2026 Forest of Reading – Authors' Booking Service

Carlos, Monique. (Langley, BC)

In-person: $300 for one session; $500 for two (same day and location) within Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Virtual: $150. All fees plus GST. Travel costs may apply of $0.50/km + ferry fares in applicable)

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE

Monique is a passionate and engaging presenter with a background in early childhood education. With experience in facilitating workshops for young children, teens, adults, parents, and educators, Monique can speak on immigration, financial literacy, early childhood education, and parenting. An entrepreneur, financial professional, homeschool parent (for 5+ years), and an immigrant from the Philippines, Monique brings a wide range of experience in every visit.

Presentations can be tailor fit to your specific needs and objectives. It is important to understand where the students are at in terms of their knowledge and understanding as well as what the goals are for the visit.

Immigration: Whether this is for younger children, teens, or adults, this presentation starts off with a read aloud of the book “It’s Okay, Just Ask”. Then, depending on the group’s level, the presentation can range from discussing unique cultural experiences to exploring themes of identity, belonging, and acceptance.

Financial Literacy: Audiences range from preschool to adults. The presentation format allows for sharing of concepts but also has room for more interactive elements such as brainstorming ways to save, invest, and earn money, business plan writing, formulating budget worksheets, and planning for retirement. This presentation is supported by the author’s self-published book series that explores habits and beliefs around the topic of finances.

Small groups are preferred for more interactive workshops. Large groups also work depending on the theme of the presentation. Indoor venues like a classroom, or meeting rooms works great. For technical requirements, if the presentation calls for it, then there would be a need for a screen, projector, and sound system. For virtual presentations, access to the online platform and ability to screen share is necessary. If the group is much larger, then technical support might is helpful for monitoring the chat group and/or Q&A.

Contact Monique to book a visit:

Johnston, E.K. (Southwestern Ontario)

Writers Union Member. Sci-Fi/Fantasy, White Pine (4) and Red Maple (1) nominee, Amy Mather’s Award winner, Monica Hughes Award nominee (2), LA Times Book Prize nominee, William C Morris Debut Award nominee. Grade 7-12.

$500 for one session, $650 for 2, $900 for 3, + travel ($0.68/km, SW Ontario). Virtual visits $200.

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE

EK Johnston has been telling herself stories for as long as she can remember, and she’s pretty thrilled that her for real grown up job involves telling stories to other people. She especially loves talking to students, because those are the people she is writing for. With 17 YA novels (and counting!), EK can speak on the writing process and publishing as a business, and she loves answering the kinds of questions teenagers come up with.

EK’s presentations are mostly student-led, following a Q&A format so that she engages with her audience on topics they find interesting (though she can “improv” while they’re warming up). She can answer a few questions about Star Wars, with the understanding that there are some topics she can’t speak on lest the chip in the back of her head activate. She prefers to talk to no more than 60 students for an hour (with teachers present), but also enjoys smaller groups, like book club lunches. She needs a microphone in any room bigger than a classroom, and appreciates some water and a bit of room to pace. (Sometimes she might need a desk to sit on, because she has a chronic spine condition.).

Contact E.K. to book a visit:

Renwick, Jessica. (Red Deer, Alberta)

Alexandra Writer’s Centre Society member. WordBridge board member. 2025 Snow Willow Award finalist. Middle Grade (grades 4 – 8). Writing workshops for all ages.

In-Person Visits (45-60 minutes): $300 for 1 session; $550 for 2 sessions; $750 for 3 sessions; $900 for 4 sessions. Travel charge of $0.55/km (round trip) for locations over 50 km from Red Deer.

Virtual Visits (45-60 minutes): $200 per session.

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE

Jessica Renwick dove into the world of writing fiction as a preteen and never looked back. Naturally, this led to a career as a public library assistant. She is the author of middle grade books that explore Canadian history, family dynamics, and friendship through exciting paranormal ghost stories. Her most recent book for young readers, Ghosts of Gastown, is a finalist for the 2025 Willow Awards and was selected for the CCBC’s Best Books for Kids and Teens for spring of 2025.

Jessica is an experienced speaker who can tailor her presentations to suit the needs of the school or library. Her fun and interactive presentation is perfect for kids grades four to eight, and she loves doing writing workshops for that age and older (including adults!).

Her general presentation covers her writing journey. This includes themes of resilience, growth, and why rejection letters are not a bad thing. She discusses her writing process, from brainstorming to final edits. She relates the writing and publishing process to what students do in school with their writing assignments, and she includes tips and tricks for generating story ideas, getting over writer’s block, dealing with critique, and how to critique your peers’ work.

Free virtual visits: Jessica offers free fifteen-minute Q&A virtual visits for classes or library groups who have read Ghosts of Gastown.

Writing workshops: Available upon request. Jessica is a certified creative writing instructor through the Alexandra Writer’s Centre Society. She offers creative presentations about writing for kids, writing short stories, and can tailor workshops for a class or writing group’s needs. Maximum group size is one class or twenty adults.

Preferred venues and equipment: Libraries, classrooms, or gymnasiums. If she is presenting in anything larger than a classroom, a microphone will be required. A digital projector and screen will be required, and a table for supplies would be appreciated. Jessica will bring her own laptop for the slideshow.

Contact Jessica to book a visit:

Marianayagam, Maria. (Calgary, Alberta)

CANSCAIP and Canadian Children’s Book Center member, multi-starred reviewed author, with published titles from board books to middle grade.

Maria’s rate in and around Calgary is:

IN-PERSON: $300 for one session, $500 for two, $750 for a full day (three one-hour sessions). Option to add a lunch-time signing or small-group session with keen readers for $100. Classroom writing workshops are available for $500. GST and mileage are also applicable. A travel fee of $0.50/km for areas outside Calgary.

VIRTUAL: $200 + GST, one hour, Zoom. **For the 2025/2026 school year, Maria is booking virtual visits exclusively.

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE

Maria Marianayagam is a Tamil Sri Lankan-Canadian engineer turned children’s book author. She fell in love with children’s books (again!) after becoming an Amma (mom). She was born in India and grew up across four provinces in Canada (Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta). Her debut picture book, The Amazing Power of Girls (Sourcebooks eXplore, 2024), was named a Children’s Book Council Teacher’s Favourite, a CCBC Best Science Book, and endorsed by the presidents of Girls Inc. and Actua Inc.

She is the author of the quadruple-starred, critically-acclaimed middle grade novel, No Purchase Necessary (HarperCanada/HarperCollins, 2025), the family favourite 4-title board book series, The Baby Virtues (Hachette, 2024/2025), and her most recent STEM picture book release, Wait ‘Til You’re Older (Sourcebooks eXplore, 2025).

Maria is an experienced speaker, comfortable in front of an audience of kids and adults alike. Maria’s sessions revolve around a slide presentation, book reading, and Q&A (activity can be included as well). Working with each educator or teacher/librarian, Maria selects the perfect book or books that will be appreciated by each age group.

Here are examples (but all can be tailored):

Grade 1-4: STEM focus: The Amazing Power of Girls or Wait Til You’re Older. Audience members will learn about Maria’s journey from engineer to author, how to find careers that marry both STEM and art, plus an introduction to the science elements of the book. Enjoy a reading of the book to conclude the presentation. Optional Q&A. (30-45 mins.)

Grades 1-4: Cultural focus: Curry Means More [available after Oct 28, 2025]. With a warm, inclusive tone, Maria Marianayagam encourages students of all backgrounds to share and celebrate their own family traditions—whether it’s a stew, sandwich, or snack. This visit blends read-aloud moments, behind-the-scenes insights into writing a book, and fun, reflective questions that help students see the beauty of their own heritage and imagination. Optional Q&A. (30-45 mins.)

Grade 5-6: Writing Workshop: Using the STEM-focused presentation for The Amazing Power of Girls, Maria will dissect literary devices like diction, personification, puns, and more, using examples from the book, and have students write their own poetry to present. (1 hr., 1 classroom maximum)

Grade 7-9: No Purchase Necessary: In this thought-provoking talk, Maria explores how she built the central ethical dilemma in No Purchase Necessary, and how characters become real when they face tough choices with no easy answers. Including a reading from the novel, a behind-the-scenes look at the writing process, and an exercise where students reflect on their own values and write about a dilemma of their own. Optional Q&A. (30-45 mins.)

Grades 7-9: Writing Workshop: In this hands-on writing workshop, author Maria uses scenes from No Purchase Necessary to show students how to convey powerful emotions—like fear, guilt, or excitement—not through dialogue alone, but through body language, movement, and action. Maria guides students in understanding how actions can reveal character, deepen stakes, and drive plot. Maria will read a short scene from the novel, identify Ajay’s feelings and how it’s shown through action, and then have students write a short scene where characters show an emotion without saying it outright. (1 hr., 1 classroom maximum)

Maria’s presentations are visual, interactive, and fast-paced. She prefers to speak to a maximum of 100 students at a time (but can be flexible, if needed). Her presentations work best with 1-3 classrooms at a time, with workshops being most effective with one classroom. She requires a screen, a laptop with 2 USB ports, and a microphone (if it’s an assembly presentation).

Contact Maria to book a visit:

Lyall, Casey (Strathroy, ON)

Copyright Jordan Lyall Photography Personal

Writers’ Union member. CANSCAIP member. Picture Books. Middle grade. Graphic Novels.
English language presentations and workshops for all ages.

In-Person Visits (45-60 minutes): $300 for 1 session; $250 for each subsequent session up to four sessions in one day. A session may be split into two 25 minute storytime events for grades K-2.

Virtual Visits (45-60 minutes): $200 per session. A session may be split into two 25 minute storytime events for grades K-2.

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE

HST applies to all sessions. If travel is over 50 km, a rate of 50¢/km, round trip, will be charged.

Notables:

Multiple nominee for the CCBC Book Awards, the Forest of Reading, and the Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Awards (MYRCA)
Red Cedar Fiction Award winner
Selected for Junior Library Guild, OLA Best Bets, and the International Youth Library’s White Ravens list
Barnes and Noble Best Picture Book nominee

Testimonial: “Casey’s presentation was an absolute delight and so engaging for the over 150 students that came to see her! She shared her own story of perseverance in chasing her dream of writing stories and was so personable with the students answering all of their many questions with humour and respect. Casey’s story writing exercise provided the audience with an excellent example of developing their own story. Truly an inspiration to inspiring authors young and old. Thank you!” – Peggy Cline, Children’s Programming Coordinator, Grimsby Public Library

Casey Lyall is the author of nine (and counting!) humorous books for kids such as the Howard Wallace, P.I. series, A Spoonful of Frogs (illustrated by Vera Brosgol), Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is, Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities, and The League of Littles (illustrated by Sara Faber.)

Casey offers fun, dynamic, and interactive presentations that entertain and inform while leaving her audience excited about creating their own stories.

Her general presentation covers the key elements that Casey has learned over her years as a writer while allowing time for a Q&A with students and a group story-building game. Casey is a very flexible presenter and can adapt her presentation to suit the needs of a school. If there is an interest in focusing more on one aspect of writing or on one of her books specifically, that can be accommodated.

Casey also loves presenting at libraries! She’s available for storytime visits as well as workshops for all ages. Reach out to discuss what kind of visit would best suit your organization.

If there is an interest in book sales at an event, Casey can provide order forms with instructions to help organize the process in advance. She co-ordinates with a bookstore that offers her titles at a discount.

Testimonial: “Casey presented at the Lakefield Literary Festival Children’s Tent Event, and we loved her performance. She had the kids and adults laughing with her fun, improvised story. It was hilarious, and very engaging for the audience. Casey was a skilled, organized and enthusiastic performer, and our community adored her.”- Kacie Gardiner, Lakefield Literary Festival and Selwyn Public Library

Free Virtual Visits: Casey offers a limited number of free fifteen-minute virtual visits to classes or book clubs who have read one of her books. These sessions are strictly Q&A only with no presentation.

Writing Workshops: Available on request. Fees negotiable based on time and intensity. Casey will work with schools and libraries to craft a workshop specifically suited to their needs. These are available for smaller groups – maximum size is one class or approximately twenty adults.

Equipment: Casey can accommodate presentations to groups of any size, but if she is presenting in a large venue, a microphone is required. A librarian, teacher, or other school representative must be present throughout any event. A digital projector and screen may be required (Some presentations are accompanied by PowerPoint slides. Casey can bring her laptop or provide a flash drive). A table to keep supplies on is also appreciated.

Contact Casey to book a visit:

Vitalis, Jessica (Waterloo, ON)

Rates: Writer’s Union, CANSCAIP, SCBWI. All sessions 45-60 minutes. Virtual $250. In-person $300 (available in Kitchener/Waterloo and GTA only). Half-day $550 (two sessions, available in Kitchener/Waterloo and GTA only). Full day $800 (up to three sessions). Half and full days may be split between nearby schools on the same day. Prices quoted do not include travel costs or HST.

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE

JESSICA VITALIS is an award-winning, Columbia MBA-wielding middle grade author with Greenwillow/HarperCollins. Her books have been translated into three languages, received multiple starred reviews, been designated as Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections, and appeared on “Best Book” lists for Kirkus and CCBC. Coyote Queen won the Reading the West Book Award, the High Plains Literary Award, and the Women Writing the West 2024 WILLA Literary Award in Children’s Fiction and Non-Fiction. Her latest novel, Unsinkable Cayenne, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, a NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and was featured as a best new release by Parade Magazine. Jessica has American and Canadian citizenship; she currently lives and writes in Ontario but speaks at schools, conferences, and festivals all over North America.

Unsinkable Cayenne is a NCTE 2025 Notable Verse Novel
Unsinkable Cayenne is a Red Maple nominee
Unsinkable Cayenne won the High Plains International Book Award
Coyote Queen is a Reading the West Book Award winner
Coyote Queen is a winner of the High Plains Book Award
Coyote Queen won the Women Writing the West 2024 WILLA Book Award for Children’s Fiction and Non-Fiction

When she’s not writing, Jessica’s favorite activity is talking about writing; her presentations are best suited for students grades four and up (and adults of any age). She is also available for festivals, conferences, and keynote speeches and can speak to issues ranging from SEL topics to grief and healing.

Offerings include (but are not limited to):

Unsinkable Cayenne: In this interactive presentation, award-winning author Jessica Vitalis will explore what it means to be unsinkable with stories of tenacity and resilience stemming from her life-long journey to become a published author. She’ll also explore how and why she wrote Unsinkable Cayenne in free verse and introduce the audience to the unlimited creative potential writing in free verse can offer. (Ages 10+)

Free Verse for the Reluctant Poet: In this hands-on workshop, we’ll look at what free verse is (and what it isn’t), and we’ll work through the mechanics of writing a poem. Participants will complete their own poem during the course of the workshop and leave with a new sense of themselves––as poets! (Ages 10+)

Stand Out From The Crowd: Creating Compelling Characters: In this hands-on workshop, participants look at what makes characters come alive in readers’ hearts and minds and practice developing memorable characters using the author’s secret technique. (Ages 10+)

“Jessica’s presentation was so inspiring and energizing for our fifth and sixth grade students! Her stories––both on and off the page––are magnetic. A couple of our more reluctant learners sought Jessica out after the talk to connect with her and have their photos takes. What a wonderful celebration of reading and writing!” -Elementary school librarian

“Jessica did a beautiful presentation for my 7^th grade reading classes. My students were engrossed! At the end, she answered all of their questions about being an author, the writing process, and everything in between! It was such a fantastic experience for my students!” – 7^th Grade Teacher

“[Jessica’s] presentation totally changed my life! It was so incredibly helpful and exactly what I needed for my writing.” -Workshop attendee

Maximum group size: No limit on large group offerings. Smaller group offerings are better suited for individual school classes or conference breakout sessions.

Venues: Flexible as long as a microphone and projection screen are available.

Tech Requirements: Microphone (when necessary), digital projector and screen (most presentations are accompanied by PowerPoint slides; Jessica can either hook up with her laptop or bring in a flash drive), water, and lunch (for full day visits).

Jessica looks forward to connecting with you!

Contact Jessica to book a visit:

Poulsen, David (Alberta)

Writers’ Union Member. Alberta, Fiction, Multi-award winner. Grades 1-12 $325 plus GST for 1 session, $600 for 2, $850 for 3 and $1000 for 4, + travel.

The Unlikely Hero has been selected as the Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets (also known as their top ten titles) of 2024 in the Junior Nonfiction category!

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE
Continue reading “Poulsen, David (Alberta)”

Winters, Kari-Lynn (St. Catharines)

St. Catharines. Writers’ Union Member. World traveling picture book and non-fiction author, storyteller, and performer. $375.00 for one session (50-55 min), $600.00 2nd 50-55 min session, $850.00 3rd 50-55 min session, $1000.00 4th 50-55 min session. 30 min. sessions for kindergarten are $175.00 when booked with at least of one full 55 min session + return travel to St. Catharines.

FOREST OF READING 2026 NOMINEE
Continue reading “Winters, Kari-Lynn (St. Catharines)”