B.C. students learn about survival with Iain Lawrence in the TD Kids Book Club

Iain Lawrence's coming-of-age survival story The Skeleton Tree was the focus on a conversation with students at Gabriola Elementary School in British Columbia. Along with North by Northwest host Sheryl MacKay, Lawrence visited the school to answer questions from students in Grades 6 and 7 about his tale of two boys marooned on the Alaskan coast with nothing but a raven for company. 

• How Iain Lawrence grew his scary middle-grade novel The Skeleton Tree

Described by the book's protagonist as "Crusoe in an age of plastic," the story inspired shipwreck-related questions from Gabriola students, who previously participated in ship-building workshops.

• Meet the finalists for the $30K 2017 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

The classroom visit on Gabriola Island was one of six TD Kids Book Clubs happening across the country. During the visit, students asked Lawrence questions about the inspiration for his story and his approach to writing.