Margriet Ruurs

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

Margriet would love to plan a visit to your school or library. Her rate is $350 per session, or $950.00 for a full day in your school of 3 presentations, plus travel from Victoria B.C. When several schools in your area participate, airfare is shared between schools. If Margriet is traveling to Ontario to attend a conference, airfare may already be covered.

Margriet Ruurs is the award-winning author of 26 books for children and educators. She writes a regular column on writing for IRA’s Reading Today and speaks to students and teachers in schools around the world.

Here’s what Teacher/Librarian Trish Maskell of Crofton House School in Vancouver has to say about Margriet:

“Margriet is a wonderful writer but she also has the gift of being able to speak to children, to give clear presentations about what she does, to engage her young listeners and to convey to them her love of reading, writing and books.”

Margriet Ruurs 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 Margriet.  

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Published Works

My School in the Rainforest. How Children Attend School Around the World, Boyds Mills Press, 2009
In My Backyard, Tundra, 2007
Me & Martha Black, 189413187-8, Penumbra, 2005 - 88 pages
No Dogs Allowed, ISBN 1-894601-34-3, Chestnut, 2006
Wake Up, Henry Rooster!, 1-55041-952-8, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006
Emma at the Fair, 1-55005-126-1, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005
My Librarian is a Camel, 1-59078-093-0, Boyds Mills Press, 2005
Animal Alphabed, 1-59078-200-3, Boyds Mills Press, 2005
Ms. Bee’s Magical Bookcase, 1-894601-10-6, Chestnut Books, 2004
Wild Babies, 0-88776-627-7, Tundra, 2003
Emma’s Cold Day, Stoddart Kids, ISBN 0-7737-33140, 2001
Logan’s Lake, Fitzhenry, ISBN 0-9686899-7-3, 2001, 48 pages
A Pacific Alphabet, Whitecap, ISBN 1-55285-264-4, 2001
When We Go Camping, 0-88776-476-2, Tundra Books, 2001
The Power of Poems, The Joy of teaching Poetry. Maupin House, 2001, 120 pages
Virtual Maniac, Silly and Serious Poems for Kids. 0-929895-43-6 Maupin House, 2001, 56 pages
Emma and The Coyote, Stoddart, 1999
Emma’s Eggs, Stoddart, ISBN 0-7737-2972-0, 1996
A Mountain Alphabet, Tundra Books, ISBN 0-88776-374-X,1996
Spectacular Spiders, Pacific Edge Publishing, 1995, ISBN 1-895110-20-3
On The Write Track!, a guide to creative writing, Pacific Educational Press, UBC, 1993. ISBN 0-88865-086-8,
Big Little Dog, 1992, Penumbra Press, ISBN 0-921254-466

Awards and Nominations

Regular listings in Our Choice Catalog, CCBC
2005 Region West Presidential Award for Reading & Technology of the International Reading Association.

Wake Up, Henry Rooster! (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Shortlisting, 2008 (current) Willow Awards
Nominated for 2007 Blue Spruce Award

Emma's Eggs (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Winner of the Honor Title for the 1996 Storytellers World Awards

Emma and the Coyote (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Shortlisting, Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Shining Willow Awards
Silver-medal winner of the 2000 Mr. Christie Book Award
Finalist, Tiny Torgi Literary Awards
Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice selection
Grand Prize, Ex aequo, 2000 Luxcanada for Illustration

Emma's Cold Day  (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Shortlisted for the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Shining Willow Awards
Silver-medal winner of the 2001 Mr. Christie Book Award
Shortlisting, 2002 Blue Spruce Award
Shortlisting, Chocolate Lily Award

A Pacific Alphabet (Whitecap)
Shortlisting, Chocolate Lily Award
Shortlisting, Oregon's Patricia Gallagher Award
Selected by the Ministry of Education in British Columbia to be given to each Kindergarten student in the province, 40,000 copies of the book were ordered.
White Ravens Selection, International Board of Books for Young People

Wild Babies (Tundra)
Finalist 2004/2005 Chocolate Lily Award
Shortlisted 2004 Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Shining Willow Awards
Shortlisted for the 2002 Amelia Francis Howard-Gibbon Award

A Mountain Alphabet (Tundra)
Selected by the Ministry of Education in British Columbia to be given to each Kindergarten student in the province, 50,000 copies of the book were ordered.

When We Go Camping (Tundra)
Finalist for the 2001-2002 Amelia Francis Howard Gibbon

My Librarian is a Camel (Boyds Mills Press)
Teacher’s Choice Award
IRA’s Notable Book for Global Awareness
Shortlisting for Utah's  Information Book Award

In My Backyard (Tundra)
Shortlisting for 2007-2008 Amelia Francis Howard-Gibbon Award for Illustration
Finalist Oregon Book Awards
Finalist, Blue Spruce Awards, 2008


Margriet's Presentation Details

One hour session for students includes talk/slideshow on the making of books: from getting ideas to editing and rewriting. How books are illustrated and printed. Margriet brings props to show the whole process and reads from many different titles, according to age levels.

Grades I will present to: K - 6
 
Is this flexible? Yes, - I can present to students up to Grade 10, with the focus on the profession of being a children’s author; as well to teachers and/or parents.
 
Maximum number of students per session: around 80 is ideal
 
Is this flexible? Yes, let’s discuss your needs. Please do keep the age range close together, i.e. K + Grade 1 is fine, Grades 2 + 3 combined is fine but not groups including both Grade 1 and Grade 4.
 
Workshops available? Yes. I do poetry writing workshops for Grade 2 – 6.
 
Maximum participants for workshop: classroom size, with teacher present.
 
Professional Development Workshops:
Write in the Classroom (fiction, poetry and/or nonfiction).
Using Picture Books throughout the Curriculum
Service Learning Projects through children’s books
 
Venues you’re comfortable in:  library, gymnasium, auditorium, multi-purpose room. I show slides so room needs to have blinds or be able to be semi-dark.
Is this flexible? Yes
 
List any equipment or other requirements you have:
Cart for projector
Electrical outlet for two plug-ins (computer + projector)
Screen
Microphone if large groups.
Table to display books