Canadian History – Authors' Booking Service

Dobson, Jillian (Richmond Hill, ON)

Jillian is a member of The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC), the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP), the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the CCBC.

Jillian is the author of GIRL TAKES DRASTIC STEP!: How Molly Lamb Bobak Became Canada’s First Official Woman War Artist with artwork by Genevieve Simms. This is an inspirational story of perseverance through art with the title drawn directly from the first page of Molly Lamb Bobak’s World War II war diary.

In Person Rates: $200 for one session (45 mins) Plus a travel fee of $0.50/km if outside of Greater Toronto Area. Virtual visits (30 mins) $150 (All visits subject to HST).

This book and presentation would support the following subjects and themes:

Canadian History/World War II History/Art History/Art/English/Remembrance Day/International Women’s Day/Women’s History Month

Jillian is an experienced presenter and will engage young readers in the story of hard work and determination of how Molly Lamb Bobak followed her dream and became Canada’s first official woman war artist. Jillian will highlight how author and illustrator work together and the research process for this book including a glimpse of pages of Molly’s war diary.

A live reading of the book followed by an introductory discussion and visual presentation about how women enlisted in the Canadian Women’s Army Corp during WWII and what that experience was like for them based on Molly Lamb Bobak’s headline style journal.

An engaging hands-on activity will encourage students to document, through writing and various mediums of art including sketching, doodling and drawing what goes on in their lives and classrooms in a unique way. Students will work on activity sheets to write their own headlines and then work as reporters to create a shared classroom headline journal.

For older grades there will be a discussion about perseverance and following your dreams based on the story with art prompts for creating a dream journal.

English language presentations for grades K-6 with a maximum per group of 30 with teacher or librarian present. Jillian will gladly collaborate with teachers or librarians to tailor the presentation to the interests and needs of the participants. Personalized and signed books may be ordered in advance and information will be provided to the organizer.

Virtual Presentations:

Reading and interactive online activity of building a classroom headline journal page or guided instruction through activity sheet shared with teacher/librarian in advance. Grades 1-6 – 45 minutes.

Library Visits: (Pre-school to grade 6)

Interactive reading followed by guided multi-media worksheet activity to create a headline journal page.

Technology required: Screen or area to project, table and chair or stool

Contact Jillian to book a visit:

Miskonoodinkwe Smith, Christine (Toronto, ON)

Indigenous Editor’s Association, longlisted for the First Nations Community Reads Program, ANDPVA National Signature Online Event 2022.

Presentation Rates: 250.00 for one session, $450.00 for two, $675.00 for three, $1,000 for full day. Travel fee $.50/km if outside of Toronto. I don’t drive and would require funding for train or bus, plus Uber if available.

Virtual Visit Fees range from $200-$250

Christine Miskonoodinkwe-Smith- is a Saulteaux woman from Peguis First Nation and the author of “These Are the Stories: Memories of a 60s Scoop Survivor”. She is an author, editor, writer, and journalist who graduated from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Aboriginal Studies in June 2011 and went on to receive her Master’s in Education in Social Justice in June 2017. Her first non-fiction story “Choosing the Path to Healing” appeared in the 2006 anthology Growing Up Girl: An Anthology of Voices from Marginalized Spaces. She has written for the Native Canadian, Anishinabek News, Windspeaker, FNH Magazine, New Tribe Magazine, Muskrat Magazine and the Piker Press. She has also co-edited the anthology Bawaajigan with fellow Indigenous writer Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler.

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Readings, Talks on Healing, Writing

Preferred Venues- small spaces, libraries, café’s etc

Preferred Audience Size-10-25 people, more if comfortable

Tech requirements- microphone, sound system

Contact Chrissy Miskonoodinkwe Smith:

Camlot, Heather (Toronto, ON)

Writers’ Union Member. Fiction and nonfiction writer.

Heather’s rates are $300 for one session, $550 for two, $800 for three. For virtual presentations: $300 for one session, $500 for two. HST applies to all sessions. No travel costs within Toronto or if I am in your city (I travel to Montreal several times a year). Able to present in English and French.

Heather is an award-winning children’s author, journalist, editor and translator. Her two middle-grade novels, CLUTCH and THE OTHER SIDE, received Skipping Stones Honor Awards and nominations for Forest of Reading, among other honors. CLUTCH was also named a 2017 Best Book from Kirkus Reviews.

CCBC Book Awards: David Booth Award for Children’s and Youth Poetry nominee

Heather is also an accomplished nonfiction writer. SECRET SCHOOLS and THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER were named Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections and What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows? True Stories of Imagination and Determination received a Skipping Stones Honor Award. Her next nonfiction book, Becoming Bionic and Other Ways Science is Making Us Super,

In her presentations, Heather aims to entertain and educate, leaving the audience interested in writing fiction and nonfiction as well as looking into their own history for inspiration.

PRESENTATIONS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

Heather engages students with a fun and interactive presentation, customized to audience and interest.

Generally speaking: Heather shares the inspiration and the challenges of writing works that delve into history and social justice. She also discusses the basic elements of writing fiction and/or nonfiction, how to give stories life through research and why bringing the past to the present is so important. Q&A session and reading are included.

What does it mean to be a superhero?: This STEM/STEAM-related presentation draws on BECOMING BIONIC. We’ll delve get into how science is turning us into superbeings – powering up our bodies with what we may not have been born with and what we may never have thought we’d need. We’ll discuss what those powers look like in the real world, based on the sections of Becoming Bionic. We’ll create our own superhero identities and answer the ultimate question: Cape or no cape.

Stand up and speak out: This social-justice-related presentation, based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER, begins with a quote from Captain Alfred Dreyfus: “My only crime is to have been born a Jew.” How would students fill in the last word of Captain Dreyfus’s quote to reflect their lives or world around them? We’ll discuss the meaning of social justice, play a game of news fact vs news fiction, and discuss ways to stand up and speak out.

Maximum presentation size: 100 for virtual presentations; 60 for in-person reading/Q&A. Teacher and/or librarian must be present.

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

Look no further: A simple moment can kickstart the writing process. Students choose a moment in their own lives or family history and turn into a work of fiction or nonfiction. Based on CLUTCH and THE OTHER SIDE.

What’s news?: Bias in the media is not difficult to spot. This session will delve into media literacy and how to determine if what you’re reading is fact…or fiction. I’ll test students’ knowledge of news fact vs news fiction through a fun game and we’ll create a reference guide to better judge whether what they are reading, seeing, hearing is objective, biased or completely fake. Based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER.

A single object: A single object can inspire an entire world. Students will begin with an “item of interest” and learn how to add different layers — setting, storyline, character, big reveal — to build a short story. Based on THE OTHER SIDE.

Just the facts: How do you write a nonfiction book that makes tough subjects compelling and easy to understand all the while ensuring it stick to the truth? Based on her nonfiction books.

Get activ-ist!: “What cause would you defend…and how would you defend it?” We’ll discuss various forms of activism and what is important to students right now. We’ll come up with methods to get messages across and students will put ideas into action by creating a poster for their cause. Based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER and I CAN’T DO WHAT?

Customized topic: Heather is happy to tailor workshops to your needs and audience, including educators and the general public. Topics can include social injustice, advocacy, World War II, the Holocaust, antisemitism, soccer, baseball, media literacy, arts and entertainment, etc.

Maximum workshop size: 30 (flexible).
Equipment required: Flip chart and markers, screen and projector, microphone and podium (for large rooms), paper and pencils (for workshops). Teacher and/or librarian must be present.

Heather offers the services of professional editing, copyediting, proofreading and
translating. She also provides manuscript evaluations – fiction and nonfiction.

Contact Heather to book a visit:

McKay, Sharon (Burlington ON)

Writers’ Union Member. Sharon travels across Canada several times a year. Sharon E. McKay (Mick-EYE) writes fact-based fiction for young adults. Multi-awards, all ages.

Flat fee of $900 for a full day, four sessions and includes a free (optional) brown-bag lunch for anyone interested in writing. Flat fee of $600 for an afternoon. Parents and media are welcome in all sessions.

Virtual Visits: $150, 60 minutes, Skype. Continue reading “McKay, Sharon (Burlington ON)”