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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:
Flat fee of $700 per afternoon: 2 or 3 sessions plus a free (optional) brown-bag lunch working lunch for students interested in writing as a career. Parents welcome.
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.
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.
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
War Brothers, Penguin, 2008.
Whisper from the Ghetto, Whispers from the Camps, Whispers from Hiding. A series of three books. Co-write with Kathy Kacer.
Esther, Penguin Books. Fall 2004.
Charlie Wilcox’s Great War, Y/A, Book 2. Penguin Books. Spring 2003
Charlie Wilcox. Penguin, 2003. Y/A historical fiction.
Our Canadian Girl Series
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
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
Good to Go, Co-written with Kim Zazour, Penguin, 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
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. 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
Red Maple, 2011. Whispers from the Ghettos
Red Maple, 2010. War Brothers
Snow Willow, 2009. War Brothers
White Raven, 2009. War Brothers
MYCRA, War Brothers
The Rocky Mountain Book Award, War Brothers
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
Snow Willow Award, 2002. Charlie Wilcox
Red Maple, Ontario. 2004 Charlie Wilcox
MYCRA, 2005. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
The Snow Willow Award, 2005. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
Canadian Library Association (CLA) 2005 Esther
Geoffery Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. 2005 Esther
Red Cedar Award, British Columbia. 2005-2006. Charlie Wilcox’s Great War
Snow Willow Award, 2006 Esther
Selected
Awards for non-fiction
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