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!
David is one of Canada’s most sought-after author-presenters in schools and makes between 80 and 100 school visits per year. Because he has written picture books, middle reader and YA novels, David is comfortable and willing to present to virtually every grade (and adult audiences as well). He can do up to four presentations in the same school or area in a day and is especially excited to conduct workshops (grade four and up) and work with the school’s young and often amazingly talented young writers.
David A. Poulsen has been a broadcaster, teacher, football coach, rodeo cowboy, stage and film actor and—most of all—writer. The author of twenty-four books from picture books to adult mystery/suspense will see his YA novel Numbers re-released by Dundurn (Toronto) in the fall of 2015. Numbers was awarded the Sakura Medal (voted by English speaking high school students in Japan as their favourite novel of the year) and has been added to the new English curriculum for Grade 10 in Saskatchewan.
New Book: The Unlikely Hero: The Story of Wolf 8…it is the first in a series…”Chronicles of the Yellowstone Wolves”…the series targets grades 4-7 and focuses on the real life stories of the wolves that were part of the reintroduction program that brought wolves (from Canada) back to Yellowstone after an absence of seven decades.
David’s one-hour presentations with students are high energy, informative, infused with his passion for reading and writing and, most of all, they’re fun. He begins by sharing his journey to becoming a writer; it is sometimes hilarious (“The world’s worst rejection letter” and “The scariest moment of my life” are two examples), sometimes poignant (his first successful story was inspired by the tragedy of the Battle of Dieppe), sometimes inspiring (“if I can get my picture on the back cover of a book, so can you”) and always entertaining. Next, David’s reading will focus on a recent book written for the age group to whom he is presenting and as a former actor, he admits to ‘performing’ his readings. And finally, there is David’s favourite part of the presentation—the Q and A as audience members pepper him with questions that ‘never fail to amaze and delight.’ It is an hour that student and adult audiences alike have called everything from “inspirational” to “totally a blast.”
David’s presenting requirements are minimal—a table, a stool (not a chair), water and, most importantly—coffee, a lot of coffee…
Workshops:
David’s writing workshops will give students useful, easy-to-understand strategies they can use in creating their own stories. He focuses on helping young writers create real, believable stories that include all of the elements of good story writing including (and focusing particularly on) character and setting. The workshop content is David’s response to seeing too many students’ stories that focus only on plot, as kids—surrounded by superhero films and video games–try to create an action movie on paper. The best part of the workshop is that the students not only have fun but take hold of the hints and tips David gives them and “head off in directions I hadn’t even thought of.”
For his workshops David will need a whiteboard and markers or flipchart and pens. (Oh yeah, and the coffee again!)
Email us to book David: