Sharon McKay

Authors’ Booking Service is pleased to announce that children’s author and Canadian War Artist Sharon E. McKay is now scheduling visits to Ontario schools for the coming school year.    

“Sharon has such a way with her audience – no holds barred, no gritty detail unsaid.  She enlightens and inspires us all to know more and to do more.”

Kate Murray, M.Ed. Owner of the Freckled Lion Children’s Bookstore, Georgetown, Ontario. 
 

Sharon would love to plan a visit to your school or library.  Her rates are follows:

• 1 hour or less:      $250.00
• Morning or Afternoon session:         $300.00
• Full day session:     $650.00

    (includes 1 hour working lunch workshop with students)

There is no travel charge within the GTA extending to Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, Hamilton. For travel east of Toronto standard kilometrage applies.  

Sharon 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 offset the cost of her visit. Contact us for details of this program. 

Sharon’s Presentation Details

My presentations are interactive which make for an enriching experience for all. The content is as listed below although the presentations are tailored to the needs of the classroom/school.  

Notes: Students do not have to read the book in advance.

I will visit a kindergarten and grade one class during breaks if I am at the school all day. Typically I spend fifteen minutes with this age group. Focus: fun.

Again, if I am booked into a school for the day I host a brown-bag lunch for would-be-writers over the nutrition break. Topic: A template to becoming a professional writer. There is no extra charge.

Parents, teachers and media are welcome throughout the visit.

I will respond to e-mails and letters from students after a visit.

 
Grade 1-2

Book-in-progress. Ship-to-Shore. Half of a yet to be published book is read while the second half is told. Discuss the differences between written and oral story-telling. Students may also contribute to changes in the story.

Focus: Story telling & story reading.

30 min. 

Grade 2-4

The Boy-Girl Challenge. “Would a boy read a book dubbed Our Canadian Girl? Let’s vote.” Reading from Terror in the Harbour. Reference to Canadian history, WW1, Nova Scotia.

Focus: Judging a book by its cover.

30 min. 

Grade 5 -6

Note: This talk may include grades 7 &8 and since Charlie Wilcox is also taught at the university level, the material can be extended to the high-school audience.

Readings from Charlie Wilcox and Charlie Wilcox’s Great War. (WW1) Charlie Wilcox.

Focus on literacy and history and how the role of the Newfoundland Regiment in WW1 changed Canadian history forever.

60-90 minutes. 

Grade 6-7

Whispers from the Camps, Whispers from the Ghettos, Whispers from Hiding, a three book series co-authored with Kathy Kacer. Thirty-six stories are presented in different formats (first and third person stories, play, poetry,) for a diverse reading group. All the Survivors are alive, many living in the GTA and some speak to school groups.

Focus: literacy, history, anti-Semitism.

Note: I am a graduate of the on-line Holocaust Education program designed for teachers, Vad Vashem, Israel. My presentation is very gentle and best suited to students new to the topic, specifically new Canadians.

60 min. or one period. 

Grade 7- 9 &  10-12

War Brothers, based on the lives of child soldiers in northern Uganda under the control of arch-nut bar Joseph Kony. Two short movies are included in the presentation. This is an upbeat talk. War Brothers has won the Arthur Ellis Award and is short-listed for several others including the IODE and CLA.

Focus: empowerment, world affairs, ground warfare.

Note: A more sophisticated presentation is available for students studying world affairs in grades 10-12. SEE ALSO www.guluwalk.com

60 min. or one period. 

Grade 8 – 12

Esther, the true story of the first Jew to live in New France during a time when Jews, Protestants and anyone not of the Catholic faith was banned. This presentation includes a mix of Canadian, French and Jewish history circa l750-1800. Esther was short-listed for the Governor General’s Award and listed on the Sydney Taylor list for, ‘best in Jewish fiction’ in NYC.

Focus: Canadian history (New France) anti-Semitism, woman in history (things boys should know.)

60 min. or one class period. 

Also – for all students. What is a Canadian War Artist?

I am a War Artist in the Canadian Forces War Artist Program, that venerable institution that hearkens back to WW1. I’m in exalted company; Alex Sorrell, George Plante, A.R. Thompson, Arthur Lismer and Alex Colville are all war artists. They are painters. I am a young adult (Y/A) novelist. Over its august history there has not been a propagandist in the bunch – certainly not the not frantic flag-waving-marching-up-a-hill-God-loves-us-best kind. War artists may or may not support the action but historically they support the soldier, and in that I am not different. My personal politics are not discussed in the classroom.

This presentation is under development with the help of the War Museum archives and staff. It will be suitable for grades 7 and up.

Venues:  Classroom, Library, Gym and Theatre

Equipment and other requirements:  

Occasionally a VCR and television for the War Brothers and Stones Over Kandahar presentations) A world map would be wonderful but not necessary.

• I do insist that a librarian or teacher be present throughout the presentation

___________________________________________________________________

Current Projects:

Sharon was accepted into the Canadian Forces “War Artist Program” in January 2008 and traveled to Afghanistan in March 2009 to research her forthcoming YA novel, Stones Over Kandahar. Scheduled for release by Annick Press in 2010.

Published Works: Young Adult Literature

War Brothers, Penguin, 2008.

Fiction, young adult. The story of five boys and a girl abducted into the Lord’s Resistance Army, Uganda. Ages 9-16 

Whisper from the Ghetto, Whispers from the Camps, Whispers from Hiding. A series of three books. Co-write with Kathy Kacer, Penguin. Thirty-six stories of Holocaust child survivors. Short stories, poems, plays. Ages 9-14.

Esther, Penguin Books. Fall 2004.

The story of Esther Brandeau, a young girl, who disguised as a boy, was the first Jew to arrive in New France in the early eighteenth century. (Shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for YA fiction). 

Charlie Wilcox’s Great War, Y/A, Book 2. Penguin Books. Spring 2003

The continued fictionalized account of Charlie Wilcox’s WW1 adventures. 

Charlie Wilcox. Penguin, 2003. Y/A  historical fiction.

The story of a young boy from Newfoundland who through adventure, and mis-adventure, finds himself in the trenches of WW1 with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. (Shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for YA fiction). 

OUR CANADIAN GIRL SERIES, Ages 8-12, Penguin Books

Christmas Reunion, Penelope Book 4, Fall 2004

An Irish Penny, Penelope Book 3, Spring 2003

Glass Castle, Penelope Book 2, Fall 2002

Terror in the Harbour, Penelope Book 1. Fall 2001.

Children’s Non-Fiction:

Time Capsule, (packaged book or PB) Somerville House. l998

Have a Heart, (PB) Somerville House. 1997

Pat-A-Cake, The Little Dough Book, (PB) Somerville House. 1997

Kick The Can, (PB) Somerville House.  l996

Take A Hike, (PB) Scholastic. 1995

Halloween, (PB) Somerville House. 1995

Chalk Around The Block, (PB) Somerville House. 1994

Adult Non-Fiction:

Good to Go, Co-written with Kim Zazour, Penguin, 2008. Non-fiction, adult. Everything your 20-something needs to get the heck out of the house and survive on his/her own. Ages 18-30. Number 8 Amazon.com, September 2008.

Picky Eater, Harper Collins. 1995

The New Child Safety Handbook, Macmillan. 1992

The New Parents Survival Handbook, Macmillan. 1991

Streetproofing Gently & Creatively. Royce/Coles. 1990.

Current Nominations:

The Red Maple, 2010. War Brothers

The Snow Willow, 2009. War Brothers.

White Raven, 2009. War Brothers

MYCRA, War Brothers

The Rocky Mountain Book Award, War Brothers 

Awards:

• The Arthur Ellis Award (for crime fiction) 2009. War Brothers
• Sydney Taylor Book Award, U.S. Notable Children’s Book of Jewish Content.                      Association of Jewish Libraries. 2004. Esther
• Hamilton Literary Award. 2004. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
• IBBY, International Board on Books for Young People, Honour List, 2002.

      Presented biennially in Switzerland. Charlie Wilcox

• IODE, National Chapter of Canada, Violet Downey Book Award. 2001. Charlie Wilcox
• Geoffery Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. 2001. Charlie Wilcox
• UNESCO International Youth Library - White Raven Award, Europe. 2002 Charlie Wilcox
• Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Awards, Atlantic Provinces. 2002. Charlie Wilcox

Shortlisted:

IODE, National Chapter of Canada, Violet Downey Book Award, War Brothers

Canadian Library Association (CLA/YA) Best Book of the Year, Award, War Brothers

Governor General’s Award, 2004. Y/A novel. Esther

Governor General’s Award, 2000. Y/A novel.  Charlie Wilcox

• Red Maple Award, Ontario. 2000. Charlie Wilcox
• Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award, Ontario Arts Council, 2001. Charlie Wilcox
• Mr. Christie Award. 2001. Charlie Wilcox
• MYCRA, Manitoba Children’s Choice. 2002. Charlie Wilcox
• Red Cedar Book Award, 2003 Charlie Wilcox
• The Willow Awards, Snow Willow (grades 7 to 12) Saskatchewan Choice Awards, 2002. Charlie Wilcox
• Red Maple, Ontario. 2004 Charlie Wilcox
• MYCRA, Manitoba Children’s Choice. 2005. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
• The Willow Award, Snow Willow (grades 7 to 12) Saskatchewan Choice Awards, 2005. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
• Canadian Library Association (CLA) 2005 Esther
• Geoffery Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. 2005 Esther
• Red Cedar Book Award, British Columbia. 2005-2006. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
• The Willow Award, Snow Willow, Saskatchewan Choice Awards, 2006 Esther

Other Awards for non-fiction (condensed):

• National Magazine Award. Shortlist, Cottage Life, l999.
• Parent’s Choice Award, three gold, two silver (U.S.) Somerville House Books
• Toy Testing Council of Canada, 4 books - 4 stars each. Somerville House Books
• Silver Birch Award, nomination. Take a Hike, Scholastic. 1996.
• U.S. Library Association Award, l994, l995. Somerville House Books