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Ann Alma





Golden Oak nominee 2010






Authors’ Booking Service is pleased to announce that children’s author Ann Alma is now scheduling visits to Ontario schools for the coming school year.   

This author can visit schools or libraries any day of the week during the two (or three) weeks before the Tree Award Ceremonies in May of 2010.  She can do up to 4 presentations a day if they are within short driving distance.  She will be driving across country in her camperized van and will be in Ontario at that time.  For other times during the year special arrangements can be made to fly the author from B.C. where she lives.   

Ann would love to visit your school or library.  For her rates she currently uses a sliding scale of  $150.00 to $300.00.  Her usual rates are $250.00 for one 50 to 60 minute session. ($450.00 for 2 sessions, $650.00 for 3 and 850.00 for 4).   She will use the sliding scale rate if you are a small or remote settlement or district along or close to the route (Trans-Canada Highway) as she drives from B.C. to Toronto in late April, early May of 2010.  Because Ann will be travelling and camping across the country from B.C. she will charge the standard kilometerage for trips that lead her off the direct route along the Trans-Canada Highway, or from the closest school or library she visited before she visits your school, or otherwise by reasonable arrangement.  If two schools or libraries bring Ann in on The Writers’ Union of Canada program a large chunk of the transportation costs will have been met.  The school or library is not expected to pay for the van’s kilometerage from B.C.  For this trip, if Ann needs to stay the night, she will also charge a $50.00 fee for camping and meals.  Let’s discuss how both our needs can be met.

Ann is a member of The Writers' Union of Canada, and so schools and libraries wishing to invite her may be eligible for a travel and fee subsidy to offset the cost of her visit. Contact us for details of this program. 

Here is what Laura Inkster, teacher librarian at Hume School in Nelson, has to say about this author's presentations:

“What a treat to have you come to our school and talk to the students about the main characters in your book BRAVE DEEDS.  The feeling of excitement and awe was palpable in the room.  You made the characters come to life for us all and I’m sure that none of us will ever forget them or what they did during the war.  The students loved the wooden shoe dance you did, the artifacts from the war you brought, and the culture of Holland you represented.  Your ability with the power point and your animation as well as your skills as a story teller made for an amazing presentation.  And then of course there is Shira, the wonder dog.” 


Here is what library technician Nancy Phillis of Golden Learning Centre at the Balmertown, ON school said:

“We were so lucky to have you come all the way to Balmertown on your way to the Silver Birch Awards Ceremonies.  What a way to get the students involved in books and authors.  We want to bring in more authors because of your visit.  We benefitted as a school and as a community.  We planned and looked forward to it for weeks and we were certainly not disappointed.  Thank you so much.  I could sure tell that you were a teacher.  You have such rapport with the audience.  And the way you have set up your website so students can contact you with questions at any time is wonderful.”    


Edna Whiteley of Nelson told Ann that she has read BRAVE DEEDS eight times.  Every time she needs to be brave she rereads the book.

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Published Works

BRAVE DEEDS How One Family Saved Many From the Nazis, non fiction, Groundwood, Spring 2008

Skateway to Freedom, fiction, reissued by Dundurn, Spring 2008.

Summer of Adventures, fiction, Sono Nis Press, Fall 2003.

Summer of Changes, fiction, Sono Nis Press, Fall 2001.

Something to Tell, fiction, Riverwood Publishers, 1998.

Under Emily’s Sky, fiction, Dundurn, formerly Beach Holme, 1997.

 

Awards and Nominations

Silver Birch Nonfiction honour book, 2009, BRAVE DEEDS.

Silver Birch Fiction honour book, 2003, Summer of Changes.

Silver Birch Fiction nominee, 1995, Skateway to Freedom.

Red Cedar Fiction Award nominee, 2004 Summer Of Changes.

Diamond Willow Fiction Award nominee, 2004, Summer of Changes.

Chocolate Lily Fiction Award nominee, 2004, Summer of Changes.

CCBC notable book, spring 2008, BRAVE DEEDS.

CCBC Our choice books, Summer of Changes, Summer of Adventures,

Skateway to Freedom, Something to Tell. 


Ann’s Presentation Details

I enjoy interacting with young people and sharing with them the great things people have done, and the experiences I have had during my two trips and many odd jobs around the world.  I can do a regular presentation, or tailor-make one for a special group from a combination of my books, or concentrate on one of my books.   My regular presentations will consist of examining some or all of the items in the list below:  
  • Who am I and what do I do?  (My experiences as a writer, a traveller and someone living in the wild mountains of BC’s West Kootenays.)
  • Adversity.  How do people survive in a war?  How did I as an undiagnosed dyslexic student survive first at school in Holland and then in a country with a language different from the one I grew up with?
  • Where do stories from?  (I tell a travel story.)
  • How did I get to write BRAVE DEEDS and how well did I know the main characters in the book?  (Powerpoint slides and sounds of the main characters in the book as well as pictures and additional stories of their lives during WWII.  The main characters were my neighbours here in Canada for a number of years.)
  • Where do books come from and how do I write them?
  • How do I do research for a book of non fiction?
  • What happened in Holland during the hunger winter of 1944-45.  How did the Dutch people manage to survive the Nazis during WWII and what happened to the Dutch Jews?  (powerpoint and artifacts.)
  • What is it like to be a Dutch-Canadian. (talk about cultural differences.)
  • What other books have I written?  (Optional: How does the dog fit into the presentation?  
  • How do I write and revise the story I am working on?  (discussion and powerpoint samples of rough draft and revisions.)
  • What is the difference for a writer in writing fiction and non fiction?
  • What is my next project? 
       I love story telling, reading short snippets from one or two of my books and answering questions. I consider working with young people (and those young at heart) a privilege and a great pleasure.  It makes up for the long hours of solitary writing.   

I will present to any grades.  I have taught K to adults in 4 countries.  (Primary presentations are usually 25 to 30 minutes.) 

As a former teacher I am flexible on ages and duration of presentations.  I need to be notified of changes in arrangements and special requests ahead of time so I can plan properly.

Maximum number of students per session: 100.  I am flexible on this if I am notified of changes ahead of time.  The larger the audience the less personal it becomes.  

Workshops are available for grades 4 to adults.  

Maximum participants for workshop: The ideal number would be 12 to 14.  The larger the group, the less personal it becomes.  For workshops I charge a flat fee of $300.00 per one hour.  

For my presentations I am comfortable in a classroom, a library, an auditorium or a gymnasium.   

Equipment and other requirements:  
  • A projector screen for a PowerPoint presentation.
  • A cart or small table for my projector and computer.
  • A power socket with multiple plug points.
  • A table for Shira (the dog from two books) to sit on if she is invited.
  • A clip on (hands free) microphone for talks in the gymnasium or for large groups.
  • enough room to take a few steps either way in front of the audience.  I get animated and wouldn’t want to step on a student’s legs.
  • A glass of water would be appreciated.  And lunch if I am there for the day.
  • I do insist that each class is represented by a teacher or a librarian who is present throughout the presentation.  (i.e. three classes, at least three teachers and/or librarians.)