Susan Hughes (born 1960) is a Canadian author of children's books. She is a freelance editor and writer. She provides manuscript evaluation and coaching services for writers.
Early life Hughes was born in 1960. She attended junior high at Glenview Senior Public School and high school at Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute. She studied English literature at Queen's University at Kingston, then University of Toronto. The summer before her final year at the University of Toronto, she worked for a children's publishing company, which jumpstarted her career.
Career Hughes began her career working with a publishing company.
She has since published 30 children's books of fiction and nonfiction, including board books, picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, a non-fiction graphic middle grade book, and young adult novels. Her books have been translated into over seven languages.
Hughes has been an adjudicator for several children's writing competitions, including those sponsored by CANSCAIP and the Writers' Union of Canada. She has adjudicated for both the short story and poetry categories for the Hamilton Literary Awards (2015, 2012). She was also a volunteer competitor (author) in the Kids' Lit Quiz (2014); was an adjudicator for the CNIB Library Braille Creative Writing Contest (2014); and the junior and senior speech contest for the TDSB (2013). She was a mentor for the Read Liberia (2013) and Read Sierra Leone (2012) projects for CODE. She was one of four Writers-in-Residence for the Toronto District School Board (2012-2013).
Awards and honours Two of Hughes's books are Junior Library Guild selections: No Girls Allowed (2008) and The Dream of an Education (2026). +Awards for Hughes's worksYearWorkAwardResult2006Coming to CanadaNorma Fleck AwardFinalistEarth to AudreyTD Canadian Children's Literature AwardFinalist2009No Girls AllowedNorma Fleck AwardFinalist2010Case Closed?Norma Fleck AwardWinner2011Silver Birch AwardFinalist2012Off to ClassNorma Fleck AwardFinalistTD Canadian Children's Literature AwardFinalist
Personal life As of 2026, Hughes lives in Toronto.
Publications
Canada Up Close series
Cuba series
The Puppy Collection
6 7
1
Is it... ? series
Science of How series
Time To series
Wild Paws series
References
External links
Munchkins and Manuscripts interview Radio interview with Shelagh Rogers on CBC The Next Chapter TV interview with Global TV about Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs