Leavitt was born in 1953 in Alberta, Canada. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, first class honours, from the University of Calgary and a Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College. She has seven children and seventeen grandchildren and lives with her husband in Alberta, Canada.
Leavitt has published ten novels for young adults, most recently Calvin, which won the Governor General's Literary Award of Canada. My Book of Life by Angel was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year. Other titles by Leavitt include Keturah and Lord Death, a finalist for the National Book Award, Tom Finder, winner of the Mr. Christie Award, and Heck Superhero, a finalist for the Governor General’s Award. Her novels have been published in Japan, Korea, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands.
She is a member of the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Novels
The Dragon's Tapestry (1992), as Martine Bates
Prism Moon (1993), as Martine Bates
The Taker's Key (1998), as Martine Bates
The Dollmage (2001)
Tom Finder (2003)
Heck Superhero (2004)
Keturah and Lord Death (2006)
My Book of Life by Angel (2012)
Blue Mountain (2014)
Calvin (2015)
Awards
Calvin received the 2016 Governor General's Literary Award in the Young People's Literature (Text) category.
Calvin won the Whitney Awards General Youth Fiction category for 2015.
My Book of Life by Angel won the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award in 2013.
My Book of Life by Angel was a Junior Library Guild selection in 2013.
My Book of Life by Angel a Booklist Best Book of the Year in 2013.
My Book of Life by Angel was named a Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Best Book of the Year in 2013.
My Book of Life by Angel was named a Quill and Quire book of the year in 2013.
My Book of Life by Angel was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist in 2012.
My Book of Life by Angel was listed as a Horn Book fanfare book in 2012.
Keturah and Lord Death was awarded the White Pine Award in 2008.
Heck Superhero's Italian translation Bella la mia vita da Supereroe (Salani Editore) was a Premio Paolo Ungari UNICEF finalist in 2008.
Keturah and Lord Death was awarded a blue ribbon from the The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.
Keturah and Lord Death was a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age selection in 2007.
Keturah and Lord Death was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2006.
Keturah and Lord Death was selected a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books in 2006.
Keturah and Lord Death was a Booklist Editors' Choice (ALA) in 2006.
Keturah and Lord Death was winner of ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Bronze Award in 2006.
Keturah and Lord Death was a Junior Library Guild Premier Selection in 2006.
Heck Superhero was selected as a Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) in 2005.
Heck Superhero was a finalist for the 2004 Governor General's Awards.
Heck Superhero was a Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice in 2004.
Tom Finder won a Benjamin Franklin Award in 2004.
Tom Finder won the Mr. Christie Award in 2003.
The Dollmage was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults in 2003.
The Taker's Key received the Association for Mormon Letters Award for young adult literature in 1998.
The Dragon's Tapestry received the Association for Mormon Letters Award for young adult literature in 1993.
