Member of The Writers’ Union of Canada, Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI); Vice-president of Children’s Writers & Illustrators of BC Society (CWILL-BC); and a member of Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC). Fiction and non-fiction historical, finalist for the IODE Violet Downey Book Award 2026.
All ages. School visits/Classroom visits/Educator workshops/Family Literacy Evening
$350 plus HST for 1 session $600 for 2, $900 for 3 + travel (.60 cents per kilometer, round-trip)
Virtual Visits: $250 plus HST, per session.
Nikki is an educator, storyteller and presenter bringing her enthusiasm for reading and writing to schools and community events. Many of Nikki’s books have themes of kindness, community and activism woven throughout the stories. Presentations for schools, libraries, and educator workshops are engaging and energetic. Nikki builds with Lego and loves to include her brick creations to spark creativity in storytelling.
Kindness & Community (grades K-4)
Using Lila Lou’s Little Library and Seasons for Stones, we look at how kindness builds community to make a difference in the school, neighbourhood, country and world.
Kindness, Compassion & Community (grades 5-8) (grades 9-12) (adults)
On September 11, 2001 a small Canadian town of Gander took in almost 7000 strangers, giving them shelter, food and hope during a time of terrible tragedy. A presentation using Gander: The Town that Welcomed the World will share historical facts in a sensitive age-related way. The history of Gander airport, changes in technology and the importance of working together are springboards for discussion.
Old Growth Forests: A Promise to Protect (grades 5-8)
Let’s go for a walk among the trees, learning the importance of old growth forests and the species that are threatened with habitat loss. Environmentalism, science and STEM/STEAM, activism and biodiversity are woven throughout this interactive presentation in connection with the middle grade novel A Promise to Protect.
Building a Story (K-3) (4-5)
Using the author’s Lego builds to engage students, we create characters with unique settings and problems. Discussions on how to find our voice in storytelling and the importance of being curious to grow a story.
Tell Me a Story (K-3) (4-8) (9-12) (adults)
What’s it like to be an author? From planning to publication, the ins and outs, ups and downs of being an author of picture books, middle grade and historical non-fiction.
Presentation topics can be combined or tailored to the specific audience and school/community goals. Group sizes range from auditorium to classroom.
My home and where I write is located on the unceded traditional and ancestral territories of the Stó:lō Matsqui, Sumas and Kwantlen First Nations and the Nooksack Indian Tribe. These communities have lived in this land, called S’ólh Téméxw (“Our Land”) in Halq’eméylem, since time immemorial.
Writer’s Union member. Member of CANSCAIP, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada, Society of Children’s Book and Writers and Illustrators, National Marine Educators Association, North American Association for Environmental Education, Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication, and Canadian Network for Ocean Education. A selection of awards and honour include UNESCO Ocean Literacy, United Nationals Sustainable Development Book Club, Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, Santa Monica Public Libraries Winner, Sigurd F Olsen Nature Writing Award for Children’s Literature Winner, International Book Award, Society of School Librarians Winner, and several other awards and honours.
Fees for on-site visits: $350 + HST per presentation, $600 + HST for two presentations on the same day. Each additional presentation on the same day $250 + HST, up to a maximum of 4 presentations. Mileage for school visits outside of Toronto $0.61/km. Accommodation fees may apply if outside GTHA. Fees for virtual visits: $300 + HST per presentation, $200 + HST for each additional presentation on the same day, to a maximum of 4 presentations per day.
Rochelle Strauss is on a mission to change the world – one book at a time! As an environmental educator and award-winning children’s author, Rochelle is dedicated to building environmental literacy and inspiring people to become active stewards of our planet. Through her work, she uses compelling storytelling to bring complex ecological processes and environmental issues to life, helping young people better understand the natural world and empowering them to make a positive impact. Most importantly, Rochelle also brings HOPE by sharing ripples of change – good new stories from around the world. Rochelle’s children’s books have won several awards, been translated globally and incorporated into curriculum in the US. The Global Ocean is a UNESCO endorsed Ocean Decade Activity, and One Well: The Story of Water on Earth was selected as part of the UN’s SDG Book Club in support of SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation. One Well has also sold over half a million copies internationally. An active speaker and presenter, Rochelle can often be found building environmental literacy in classrooms around the world and raising the profile of non-fiction books as tools for STEM education at conferences and teacher training workshops.
School Programs:
The Global Ocean
What if Earth had a beating heart that powered everything on the planet? In a way, the Global Ocean is like Earth’s Heart.
Using this powerful premise, this presentation focusses on building Ocean Literacy – the understanding of the ocean’s influence on us, and our influence on the ocean.
Diving into the global ocean students learn about the ocean and how it sustains all life on Earth. They explore the important roles the ocean plays in supporting life, such as regulating Earth’s climate, controlling weather, providing habitat, and as a source of food for many animals on the planet (including people). Students also hear about the many issues affecting the health of the global ocean such as pollution, global warming, overfishing, habitat destruction, etc.
But Rochelle’s emphasis is on HOPE. Using stories called ripples of change, Rochelle shares good news stories of ocean conservation and action from around the world, to demonstrate how people, organizations and governments are taking action and making a difference. An interactive activity engages the entire audience to demonstrate how even the smallest action have a big impact, leaving students feeling empowered, inspired and hopeful!
Curriculum connections: water cycle, ecosystems, habitats and communities, environment, diversity of living things, earth systems, climate change, food chains and webs, earth and human activity, weather and climate.
One Well: The Story of Water on Earth
Imagine for a moment that all the water on Earth came from just one well.
During this presentation, Rochelle leads students on a journey to become Well Aware, by building their water literacy. Students discover how all water on Earth is connected, as well as explore the water cycle, water as habitat, and the issues impacting Earth’s one well, such as the limited amount of freshwater on Earth, access to the well, demands on the well and pollution in the well. Shared stories also demonstrate how plants and animals (including people) use and depend on water.
The presentation wraps with good news stories and an opportunity for students to brainstorm actions they can take to protect water on Earth. A final dramatic moment comes with an activity that demonstrates how every student has the power to create their own ripples of change. The activity leaves the students feeling empowered and inspired.
Curriculum connections: water cycle, ecosystems, habitats and communities, environment, diversity of living things, earth systems, climate change, food chains and webs, earth and human activity, weather and climate.
Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth
Please contact Rochelle directly to discuss presentations in support of Tree of Life.
Teacher’s guides available upon request 🙂
Important Info:
Grades: 3-7 (accommodations can be made for younger/older)
Group size: Max 150 students per presentation (happy discuss larger groups)
Requirements: LCD projector and screen, as well as mic and speaker for groups of 30 or more.
Virtual visits can be conducted via Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.
Times: Rochelle can (and has!) accommodated presentations around the globe, in a range of time zones.
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.
