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

Caroline teaches part-time and is available for afternoon bookings in the Ottawa area. Her rate is $250 per session. We will update you as travel arrangements become available.

Here’s what Donna Presz the Library Services Supervisor for the Ottawa Catholic School Board has to say:

Caroline had previously presented at some of our schools and I received excellent feedback from teachers and Library Technicians. Caroline was very thorough, and contacted me to see what my expectations were, and came by to visit to discuss our needs so that she could tailor the presentation to our audience. Caroline is multi-faceted in that she offers various workshops on writing and poetry. She is an excellent speaker. Her training as a teacher is evident when she is in front of an audience. She is poised, confident and in control of the room. Her enthusiasm for the craft of writing is infectious. We couldn’t wait to read her new book. I think we all wanted to write as well.

…I’ve been fortunate to have numerous authors visit the schools that I’ve worked in. I’ve also attended many events where authors speak about their books and their craft. I think that Caroline is at the high end of the spectrum. In my role as Library Services Supervisor I am often asked for author recommendations for school visits. I would definitely recommend Caroline to Principals and to Library Technicians.

Greener Grass won the 2009 Governor Generals’ Award for Children’s Literature, received a starred review in Booklist and is a nominated for the 2010 Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award, the 2010 Red Maple Award and the 2009 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. Egghead is a 2009 Red Maple Honour Book and was nominated for the Snow Willow Award. Both books were highly recommended by CM Review and both were shortlisted for the 2009 CLA Book of the Year.

Caroline is a member of The Writers' Union of Canada, and so schools wishing to invite her may be eligible for a travel and fee subsidy to off-set the cost of her visit. Contact us for details of this program. Time slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please respond early if you are interested in booking Caroline.

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Published Works

Young Adult Novels

Egghead, Red Deer Press, January 2008
Greener Grass, historical fiction, Red Deer Press, October 2008
Wild Geese, historical fiction, Red Deer Press, March 2010

Novel Study Guides (free downloads at http://www.fitzhenry.ca/guides.aspx )

Dooley Takes the Fall, novel by Norah McClintock, Red Deer Press 2008
      Archipelago, novel by David Ward, Red Deer Press 2008
      How to Make a Wave, novel by Lisa Hurst-Archer, Red Deer Press 2008
      Egghead, novel by Caroline Pignat, Red Deer Press 2008
      Greener Grass, novel by Caroline Pignat, Red Deer Press 2008

Picture Books

Looth Tooth, Story Something, publishing date TBA

Booklets

In the Presence of the Lord, family resource, Creative Communications 2007
A Circle of Love, family resource, Creative Communications 2005

Poetry, short fiction, and articles in publications such as:
        Living Faith for Kids
        Clubhouse
        Clubhouse Junior
        Highlights for Children
        The Word Among Us
        Storyteller Magazine
        Guideposts Magazine
        The Kanata Kourier
        Life Canada Magazine
        Capital Parent
        The Ottawa Citizen
        The Vancouver Sun

for companies such as:
        Ottawa Catholic School Board
        Chicken Soup for the Soul
        Focus on the Family
        Dynamic Destinies
        Creative Communications for the Parish
        Novalis

Awards and Nominations

Greener Grass

-- WINNER of Governor General’s Award
-- Shortlisted for 2010 Red Maple Award
-- Shortlisted for 2010 Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award
-- Shortlisted for the 2009 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction
-- Shortlisted for 2009 Canadian Library Association Children’s Book of the Year

Egghead

-- Honour Book: Red Maple Award 2009
-- Shortlisted for 2009 Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year
-- Shortlisted for 2009 Snow Willow Award

Humour Article

-- Honourable mention in The Joker is Wild Humour Awards 2005

Caroline’s Presentation Details

I currently teach High School English and Writers’ Craft but whether teaching students in grade 4, 8 or 12, I’ve always enjoyed engaging through that shared love of reading and writing. My interactive workshops inspire students to delve deeper into the craft and to mine their imaginations. I also offer teachers recommended resources and extension activities to further help their students polish those story gems.

I offer Presentations, Readings, and Creative Writing Workshops for students in grades 3-12. I’m comfortable in a classroom, library, auditorium or gymnasium and require a display table, LCD projector and a screen.

Presentations (grades 3-12. I’m flexible about size)

All of my presentations share how great reads inspire us, how research fuels writing, and an overview of the writing and publishing process. Depending on the group’s interest and needs, I have done presentations specifically about themes in my writing such as:

Bullying Awareness
Ireland – The Great Famine 1845-1851
Irish Immigration to Grosse Ile, Canada
Research and Writing Historical Fiction
Egghead – for those groups that did it as a novel study
Poetry

Readings (maximum 80 participants; grades 3-12)

Readings include shared selections from my writing, a brief overview of the writing process from inspiration to publication, and a question and answer period.

Creative Writing Workshops (maximum 25 participants or one class; grades 3-12)
Using engaging activities that ignite brainstorming, develop conflict and character, I help young writers stoke their imaginations. We all have stories within us. All we need are the tips to fire them up and the tools to keep them fuelled.