Lee Edward Födi 🇨🇦 kidlit author

Fun times this week at my writer-in-residency at a local school! After imagining our characters were shrunk down (an idea made concrete with peg figures), we mapped out their journey across a gargantuan and dangerous landscape—a room in the character’s own house. #authorvisit #school-visit

Quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes comes from James Baldwin: “The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have been hidden by the answers.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/10/22/w...

I’m in full support of freedom of the press, but it’s a belief that has not served me kindly when it comes to our class newspaper. #creativeeducation #freedomofthepress #classnewspaper #cwcnews

Latest #kidlit pickup: Phoebe Ogawa and the Art of Not Caring by @saratruuvert.bsky.social. Looking forward to reading & sharing with my students—love the cover, especially Phoebe’s different coloured socks! My son told me he’s also wearing two different socks today!

A golden light this evening offered me vivid hues of orange. And we all know I love me some orange. #authorEye #BetterThanAI #autumn

Enjoyed the book launch of Ojiichan’s Dragon by Jeff Chiba Sterns last night. Lots of history, a quick drawing demonstration, and an amazing talk about process. And I loved all the huge cutouts of the magical characters (I’m partial to kitsune)! @cwillbc.bsky.social @meditatingbunny.bsky.social

Had a fun school visit this week where I worked with Grade 1s & 2s on a project to build characters through their costumes. Our base character is a little mouse that the students then turn into a role. I’m not gonna lie—I have some affection for “toilet-cleaner mouse.” #authorvisit #schoolvisit

Quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes comes from Anne Carson: “Sometimes I dream a sentence and write it down. It’s usually nonsense, but sometimes it seems a key to another world.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/10/15/w...

Quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes coms from D.H. Lawrence: “My hand is alive, it flickers with a life of its own…and knows a vast number of things.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/10/08/w...

I started a writer/artist-in-residency at a local school today, and spent the afternoon leading a workshop where we designed magical, mysterious, and otherwise dangerous libraries (or in the case of one student, a LIEbrary). Love seeing these ideas come to life. #authorvisit #schoolvisit

Well, as many of my students know, I think doorways are fantastic inspiration for writing. Found this alcove in an old part of Vancouver-town, while I was waiting to meet with my old college pal so we could reminisce about our art school days. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

Quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes coms from Amanda Gorman: “It is easy to harp, Harder to hope.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/10/01/w...

Not my son’s Halloween costume in the making—just what he donned when I asked him to do the recycling with me. And, yes, we tested it against some household smells. Never a dull moment in this house . . .

I wasn’t born in the year of the rooster, but I had a childhood filled with them—which is why I took this photo of a cute cluckster at Gyeonbokgung. If only the rooster who attacked me each day when I tried to collect eggs as a child was as gentle looking as this one! #authorsEye #artistsEye

Quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes coms from Dolly Parton: “Everything is a song to me.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/09/24/w...

Temple corner with cute bricks and a stern pillar doing its level best to not crack up. #AEye #authorsEye #betterthanAI

Quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes coms from Yayoi Kusama (known as the Queen of Polkadots): “From the point of view of one who creates, everything is a gamble, a leap into the unknown.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/09/17/w...

Beautiful dragon that I espied while wandering Gyeongbokgung. #gyeongbokgung #korea #travellingauthor #authorsEye #betterthanAI

My creative writing classes for the fall season are kicking into gear, and I decided these words from Beth Pickens would make a great first quote of the term for my teens: “Artists are people who suffer when they’re not making art.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/09/10/w...

visits. Teachers & Librarians, if you’re looking for a fun author visit with interactive brainstorming sessions, visit leefodi.com. #authorvisit #schoolvisit

Summer, meet Autumn . . . Beautiful and giant leaf that the eight-year-old I found in the park today. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

Love this tile mosaic I spotted on a street in Vancouver’s Chinatown, featuring bats (good fortune!) #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

We had a lot of fun making messages in bottles in Day 4 of my SHIPWRECK creative writing camp! The students really took the weathering to heart, even tea-staining the messages inside. I will take more photos tomorrow—most of the projects are still in progress.

Currently teaching a creative writing camp with theme of SHIPWRECK. I asked my students to imagine what their characters pack before embarking on their ill-fated voyages. One of my students decided to base their character on me. Note item “i”: 3 jars of hair gel! But, fyi, I would pack WAY more.

Manhole cover I espied a couple years ago at the Ghibli museum in Mitaka, just outside of Tokyo. Sure gives me Tin Woodman vibes! #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye #travellingauthor

I saw this statue in the Jongno district of Seoul, which, I suppose you can interpret in a few different ways. As for me, I take note of the remote in the sculpture’s hand—often wish I had one to turn off the show in my head. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye #travellingauthor

I’ll be leading a creative writing camp next week on the theme of “shipwreck,” which reminded me of this cute door ornament that I encountered earlier this year. That peeling paint reminded me of breaking waves . . . #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

We passed many faces while taking the Seoul metro, but this one was my favourite. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

We stumbled upon a new favourite place in Seoul: Bakery A Goong! The treats were almost too cute to devour—but devour them we did (they were divine). The café has a gorgeous aesthetic, a perfect match for the neighbourhood, as it’s between Deoksu and Gyeongbok palaces.

Presented at a school in Suwon, working with primary kids to embrace writing, reading, theatre, and an overall sense of wonder. I helped the kids brainstorm the magical ingredients that would go into a potion’s cauldron. Lots of fun ideas!

We went for a walk in the late afternoon heat, on the grounds where we were staying in Yangpyeong, Korea, and discovered fingers of fiery light reaching through the trees. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye #nofilter

It was a fun but messy morning! After VISUALLY brainstorming the ingredients that might go into a magic-maker’s cauldron the day before, I led an activity to actually assemble some potion props. I amped up the activity by sealing the bottles with wax. Afterward, we dived into writing!

What’s Mystery Camp without a crime scene to investigate? We set up a grisly scene then had students fill out a report and surmise the chain of events that led to this moment. It was a fun way to get them to focus on observation and detail—important skills to practice in creative writing!

Love these decoder wheels my students made at our creative writing Mystery Camp in Korea. I created a basic template, that provided space for students to add extra symbols and details. These generate great prompts for spy and detective stories! #creativeeducation #cwc #mysterycamp

Are you a fan of Japanese Cozy Comfort books? I am—so it was a priority during our Japan trip to brave the Tokyo heat and explore Jimbochu Book Town, which is inspiration for Days at the Morisaki Book Shop (which is how I found out about this neighbourhood to begin with).

The shavings of wood piled up in musical curls as we made our own chopsticks at a workshop in Ginza. My son loves this photo and said that if he hadn’t seen me take it he would have thought it was AI. I said the same thing I always tell him. It IS an AI photo—that’s “Author’s Eye!” #authorsEye

We enjoyed a fun afternoon at the chopstick making workshop in Ginza yesterday. Not only was it satisfying to work with our hands, we ended up with unique souvenirs. #ginza #tokyo #chopstickmakingworkshop

More covers from the students in one of my creative writing classes. Although I allow my students to use photography, this group chose to draw by hand, either on their tablets or good old-fashioned paper. Gotta love their titles! #creativeeducation #cwc

The students in my weekend programs worked hard this past term, not only to write their own individual books, but to design them as well! Here is a batch of covers from one of my classes. I love the variety of the covers—and of the stories! #creativeeducation

This concrete block did not look particularly thrilled that my son and I decided to use him as the goal for our soccer practice yesterday. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye

This past fall, I taught a creative writing program at a middle school in Seoul. It was an extremely rewarding experience. I enjoyed developing the curriculum and helping my teen students find their voices. They learned to develop, write, and edit—and they even designed their own book covers.

Hanging out with the Last Airbender! My son didn’t get to film with Gordon Cormier, but he got to meet him while visiting the set to get his head shaved.

Everyone on the set of Avatar, The Last Airbender, was so amazing, treating the kids with kindness and mindfulness. I’m especially grateful to Tina Phamfor her generosity of spirit toward the young actors during this scene, especially my son, who was the youngest—and possibly the most nervous.

A student dedicated her book to me. Um . . . she’s not wrong. #creativeeducation

While on set last year for my son’s scene in Avatar, the Last Airbender, I wanted to take photos of ALL THE THINGS. I behaved and did not take any photos. However, I did some drawing of my son in costume (I gave him an arrow, just for fun), but also of the elaborate set, so I would remember it.

So proud of my son! He filmed a small scene (an entire day on set) for Avatar, The Last Airbender. Out today!

The quote of the week for the teens in my creative writing classes comes from David Hoyle: “Still being artistic, that’s revenge.” More on my blog: kendrakandlestar.wordpress.com/2026/06/25/w...

A lonely fire hydrant I found tucked out of the way—but if you ask me, one that has aged with grace and is now more interesting than ever. #authorsEye #artistsEye #betterthanAI #humaneye