Caroline Fernandez

Cohen, Tziporah (Toronto, ON)

Tziporah Cohen. Toronto, Ontario. Writers’ Union Member. English. Grades SK-3 (picture book presentations), Grade 4-8 (novel presentations).

Virtual rates: $200 per session (45-60 min). In-person rates: $275 for one session (45-60 minutes), $200 each for additional visits up to four. Full day visits can include eating lunch with small group of interested older students. Kindergarten visits can be split into two 25 min visits with different classes. No travel costs within City of Toronto; GTA (excluding City of Toronto) $25 per 30 min car travel, rounded up.

Tziporah is the author of three picture books: ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE: HOW MILTON HERSHEY BROUGHT MILK CHOCOLATE TO AMERICA (December 2022), the award-winning wordless picture book AFIKOMEN (March 2023) and CITY BEET (March 2023). She is also the author of the award-winning middle grade novel, NO VACANCY, published in September 2020.

Middle Grade Novel Presentations

Author’s Journey: How do you go from writer to author? Learn the origin story of NO VACANCY and all the steps from beginning to publication: from idea to first draft and revisions, to acquisition, editing and copy editing, cover design and book-on-the-shelf! Includes photos from the entire process and reading of a chapter from the book. (60 minutes, Grades 4-7, in-person or virtual)

Revision, Revision, Revision! What are the steps in going from first draft to finished story? Get an inside view on the author’s revisions of NO VACANCY, both before and after acquisition by the publisher. Includes specific examples of revision strategies (using strong verbs; show, don’t tell; adding detail; use of outlines and calendars; eliminating writing quirks, etc) with photos of manuscript. Includes reading of a chapter of the book. This presentation works best if students have read the book, but not required. (60 minutes, Grades 4-7, in person or virtual)

Picture Book Presentations

Let’s Talk About Chocolate! Where does chocolate come from? Learn about where and how cacao beans grow and how they are turned into the chocolate we all love, followed by a reading ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE: HOW MILTON HERSHEY BROUGHT MILK CHOCOLATE TO AMERICA. (45 minutes, Grades JK-2, in person or virtual)

How Do Picture Books Get Made? Using ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE or CITY BEET, we’ll talk about how a picture book gets made, from idea to research, first draft to revision, illustration to printing, plus the various people involved in the process, including the writer and illustrator, editor, book designer, publicist and more. Includes a reading of either book and Q&A time. (45 minutes, Grades 1-3, can be combined with Let’s Talk About Chocolate for total of 60 minutes, in-person or virtual)

Let’s Make a Picture Book Workshop! Why are picture books always 32 or 40 pages in length? What is the author’s job and what is the illustrator’s? Who decides if the characters will be people or animals? We’ll answer these questions and more and then, using one of the author’s manuscripts, the students will illustrate the words and put them together to make their own picture book for the classroom library. Includes a reading of any of author’s picture books. (45-60 minutes, Grades 3-4, in-person only)

Size limits: 100 for virtual presentations, 30 for in-person visits (60 for Reading/Q&A)

Equipment: For virtual visits, Skype or school Zoom account. For in-person visits, laptop with Powerpoint, (can bring own laptop if it can be connected to school projector, otherwise will bring USB stick), projector and screen for Power Point presentation, table, microphone if space larger than classroom, glass of water. Teacher or librarian must be present for all presentations, virtual or in-person.

Contact Tziporah to book a visit:

Cooke, Stephanie (Toronto, ON)

Stephanie Cooke. Toronto, ON. Writers’ Union of Canada Member. English. Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Middle-Grade, and Young Adult. Stephanie’s rates for school visits is $300 for one session (local schools only), $500 for two sessions or for a half-day, and $900 for a full school day (maximum four sessions), plus travel if applicable. Virtual visits are $250.

Stephanie Cooke is an author and editor based out of Toronto, Canada. She is the writer of ParaNorthern and the co-writer of Oh My Gods!

She loves to speak to people about comics, graphic novels, and writing and devotes a lot of time to helping educate people about creating, understanding, and appreciating the graphic novel medium.

CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL
Ever wonder how a comic book or graphic novel gets made? How many different people work on one book? What’s the process for creating a story and turning it into a graphic novel? Stephanie delves into all of this and more as she helps people explore the world of the comic book industry and sheds light on the process of writing a story from inception to completion.

Ages: Any

Group size: Any, but especially love working with smaller groups of 15-30 kids.
A/V needs: Projector or anything to present some images to go along with the presentation.

Collaboration is hands-down the best parts of creating a graphic novel. Working with someone to bring an idea to life is an incredible feeling. Having someone to bounce ideas around with is amazing and inspiring. And getting to see an artist bring what was in your head to life on the page is nothing short of magical! With her experience as a co-writer on Oh My Gods! and a co-creator on an unannounced series, Stephanie has created this presentation to help teach you about the process, what to expect, and provide exercises for you to learn from.

Ages: Any, but works especially well ages 6 and up (and for students and adults)
Group size: 15-30

Other topics are available upon request.

Contact Stephanie to book a visit…

Church, Dr. Dana L (Waterloo, ON)

Dana lives in Waterloo, Ontario, and is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada. She presents in English to grades 1 though 6, and she also enjoys presenting to adult groups. In-person rates: $300 for one one-hour session, $550 for two on the same day, plus a travel fee of $0.70/km. Travel costs waived in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, and the townships. Virtual visit rates: $250 for one one-hour session, $200 for two on the same day.

Dana writes middle grade nonfiction about animals. She has a PhD in animal cognition, which means she is very curious about how animals think, remember, learn, make decisions, and solve problems. Her books also explore habitats, conservation, and the impact of climate change. Dana is passionate about making science fun and accessible for everyone. Although she loves all animals, she gets particularly excited about bees.

2025 Paradigm Prize – Science Writers and Communicators of Canada

Dana used to teach outrageously large undergraduate classes so she really doesn’t have a size limit for her audience. She finds that her PowerPoint slides are handy for showing photos, so for in-person visits, if she could hook up her Mac laptop to a projector, that would be great. When presenting about Animal Minds, a large table will allow for demonstrations involving her gorilla and raccoon puppet sidekicks. For virtual visits, she can adapt to any platform, and if she can share her screen, even better.

Contact Dana to book a visit:

Hamilton-Barry, Joann (Saint John, NB)

Joann lives in Saint John, New Brunswick and is a member of the Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick. Joann loves presenting to students from grades 3 to 8. Rates for 45-60 minutes are $250 for one session, $450 for two, $675 for three and $900 for a full day of four sessions. Joann loves to travel and would welcome the chance to visit your school or library. Travel fee of $0.50/km applies, if more than 100km from Saint John, NB. Virtual visits using Zoom are $125 for a 45-60 minute presentation.

Joann is a book lover and enjoys sharing her love of reading and learning. She began her career as a teacher and then headed back to university to become a children’s librarian. For nearly 20 years she spent her days developing and delivering fun, book-related library programs. She has delivered more than 75 presentations as an author.

Joann has written four non-fiction books that appeal to all ages. Her books have received multiple award nominations and she won the Hackmatack Children’s Book Award in 2020 for There Be Pirates! Swashbucklers & Rogues of the Atlantic.

Joann’s illustrated presentations about the North Atlantic right whale, pirates, or Oak Island feature images and information from her books. Sessions include time to see and touch (in person visits) some of the things mentioned in the books: fishing ropes and buoys that entangle whales, samples of pirate crafts, or coconut fibres that are similar to what has been connected to the Oak Island treasure. Joann begins each session with little known facts to catch the interest of even the most reluctant audience member. She explains how she does her research and that the local library is the best source for reliable information. Joann shows images from the books and her research trips, reads short sections from the book, and answers audience questions. The goal for each presentation is to get the students excited about reading, learning and the treasure waiting to be found in books. Joann provides a word search puzzle sheet that she created to match the book being presented. Each reading is tailored to the grade level(s) of the audience.

Joann is comfortable presenting to audiences large and small, (grades 3-8) as long as everyone can hear her and see your screen or smartboard. The optimal audience size is a single classroom, so that everyone has a chance to ask their question, two classes together can also work well. Equipment requirements: Joann’s session will take the audience through a tour of her book(s) with info and images projected for all to see. She will bring a computer loaded with her presentation(s) and will connect to your monitor, data projector and screen, or smartboard. She will also need a surface to display items from her books: a buoy, a snarl of plastic found while doing a beach clean up, a bowl made from discarded fishing rope, an eye patch, a quill, and/or coconut – depending on which book she is presenting. Joann has presented in gyms and cafeterias, and is happy to speak to large groups, if you provide a sound system with a microphone and ensure that everyone can see the monitor or screen.

Awards and nominations include: Hackmatack, Rocky Mountain Book Award, Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Our Choice selection, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, etc…

Contact Joann for a visit…

Garbutt, Loretta (Toronto, ON)

Loretta Garbutt is based in Toronto, ON and developed a passion for children’s books while working at a local bookstore where she was a storyteller, bookseller and reviewer. In this magical world, Loretta was also thrilled to be putting books into the hands of tomorrow’s big readers.

Loretta has been a writer and voice performer for over 30 years and worked on many wonderful animated shows including Babar, Julius Jr. and the unforgettable Max and Ruby and her interaction with groups of children is one of her favourite things to do.

Loretta has been enjoying class visits since her first picture book, A Stopwatch from Grampa was published in 2020.

She loves the one on one discussions with students and the questions and surprises that follow. Loretta likes to keep her presentations fresh and full of interaction with writing prompts, a little drama and simple games.

MEMBERSHIPS

CANSCAIP, CCBC, SCBWI, TWUC, Author’s Booking Service & ACTRA

PRESENTS TO…

English
JK-GR 4

30-min presentation rate – $150

PRESENTATIONS

Wake Up, Little Pin! The Story of A Sleepy Sapling

A story about a mother hub tree who calls for all the elements of

the forest to help wake her sleepy sapling.
From Kirkus: An intimate and accurate picture of a natural cycle.

At Mother Pin’s request, Red Squirrel asks Vole to loosen the ground by digging tunnels and enlists Porcupine to poop out a “nutritious breakfast” at Little Pin’s base. Mother Pin also asks the underground filaments of fungal mycelia to send some of her own nourishing sugars to the seedling’s roots.

Jeffrey Loves Blue

A Sheila Barry Honour Book Award

Jeffrey often gets hyper focused on things, especially the colour blue.

What happens when Jeffrey is asked to choose a new colour?

Kirkus review: Proof that adapting to change is not only possible, but also genuinely enjoyable.

The text is presented as dialogue in two voices: That of the unseen narrator—likely Jeffrey’s parent—is rendered in a black font, while Jeffrey’s voice is set in a different, blue font. This reassuring story will help children who, like Jeffrey, find comfort in structure and routine to understand that change is not only possible, but that overcoming a big hurdle can also be rewarding. The childlike illustrations are appealing and, like the book’s conversational approach, will help children sympathize with Jeffrey’s plight; readers will applaud his success.

A Stopwatch from Grampa was given a starred review from Kirkus and The School Library Journal. The book was also named one of Kirkus’ Best Books of 2020. Kirkus: “An excellent and understated portrayal of grief from a children’s perspective.”

From Canadian Review of materials: A Stopwatch from Grampa would make a strong choice for parents, teachers, and librarians to read with young children who have experienced loss. The picture book may provoke discussion about dealing with grief as well as the memories and mementos from loved ones who have passed. Highly Recommended.

Class presentations for this title focus on how the objects we have, like a stopwatch, can remind us of those we love. Her presentation includes the fun of timing games, family memories we love to share and the illustrator’s (Carmen Mok) influence on the story.

And J.J. Slept is a story about family and what makes a house a home.

From the Canadian Review of Materials:

Garbutt only mentions in the beginning that J.J. is adopted when he is brought to his new family by the adoption worker. Otherwise, adoption is not necessarily the focus of this book, but rather it’s the meaning of home and family, whether adopted or not. For some people, that could be a quiet home in the countryside or an energetic life in the city. In the case of And J.J. Slept, home for J.J. becomes a lively and busy household full of the sounds and love of his siblings and parents.

Class presentations for this title include discussion around what it means to be a part of a family and the different types of families.

What are some of your fun traditions, sleep rituals and the games you play together?

Contact Loretta to book a visit…

Matas, Carol (Winnipeg, MB)

Carol Matas, Winnipeg, MB, member, Writers’ Union of Canada, English. Grades K- 12.

Virtual visits: $250 for a 45 minute session for the novel. $200 for a half hour session for the picture book.

Carol is the internationally best selling author of over 50 books for young people, which have received over 100 awards and honours and been translated into 16 languages.

Photo: Chantal Picton Holowka.

Carol has written historical, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary novels. She has written early readers, middle grade novels and young adult novels and a YA crossover book. She often gets emails from young people telling her that they didn’t like to read until they discovered her books, and she is thrilled to cultivate new readers. Many of Carol’s presentations are about her Holocaust novels. In these sessions she delves into the roots of antisemitism and racism which informed Hitler’s worldview. She loves to talk about “big questions” using books like Cloning Miranda, when she encourages discussions about what it means to be a human being.

Who’s Looking for science based presentations.

A Storm Unleashed

A gripping tale about a girl and her dog set in Berlin, Germany, during the lead up to World War Two.

After losing her mother as a young girl, twelve-year-old Mia is living in Berlin with her veterinarian father and beloved German shepherd, Max. Mia tries to focus on her hobbies, her studies and her trips to her grandparents’ farm where she cares for the animals she loves. But it’s 1935, and life has changed radically for Mia and her Jewish father over the last two years.

Antisemitism is now official state policy. At school, Mia is vilified and treated cruelly by her teachers and fellow students. Outside of school, she witnesses violence against her friends and family. And then suddenly a girl from the Nazi Youth tries to take Max. From that moment on, life becomes more and more dangerous for Mia and her father ― who is now being forced to help the Nazis train Hitler’s army of dogs.

Mia and her best friend, Frieda, must come up with a plan to navigate this new reality. But could it cost Mia more than she realizes?

Kai and Golem

Rain in the morning makes Kai say, “That’s not what I want!” After school, he wants to read stories with Bubbe, but she isn’t there. “That’s not what I want!” says Kai. Maybe, he thinks, there’s a creature that makes bad things happen. Could it be a Golem, big and scary? But maybe things aren’t so bad if you look at them in a different way…

Carol does virtual visits all over North America, most recently Atlanta, Georgia to present “The War Within,” a Civil War novel.

Also presents to adults.

Carol’s books have garnered over 100 awards and honours, including 2 nominations for the Governor General’s Award; the Silver Birch Award; a New York Times Notable book; a Sydney Taylor Award; a National Jewish Book Award finalist; an ALA Best Book of the Year for YA; a Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award for Young People; CCBC Best Book for Kids and Teens; New York Public Library, book for the Teen Age; and the Geoffrey Bilson Award. They have also been translated into 16 languages and many have been best sellers. Daniel’s Story has sold over 1 million copies in the United States and Canada.

Contact Carol to book a visit

Zaman, Farida (Ontario)

Farida is a Canadian-South Asian Writer and illustrator of picture books and other works. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Canadian Society of Authors, Illustrators and Performers.

Rates are as follows: Virtual Visits: $150 School visits: $250 plus travel expenses outside GTA.

For school visits Farida can provide an introductory slideshow showing what Farida does and how Farida works as an author and illustrator, adapting it to the age of the audience.

Farida likes to get children involved, asking them questions and getting them doing hands-on activities as much as possible. Farida is an Ontario based presenter and a member of Writers Union. Farida does virtual and school visits. Teachers guide PDFs available by email request

Aliya’s Secret- A Ramadan Secret

Written and illustrated by Farida Zaman

Ramadan is coming, and as Abba and Ammi prepare for their month-long fast, Aliya hugs a secret to her chest: she’s going to fast too! Ammi says she’s still too young to fast, but Aliya is determined. At school, she refuses her snack, her lunch—even the cupcakes Sanjay’s mom drops off for his birthday. But when she gets home, she can’t resist Ammi’s sweet, syrupy baklava. Before Aliya can stop herself, she reaches out and takes a big bite. Aliya is disappointed in herself, but Ammi explains that there are many other ways to celebrate Ramadan besides fasting, like performing acts of kindness! Together, Aliya and her parents spend the month preparing and delivering meals to people in need. This joyful look at Ramadan is based on the author’s own childhood experiences and is rich with facts and details about the holiday. Readers familiar and unfamiliar with the holiest month in the Islamic calendar will get swept up in the festivities, and perhaps be inspired to share a meal with their community.

Recently Farida wrote and illustrated her first picture book called “I Want to Be” A Gutsy Girls ABC. She has worked with a variety of mediums on the project – watercolour, gouache, acrylics, and Procreate.

Farida’s workshops will consist of the following:

Intro
Reading my book (Picture Book)
Art/ creative workshop
Sharing the art

Contact Farida to book a visit:

O’Connor, Heather (Peterborough, ON).

Writers’ Union of Canada member. Presentations and writing workshops in English. Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Virtual visits (45 minutes): $150+HST. Virtual kindies (Two 20-minute sessions): $150+HST. In-person visits (45-60 minutes): $250+HST for one session, $450+HST for two, $600+HST for three, $800+HST for a full day (4 sessions). Kindies: two 25-minute sessions for $250+HST. Mileage for visits 100+ km from Peterborough.

Heather M. O’Connor’s new picture book Fast Friends is a 2021 Blue Spruce Award nominee. She writes fiction and nonfiction for kids and teens.

Heather is an enthusiastic presenter. She uses fun activities and clear, kid-friendly examples to engage with young audiences. “What it’s like to write a book? A lot like doing a school project,” she explains. Heather’s workshops and presentations can be tailored to your classroom. Most come with curriculum connections, follow-up activities and teacher resources.

Presentations:
Book talks
Fast Friends (Blue-Spruce-nominated picture book)
Suze and Tyson become friends speedy-quick, even though Suze is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair. This story is inspired by Heather’s daughter Suze and her friends growing up. Themes and curriculum connections: body language, mime, inclusion, friendship, welcoming newcomers, working with
an illustrator.

Betting Game (high-action sports novel for readers 10+, ideal for reluctant readers)
Jack is a hotshot soccer player. When a new player joins the team, Jack gets drawn into gambling. Heather plays soccer herself. To research this book, she toured the Toronto FC Training Ground and met TFC head coach Greg Vanney. Themes and curriculum connections: soccer, research techniques, friendship, asking for help, teen gambling.

A writer’s life

So you want to be a writer (Spoiler alert – It’s a lot like being a student)
Digging up the facts: Research anecdotes and tips
Even authors need an editor: Revising process, tips and hacks, exercises
All roads lead to writing: Careers in writing (ideal for Grade 10 Careers)

Creative writing for young writers

“What ifs” and “I wonders” (gathering ideas)
Going on a Bear Hunt (conflict and tension)
Let’s tell a story (plot)
World-building (setting)
Story polish (revision)

Creative writing for older kid and teens and adults

Writer’s craft: Hands-on sessions that focus on a single element of story (character, setting, point of view,
conflict, plot, theme.) Book four elements, get fifth free.
Short story writing
Revision

Nonfiction presentations and hands-on writing workshops
Heather’s been a freelance writer for almost 20 years. Her favourite news beat is LesPlan Educational Services. Bring her in to work with your students.

Ask the right questions: Interview techniques
Google doesn’t know everything: Research methods (archives, newspapers, oral histories)
Persuade me!: Persuasive writing
News or opinion: What’s the difference?
Writing the news (interviews, outlines, 5 Ws, inverted triangle writing)

Books titles and awards:
Fast Friends, Scholastic Canada, 2020. Picture book. Blue Spruce nominee, 2021 Forest of Reading. Toronto Public Library First and Best, 2020.
Betting Game, Orca Book Publishers, 2015. Young adult high-low sports novel. Recommended title, Best Books for Kids and Teens, 2015. Highly recommended, CM Magazine.
Runs with the Stars, Second Story, Spring 2022. Dual language picture book, written with Darcy Whitecrow.

Audience size and equipment needed:
Classroom or school library preferred. Will present in gyms or auditoriums if microphone provided. Please supply podium and table, and if possible, a digital projector and screen.

Contact Heather to book a visit…

Payne, Mary Jennifer (Toronto, ON)

Mary Jennifer’s rate is $300 plus HST per session, plus travel from Toronto. For multiple visits within the same day (maximum of 4), each session is $250 plus HST. Virtual visits via Zoom are $200 plus HST. Each session is 60 minutes long. Author readings with a Q&A and/or writing workshops are available for booking.

Jennifer Payne is an internationally published writer who’s widely known for her YA fiction, including her contributions to the award-winning Boldprint and Timelines series and her Daughters of Light trilogy. Her novels often centre around the themes of gentrification, poverty, climate change, prejudice, marginalization, resilience, etc. and feature strong, female protagonists. Mary Jennifer’s YA hi-lo novel, Enough, was praised by CM magazine as a book that, “In trying to address issues of poverty, race, and gender, the author creates a thought-provoking tale that would be useful for opening up reflection and/or discussion around inclusivity and social struggle.”

Mary Jennifer Payne is an internationally published writer who’s widely known for her YA fiction, including her contributions to the award-winning Boldprint and Timelines series and her Daughters of Light trilogy. Her novels often centre around the themes of gentrification, poverty, climate change, prejudice, marginalization, resilience, etc. and feature strong, female protagonists. Mary Jennifer’s YA hi-lo novel, Enough, was praised by CM magazine as a book that, “In trying to address issues of poverty, race, and gender, the author creates a thought-provoking tale that would be useful for opening up reflection and/or discussion around inclusivity and social struggle.”

Sample Writing Workshops (These can be tailored to relate more directly to my
novel and the characters/themes therein):

There Are Two Sides to Every Story…. You’ve heard the phrase, “There’s always two sides to a story,” right? In this workshop, I’ll unlock your imagination and allow you to give voice to those characters that didn’t get their fair shake at the spotlight in their original narrative. From Voldemort to Cinderella’s stepsisters to Anansi the Spider, the sky’s the limit in terms of who you can bring to life. Step into your character’s shoes and tell the story from his/her point of view. The workshop leads into discussions around marginalization and the inclusiveness (or lack thereof) within different narratives. This workshop will incorporate fun improvisation to get us warmed up. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

Believe in Me! How to Create Realistic Characters in Your Stories. Your protagonist and antagonist, as well as your entire cast of characters, need to come alive on the page in an authentic way. Like everyone, each of your characters is a mix of complex emotions and characteristics. And they have a backstory that motivates them to behave in particular ways in different situations. This workshop will help participants really develop their characters. From deciding your protagonist’s favourite food to his/her greatest fear, you’ll end this session with a character that is “fleshed out” and real enough to step off the page. This workshop will incorporate drama exercises such as hot-seating as the character being developed to help get the creative juices flowing. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

Create, Collaborate, Celebrate! Many modern workplaces are collaborative. In this fun and fast-paced workshop, participants will collaborate in groups of two to three to develop a story from a current news headline. Each story will be shared and celebrated at the end of the session. After briefly plotting some of the elements of your story, you and your partner will take turns writing sentences (or paragraphs, if you’re really daring!) to bring your narrative to life. During our sharing of work at the end of the workshop, there will be an opportunity to discuss what worked, what frustrated us, and what sparks of discovery were made along the way. Suitable for children aged 10 and up.

Book editing and coaching for writers is available as well.

Author: Caroline Fernandez