Raina Delisle

Author bio

Raina Delisle is an award-winning writer and editor with a special interest in the environment, health, and culture. She was previously an associate editor at Hakai Magazine for four years and has also contributed to Today’s Parent, Chatelaine, and several other publications. Her first nonfiction children’s book, Fashion Forward: Striving for Sustainable Style (Orca Book Publishers), was published in 2022. Her second book, Breaking News: Why Media Matters, is forthcoming with Orca in 2023. In her spare time, she can be found exploring the beaches, parks, and trails of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with her family. Photo by Taylor Roades/The Narwhal

Raina Delisle’s Contributions:

A detail from the cover The Girl Who Built an Ocean

“Earth’s Beating Heart”: 12 Coastal-Themed Books to Help Kids Grow Their Understanding and Empathy

From the Arctic to the Antarctic and from the smallest bioluminescent organism to the biggest whales, this season’s selections take readers through the world’s oceans and introduce them to a range of incredible species.

Nov 24, 2022 | 2,000 words, about 10 minutes

Turning the Tide: 13 New Books to Get Kids Reading and Exploring Nature

From solo sojourns to the seashore to family expeditions out at sea, this season’s selections will inspire you and the little ones in your life to embark on coastal adventures.

Jun 30, 2022 | 2,400 words, about 12 minutes

Fourteen New Coastal Kids’ Books to Entertain and Inspire Readers of All Ages

This season’s selections feature guessing games, solutions to plastic pollution, and some gnarly narwhals.

Nov 25, 2021 | 2,900 words, about 15 minutes

“Your Heart Never Forgets the Story”: 12 New Coastal Kids’ Books to Remember

From board books featuring Indigenous art to picture books highlighting solutions to the plastic problem, this season’s selections teach children about caring for the environment and each other.

Jul 8, 2021 | 2,400 words, about 12 minutes

A detail of the cover illustration for Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly.

Eleven New Coastal Books to Help Kids (and Adults) Destress

This season’s selections feature strong female characters, adventurous otters, and singing whales.

Dec 3, 2020 | 2,100 words, about 10 minutes

A New Wave of Coastal Kids’ Books to Dive into This Summer

This season’s selections feature superstar killer whales and some long-overdue diverse characters.

Jul 2, 2020 | 1,800 words, about 9 minutes

Puddles, Pirates, and Whales, Oh My!

This season’s selection of coastal-themed books for kids.

Nov 21, 2019 | 2,200 words, about 11 minutes

A detail of the cover illustration by Katy Dockrill for A Voice for the Spirit Bears

New Beach Reads for Kids of All Ages

This season’s selections take readers to beaches, islands, and the rainforest, where they meet an inspiring cast of characters.

Jul 2, 2019 | 1,700 words, about 9 minutes

Coastal Job: Maritime Archaeologist

Chunks of beeswax have been washing up on the Oregon coast for more than two centuries, and Scott Williams is putting the pieces together in an effort to definitively identify and locate the source of the bounty.

Jan 25, 2019 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

A New Wave of Coastal Kids’ Books

From light reads about life on Canada’s west coast to serious subjects such as the Syrian refugee crisis, this season’s selections offer engaging reads for kids of all ages.

Nov 19, 2018 | 1,900 words, about 9 minutes

The Halibut Hook Revival

An ingenious Indigenous fishing technology with spiritual significance is making a comeback.

Oct 23, 2018 | 2,300 words, about 12 minutes

Driftwood artist Alex Witcombe poses with a Velociraptor sculpture

Coastal Job: Driftwood Artist

Alex Witcombe walks the wrack line, searching for distinctive pieces of driftwood to transform into storied sculptures.

Oct 19, 2018 | 600 words, about 3 minutes

Underwater Investigator Mike Berry poses in a river under a bridge

Coastal Job: Underwater Criminal Investigator

Mike Berry has been diving for bodies and evidence for more than three decades, helping solve high-profile crimes around the world.

Jun 29, 2018 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

A detail of the cover illustration by Terry Fan and Eric Fan for The Antlered Ship.

Coastal Reads to Help Kids Chill Out This Summer

Family ties, seals, and the wonders of the Pacific Northwest are all themes in this season’s books.

Jun 26, 2018 | 1,500 words, about 8 minutes

Gulls Aim for Humans When They Poop

New study finds that people with brown hair are particularly at risk of being targeted.

Apr 1, 2018 | Very few words, a quick read

A detail of the cover illustration by Kenard Pak for The Fog by Kyo Maclear

Coastal Kids’ Books to Cozy Up with This Season

Our selections introduce young readers to white black bears, clever (and not so clever) pirates, and the newest island on Earth.

Dec 7, 2017 | 1,300 words, about 6 minutes

The Ecolabel Fable

Buyer beware: sustainable seafood programs can’t guarantee ocean-friendly choices.

Nov 7, 2017 | 4,500 words, about 23 minutes

Fear of the unknown: a young salmon’s desire to migrate downstream can be influenced by anxiety. Photo by Nature Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo

The Surprising Side Effect of Anti-Anxiety Medication—on Salmon

Salmon exposed to oxazepam migrate nearly twice as fast as their unmedicated counterparts.

Dec 29, 2016 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

He’s Got the Whole Coast in His Hand

One-of-a-kind handheld maps of Greenland are an early example of the intimate relationship the Inuit have with their landscape.

Dec 9, 2016 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

A detail of the cover illustration from Fishing with Grandma by Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula. Image courtesy of Inhabit Media

New Coastal Books for Curious Kids

Choose downtime over screen time during the holidays with engaging reads that explore diversity in coastal environments and in people.

Nov 21, 2016 | 1,500 words, about 7 minutes

Old Coast, New Coast: Petty Harbour, Newfoundland

Remembering and revitalizing the “rooms” of a fishing village.

Oct 14, 2016 | 1,100 words, about 5 minutes

David Bowen’s tele-present water uses live data from US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys to re-create the movement of the surface of the ocean. It is shown here as part of the 2014 Big Bang Data exhibition at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona. Photo by Gunnar Knechtel Photography, CCCB

Amplifying Data Through Art

Five artists who make meaning out of science by translating hard data from the world’s oceans.

Aug 22, 2016 | 2,600 words, about 13 minutes

Pulling at the Heartstrings Loosens the Purse Strings

New research shows ecotourists are more likely to contribute to conservation efforts if they feel connected to the cause and talk about it.

Jul 6, 2016 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

Racism and the Race to the North Pole

Once overlooked by white Americans, African American Arctic explorer Matthew Henson made an unforgettable impression on the Greenlandic Inuit.

Jun 30, 2016 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

These four postage stamps depict the anchoring moments in one of the most extraordinary events in maritime history: the mutiny aboard HMS Bounty. Background photo by Darrell Gulin/Corbis

What Shall We Do With a Love Drunk Sailor?

Heading out to sea after five months in paradise was a no-go for the infamous mutineers aboard HMS Bounty.

May 20, 2016 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

Melasti, a purifying ritual practiced by Balinese Hindus, is one of many ceremonies that rely on the power of the sacred sea. Photo by Made Nagi/epa/Corbis

Ceremonies at Sea

From Indonesia to Israel, many religious and cultural groups head to the beach to revel and repent.

Mar 29, 2016 | 750 words, about 3 minutes