Authors'
Booking
Service is pleased to announce that children's author, Linda Bailey, is
now scheduling visits to Ontario schools for the coming school year.
Email us to be put on a waiting list for this author!
Linda's
rate is $300
for one session, $575 for two, or $825 for three, plus GST and a flat
fee of $60 for travel/accommodation per session.
Linda's
lively,
humorous books have won numerous awards, including many of Canada's
children's choice awards as well as awards in the U.S.A.
Here's
what Librarian
Diane Barrie of North Vancouver, B.C. has to say about this author:
“Our students get very excited at the
prospect of a visit
from Linda Bailey. Her presentation is strong and of high interest to
kids. Her presentation includes how she gets her ideas, how the writing
process works and how publication is achieved. She brings book covers
from the many translations of her work and she always includes a
reading of the loveable Stanley books.
Linda is a librarian's delight for school
presentations. She
clearly loves what she does and conveys that simply and effectively to
a wide age range of children. Highly recommended!”
Linda 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. For details of this program, please contact us.
Time
slots are filled
on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please contact us early if you
are interested in booking Linda Bailey.
To book
this author,
or to be added to our announce only listserv, please email your request
to Marsha Skrypuch or Valerie Sherrard at: abs@authorsbooking.com
PUBLISHED
WORKS:
The
Stevie Diamond
Mystery Series:
How Come
the Best
Clues Are Always in the Garbage? (1992)
How Can
I Be A
Detective If I Have to Baby-Sit? (1993)
Who's
Got Gertie? And
How Can We Get Her Back? (1994)
How Can
A Frozen
Detective Stay Hot on the Trail? (1996)
What's A
Daring
Detective Like Me Doing in the Doghouse? (1997)
How Can
A Brilliant
Detective Shine in the Dark? (1999)
What's a
Serious
Detective Like Me Doing in Such a Silly Movie? (2002)
The
Good Times
Travel Agency Series:
Adventures
in the
Middle Ages (2000)
Adventures
in Ancient
Egypt (2000)
Adventures
With the
Vikings (2001)
Adventures
in Ancient
Greece (2002)
Adventures
in Ancient
China (2003)
Adventures
in the Ice
Age (2004)
Picture
Books:
Gordon
Loggins and the
Three Bears (1997)
When
Addie Was
Scared (1999)
The Best
Figure Skater
in the Whole Wide World (2001)
Stanley's
Party (2003)
Stanley's
Wild Ride
(2006)
The Farm
Team (2006)
Goodnight
Sweet Pig
(2007)
Stanley
at Sea (2008)
Stanley's
Beauty
Contest (2009)
AWARDS
WON
*
California Young
Reader Medal (U.S.A.), 2009
* One
Book, One
Vancouver Winner: Vancouver Public Library, 2009
* TD
Canadian
Children’s Literature Award, Honour Book, 2007
* Time
to Read Award
(B.C. Achievement Foundation), 2007
* Book
of the Year
(Gold), Foreword Magazine (U.S.A), 2007
* Oregon
SMART Award
(U.S.A.), 2006
*
Georgia Storybook
Award (U.S.A.), 2005
*
Saskatchewan Shining
Willow Award, 2005
* B.C.
Chocolate Lily
Award, 2005 & 2008
* B.C.
Book Prize
(Christie Harris Award), 2004
*
Ontario Blue Spruce
Award, 2004
* Zena
Sutherland
Award (U.S.A.), 2004
* Tiny
Torgi Award
(CNIB Print Braille), 2004
* Child
Magazine Best
Children's Book Award (U.S.A.), 2003
* Book
Sense (U.S.A.),
2003
* Great
Books Award,
Canadian Toy Testing Council, 2003
*
Atlantic Provinces
Hackmatack Award, 2003 and 2006
* B.C.
Red Cedar
Award, 2003
*
Ontario Silver Birch
Award, 2001
*
Parents' Choice
Award (U.S.A.), 2001
* Arthur
Ellis (Crime
Writers of Canada) Award, 1996 & 1999
In
addition to the
above list, Linda's work has been nominated and short-listed for many
other awards.
LINDA’S
PRESENTATION DETAILS:
Here’s
some
information about Linda’s presentations, which are interactive and
lively and include powerpoint slide shows. She offers four options.
PRESENTATION
1:
STANLEY & SWEET PIG FOR GRADE 1
Age
range:
grade 1 (second half of school year only, please)
Max
number: 2
classes ( approximately 40 students)
Program:
(50 to
60 minutes)
I begin
with “the
story of Stanley,” doing a show-and-tell which includes manuscripts,
early sketches by Bill Slavin and pictures of the inspiration for
Stanley -- my dog, Sophie! Using Stanley’s Party as an example,
I take students through the writing and publishing process in a very
simple “dog-and-kid-friendly” way. Then I show powerpoint images from
the Stanley books (Stanley’s Party, Stanley’s Wild Ride,
Stanley at Sea and/or
Stanley’s Beauty Contest), discussing the stories and pointing out
"extra stories" told only in the art. I read one Stanley book aloud
in full.
After a
big "dog
stretch," we move on to Goodnight Sweet Pig. This is a
counting, rhyming picture book which counts up to ten as the main
character (a little pig who is trying to fall asleep) is joined by one
rambunctious pig after another until finally there are 10. The book
then counts down as the pigs leave. I show and read the book, with
opportunities for the kids to count, rhyme and search for hidden
numbers in the book.
This
presentation is
50 – 60 minutes.
PRESENTATION
2:
STANLEY & FARM TEAM
Age
range:
grades 2/3 up
Max
number: 60
works best, but I will accept up to 80 (firm) if all students are grade
3 and older. If grade 2 students are included, please keep groups at 60.
Program:
(60
minutes include Q&A)
I begin
with “the
story of Stanley,” doing a show-and-tell which includes manuscripts,
early sketches by Bill Slavin and pictures of my dog and “muse,”
Sophie. Using
Stanley’s Party as an example, I take the students through the
pre-writing, writing and publishing process in a simple
“dog-and-kid-friendly” way.
I follow
this up with
a powerpoint presentation, which includes “inside secrets” from the
Stanley books (Stanley’s Party, Stanley’s Wild Ride,
Stanley at Sea and/or Stanley’s Beauty
Contest) as well as a discussion of inspiration, sensory
detail and point of view. How does a dog experience the world? Then I
do a complete reading of one of the books, and I invite students to
imagine their own “Stanley stories.”
After a big
“dog
stretch,” we move on to The Farm Team. This hockey book
features a team of farm animals facing off against a team of wild
animals. It’s the classic “sports story,” and I take kids through my
process, asking them to suggest heroes, villains, goalies, storylines,
etc. and comparing their choices with mine.
PRESENTATION
3:
Stevie Diamond Mysteries & Stanley
Age
range:
grade 3 to 6
Max
number: 60
works best but will accept up to (firm) 80
Program:
(60 minutes including Q&A)
I begin
with a
discussion of the mystery genre — its characteristics and appeal, as
well as techniques of writing suspense. Next I talk about myself as a
writer. This includes my “journey” from childhood to published writer,
including my writing process, the editing/publication process, and how
my first series (Stevie Diamond mysteries) began and evolved. I show
various stages of manuscripts and, moving on to powerpoint, covers of
different editions of Stevie Diamond from around the world and in many
different languages.
After a
stretch, I
move on to the Stanley-the-dog books: the origins and inspiration for
the Stanley books (my own dog, Sophie) as well as a powerpoint
presentation of the “inside secrets” and underlying structure of the
Stanley books. (Please see Presentation 2 for details of the Stanley
part of the presentation.)
PRESENTATION
4:
Stevie Diamond Mysteries & Good Times Travel Agency Series
Age
range:
grade 3 to 6
Max
number: 60
works best but will accept up to (firm) 80
Program:
(60
minutes including Q&A)
I begin
with a
discussion of the mystery genre — its characteristics and appeal, as
well as techniques of writing suspense. Next I talk about myself as a
writer. This includes my “journey” from childhood to published writer,
including my writing process, the editing/publication process, and how
my first series (Stevie Diamond mysteries) began and evolved. I show
various stages of manuscripts and move on to powerpoint to show covers
of different editions of Stevie Diamond from around the world and in
different languages.
After a
break, I
introduce the Good Times Travel Agency series, with its blend of
historical non-fiction and fictional adventure. I show powerpoint
images of the manuscripts and various stages of the graphic-novel art
as well as the finished books. I also discuss the techniques of
adventure-writing and time-travel writing, and I touch on historical
research.
FOR
ALL SESSIONS:
Preparation:
It’s
always helpful
for students to be introduced to my books ahead of time. If you are
choosing PRESENTATION 1, 2 or 3, please read any
books EXCEPT:
- Please
leave one
Stanley book (Stanley’s Beauty Contest OR Stanley at Sea)
for me to introduce.
- Please
leave The
Farm Team.
- Please
leave
Goodnight Sweet Pig.
For PRESENTATIONS
3
and 4, please read at least part of a Stevie Diamond novel. The
first few chapters of How Can I Be a Detective If I Have to Babysit?
work well.
I always
appreciate
having teachers remain present and involved during my presentations.
Setting/Equipment
I like
to present in
the library with kids sitting on the floor. I can also speak in a
classroom if necessary. Please, no gymnasiums.
They don’t
work acoustically in an interactive presentation.
Re
set-up, I will need
a chair and a small table for books. I will bring my own laptop and
projector for powerpoint projection and will require:
- a
screen
- an
A/V cart (short
type please, for best visual access by students)
- an
extension cord
(with two outlets)
Please
ensure that the
room can be darkened during my presentation.
NOTE:
Technology being
what it is, it never hurts to have your own LCD projector standing by.
And if you have a great projector already set up and are comfortable
using it, please let me know.
