Danny is a member of CANSCAIP, SCBWI, and TWUC. Virtual visits $150 + HST. In-person $250 + HST (available in Ottawa, ON only).
For the 2026-27 school year, Danny is available for virtual school presentations after 2:30pm EST
Danny is a children’s author, elementary school educator, and former teacher-librarian. He has worked in both public and independent schools across five continents. Danny is an advocate for fully funded and staffed school libraries, as well as a champion for 2SLGBTQ+ identities and communities. He currently lives in Ottawa with his husband and daughters.
As an author of chapter books, Danny’s presentations are best suited for elementary school audiences (Gr. 1-5). Presentations are prepared in collaboration with teachers and organizers.
Presentation Options:
Writing Workshop Style – This presentation includes a brief introduction to Danny’s journey as a writer, then dives right into the writing process for youth. He discusses tips for brainstorming ideas, various story map examples, how to write drafts, and the importance of editing and revising. By the end, participants will have a plan for creating their own 6-sentence stories. Best suited for single classes (or groups up to about 25 participants), the presentation runs for approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the grade level and needs of the group.
Author Journey Format – This presentation includes Danny’s path to becoming an author, his writing process, a more in-depth look at his books and stories, as well as a Q&A session at the end. The presentation can be adapted for single classes or larger groups (up to 100 participants) and runs for approximately 45 minutes, depending on the grade level and needs of the group.
A multi-award-winning author of more than 10 books for kids and teens, Megan presents in English to grades 1 through 12. She has written both nonfiction and fiction books with themes and topics that include STEM, the environment, social justice, innovation, inclusion, sustainability, cooperation, friendship, and perseverance. Megan has presented to hundreds of students across British Columbia both in-person and virtually and considers school visits a major highlight of being a children’s book author! She aims to educate and entertain with energetic storytelling, engaging hands-on activities, and she leaves time for questions.
In-person rates: $300 for one one-hour session, $450 for two (max four sessions in one day). Travel fees if outside Metro Vancouver to be discussed. Virtual visit rates: $200 for a one-hour session, $150 for each additional session on the same day. She is flexible and can be available in different time zones for virtual presentations.
Megan Clendenan lives near Vancouver, BC. When she’s not writing or reading, Megan is often running or biking on her local trails, or learning how to grow food in her backyard.
PRESENTATIONS
Megan’s presentations aim to entertain, educate and engage through interactive, hands-on activities and lively storytelling.
Testimonials:
“Author Megan Clendenan shared her amazing picture book Just In Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Seed Vault. Wow, wow, wow! Our students LOVED hearing Megan share her story, share her experience as a writer, and teach us about seed saving and its importance for our future! I think the most powerful thing for our students to see was pictures of the book Megan wrote when she was a young grade 3 student. She then encouraged students to write stories and save them.”Crystal Cahill, Elementary Library Teacher and K-7 Librarian, Lions Gate School, North Vancouver, BC.
“I had the pleasure to tour with author Megan Clendenan during Canadian Children’s Book Week in the BC Interior. I was struck by her natural presentation style, creativity, and ability to nurture curiosity with learners. Her cross-curricular book, Design By Nature, inspires students to slow down, foster their observational skills, and remain reflective about their surroundings. After learning about biomimicry, Megan encouraged students to create a design for their own invention, inspired by nature, which was so engaging and fun to do! Students and staff left her presentation with a renewed sense of hope and were keen to learn more about ways the natural world can sustain and inspire us.” Andrea Wallin, Kamloops-Thompson District Librarian
“I admire how Megan was able to convince the students that creative writing is cool. Confidence is everything, and she certainly gave the writers the belief they needed.” Eddie de Beer, Senior School English and Creative Writing Teacher, Alcuin School, North Vancouver, BC.
Megan is happy to customize a presentation based on a specific book, or educators may choose from one of the following presentations and workshops:
Seeds Buried in the Arctic? (Can be adapted for Grades 1-6)
Pack your bags and get ready for an adventure! Join Megan on a virtual field trip around the world to learn about the importance of seeds. She’ll begin the journey in the Arctic Circle, on the island of Svalbard, where treasure is buried deep inside a mountain. What kind of treasure? Seeds from every country in the world! Through an engaging presentation, students will have the opportunity to explore the glaciers, the Northern Lights, and polar bears of Svalbard before we open the steel doors of the vault to see what’s inside. The presentation will include a read-aloud of Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and interactive activities that can be tailored to the class, including ‘how a book is made’. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an inspiring example of international cooperation, and Megan had the chance to interview one of its founders.
JUST IN CASE won the 2026 Orbis Pictus for Excellence in Non-Fiction, handed out by the National Council of English Teachers, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year.
Planting the Seeds of a Story (Can be adapted for Grades 1-6)
How does a story grow like a seed? How does each seed have a story? We ‘plant the seeds of story’ and then help them thrive and grow through hard work, care, patience and attention – just like how we might grow a seedling into a plant! Megan will use her picture book, JUST IN CASE: SAVING SEEDS IN THE SVALBARD SEED VAULT, as an example of how she ‘grew’ a story, and to show that each seed has its own story. Focusing on themes of perseverance and hard work, as well comparing the life cycle of a seed and the creative process, this presentation will have students eager to ‘grow’ their own stories. Presentation includes an interactive discussion as well as a hands-on activity for students.
Problem-Solve with Nature! (Can be adapted for Grades 3-7)
Did you know that some lamps are powered by glowing bacteria? Or that gloves inspired by gecko feet let people climb walls? Join Megan to explore biomimicry, an exciting field of science focused on innovations, inventions, and designs inspired by nature. Megan will read a short passage from DESIGN LIKE NATURE and then give a lively presentation showing how inventors and scientists use biomimicry to solve real-world problems. For example, termite homes can teach us how to build more energy-efficient buildings, and search and rescue robots can be inspired by cockroaches. After learning about biomimicry, students get the chance to sketch a design for their own biomimicry invention. This is always a popular activity. The session will be a celebration of the power of imagination! Also includes ‘how a book is made’ adapted to various grade levels.
What’s the Vibe? YOU Decide: A creative writing workshop! (Can be adapted for Grades 4-12)
Have you ever wondered how authors make a story feel spooky, silly, or thrilling? Every story has a mood — a vibe created by the writer. In this writing workshop, students learn ways to master mood. Discover how to build word banks, use “hard” and “soft” sounds, and explore ways to paint vivid settings with your sentences. Through writing prompts and handy techniques, have fun crafting your story’s vibe!
Megan will guide students through a series of fun writing activities, including reading short excerpts from a variety of books, including her novel, OFFBEAT.
From Spark to Fire: Developing Story Ideas (Can be adapted for Grades 4-12)
How does a book transform from a kernel of an idea to an entire story? In this workshop, Megan explores topics such as how sparks of ideas are fueled into stories and the creativity behind that process. She uses fun writing prompts that rev up student creativity! She also talks about being an author and saves time for Q&A.
Write, Rewrite, Repeat! (Can be adapted for Grades 4-12)
After you’ve written your first draft, the fun of revising begins! This presentation focuses on techniques for revising and how it can be an essential and enjoyable part of the creative process. Megan will use examples from her own published books, showing students early drafts, the editing process, and then the final product, and showing how she tackled revision.
IMPORTANT INFO:
For on-site visits, hosts must provide an LCD projector and screen for slideshows.
For virtual visits, hosts must provide meeting link and security.
Students will need pencils, and sometimes pencil crayons. For some presentations a handout may need to be photocopied in advance. If this is not possible, students can just have some looseleaf paper. To ensure a successful presentation or workshop, it is essential that at least one educator/librarian remain in the room with the students.
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.
