1999) - a compendium of Canadian legends, fiction, songs, poetry and art. Barbara began writing books in the early 1980s in partnership with David Suzuki. Together, they wrote a series of six children's science and activity books.

Forthcoming:

Stories from WWII - Two YA books
(HarperCollins, 2008 and 2009)

Non-fiction:

The Desert Hawk:
The True Story of J.F. "Stocky" Edwards,
Canada's World War II Flying Ace
(HarperCollins, 2005)

The Tunnel King:
The True Story of Wally Floody and the Great Escape
(HarperCollins, 2004)

• Silver Birch Award, Honour Book - Non-fiction
  Ontario Library Association, 2004-2005
• Nominated, 2005 Diamond Willow Award,
  Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice
• Shortlisted, the Saskatchewan Book Award

The Penguin Book of Canadian Biography for Young Readers,
Vol. 2: 1867-1945
(Toronto: Penguin Viking, 2002)

Ice Age Cave Bear, Illustrated by Mark Hallett
(Toronto: Scholastic (a Madison Press Book) and New York: Crown, 2002)

• Shortlist, 2002 Science in Society Book Awards,
  Children's Book category, The Canadian Science Writers' Association

In the same series:
Ice Age Sabertooth (2002)
Ice Age Mammoth (2001)

• Shortlisted, 2003 Rocky Mountain Book Award
• Shortlisted, 2001 Science in Society Book Awards,
  Children's Book category, The Canadian Science Writers' Association

The Spirit of Canada:
Canada's Story in Legends, Fiction, Poems and Songs
(Editor and Compiler) (Toronto: Malcolm Lester Books (now with Fitzhenry and Whiteside), 1999)

First on the Moon, Illustrated by Greg Ruhl
(Toronto: Scholastic (a Madison Press Book) and New York: Hyperion, 1999)

• Honor Book, VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) in the U.S
• Shortlist, Red Cedar Award

The Mammoth Book
(Toronto: Somerville House and New York: Penguin Putnam, 1998)

Journey to Ellis Island: How My Father Came to America,
Co-author, with Carol Bierman, Illustrated by Laurie McGaw
(New York: Hyperion and Toronto: Madison Press Books, 1998)

• Finalist, National Jewish Book Awards (U.S.)1998
  Children’s Picture Book category

Blue Planet: The Forces that Shape Our World,
(Toronto: Somerville House and San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994)

Let's Find Out About Dogs, Illustrated by Janet Wilson
(Toronto: Random House of Canada, 1991)
In the same series:
Let's Find Out About Cats (1990)

The Dream is Alive: A Flight of Discovery Aboard the Space Shuttle,
(Toronto: Somerville House and New York: Harper and Row, 1990)
(NOTE: This book was published under her birth name, Barbara EMBURY.)

• Best Books List for 1990, ALA
• Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies,
  National Council of Social Studies and the Children's Book Council

Looking at the Environment
( co-authored with David Suzuki)
(Toronto: Stoddart and U.S.: Addison-Wesley, 1989)
In the same series:
Looking at Weather (1988)
Looking at the Body (1987)
Looking at Senses (1986)
Looking at Insects (1986)

• Information Book Award, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada, 1987

Looking at Plants (1985)

Blissymbols for Use
(Toronto: Blissymbolics Communication Institute, 1980)

Awards

• Shortlist, The Canadian Science Writers' Association 2002 Science in Society Book Awards in the Children's Book category, Ice Age Cave Bear
  
  
• Shortlist, The Canadian Science Writers' Association 2001 Science in Society Book Awards in the Children's Book category, Ice Age Mammoth
  
  
• Shortlist, 2003 Rocky Mountain Book Award,
  Ice Age Mammoth
  
  
• Honor Book, VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) in the U.S,
  First on the Moon
  
  
• Shortlist, Red Cedar Award, First on the Moon
  
  
• Finalist, Children’s Picture Book category,
  National Jewish Book Awards (U.S.)1998, 
  Journey to Ellis Island
  
  
• Best Books List for 1990, ALA, The Dream is Alive
  
  
• Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies, National
  Council of Social Studies and the Children's Book Council,
  The Dream is Alive
  
  
• Information Book Award, Children's Literature
  Roundtables of Canada, 1987, Looking at Insects