family – Authors' Booking Service

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.

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:

Presley, Nadine (Oakville, ON)

Writer’s Union member. CANSCAIP.

Rates:

For in-person visits within the Greater Toronto Area, the rate is $300 + HST for the first session and $150 + HST for each additional session on the same day and at the same location. Each session runs 45 minutes to one hour, with a maximum of four sessions per day. Travel fees may apply.

For virtual visits, the rate is $150 + HST per session, with the same session length and daily maximum of four.

Nadine Presley is a Syrian Canadian picture book author passionate about storytelling and the healing power of poetry to preserve memory and identity. She brings a warm, empathetic, and flexible approach to her presentations, adapting to each group’s energy and interests. Drawing from her own experiences, growing up bilingual (English/ Arabic), rediscovering poetry after displacement, and her writing journey, Nadine creates engaging, sensory-rich sessions that invite students to explore their voices, connect deeply with stories, and develop empathy through creative self-expression.

Sample Sessions by Grade:

JK to Grade 1
Using The City of Jasmine and A Ramadan Night, Nadine brings picture books to life with expressive reading, sensory language, and a gentle conversational style. These sessions are joyful, warm, and often filled with laughter, the laughter of family and cousins, the smell of jasmine in the air, and maybe even a surprise sound effect or two. Nadine also brings custom coloring pages to help students reflect through art. Rooted in rhythm, repetition, and inclusive conversation, these sessions are designed to spark curiosity, empathy, and joy.

Grades 2 to 4
Nadine encourages students to step into someone else’s shoes through her stories, while also reflecting on their own identity and emotions. With joy, energy, and a touch of the unexpected, she keeps students engaged while introducing them to rich sensory language and poetic imagery. Sessions often include simple, open-ended writing or drawing prompts that invite students to explore who they are and where they come from in creative, playful ways. Sessions can focus on a particular book or theme (e.g., Ramadan, memory, family, displacement), and are easily adapted for different classroom needs.

Grades 5 to 8
Nadine shares her journey from growing up bilingual to finding her voice as a poet. Students are invited to explore how stories carry memory, shape identity, and build empathy. Using guided sensory exercises and powerful writing prompts—such as “I come from…”—she helps students peel back the layers of their own experience and express themselves with authenticity and emotion. These sessions focus on creating immersive, layered writing that connects with readers. Includes Q&A and discussion around writing, publishing, and the creative process.

Note: Nadine also has a deep passion for working with classes with students with special needs. Her inclusive, flexible sessions use tools like visual supports, sensory-friendly activities, and differentiated approaches to ensure every child can engage meaningfully and feel seen through storytelling.

Contact Nadine to book a visit:

Santos, Paola (Edmonton, AB)

Bilingual picture book author (Spanish-English). Member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Canadian Children’s Book Centre, and Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers (CANSCAIP). Rates are $120 plus GST for a 30-minute Storytime and Q&A, $200 for a single 60-minute session, $325 for two, and $450 for three. Please note that a travel fee also applies.

Virtual visits rates: $100 plus GST for a 30-minute Storytime and Q&A, $150 plus GST for a single 60-minute session, $300 for two, and $400 for three.

Paola Santos is a Venezuelan-born children’s book author. After moving to Canada, she found the courage to share the words and stories that had long been enclosed in her imagination. Her stories are now woven with her culture, experience in a new country, hope, happiness, and diversity. Paola holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Literature and Children’s Literature and Reading Promotion. With her playful energy, she would engage young students (K-6) through storytimes, workshops, and activities.

Paola’s sessions:

Storytime & Movement Break. Topics: Latine culture, nature, family, intergenerational relationships, and the five senses. Suitable for grades K–2. What if a story could take you somewhere warm and full of flavor? Paola will begin this engaging session by sharing a bit of her childhood in Venezuela and will invite children to experience a taste of her culture. Then, she will bring How to Eat a Mango or Cómo se come un mango to life in a lively, interactive read-aloud. A playful movement activity will follow, helping students connect the story with their bodies and imaginations. Paola’s naturally playful approach will turn storytime into a mini celebration of language, joy, and curiosity. (30-minute session)

Storytime & Writing with the Senses. Topics: Latine culture, nature, family, intergenerational relationships, the five senses, and creative writing. Suitable for grades 3–4. Paola will open this session by sharing her own story, growing up in Venezuela, and becoming an author in a second language. This personal introduction will connect naturally to the read-aloud of How to Eat a Mango or Cómo se come un mango, inviting students to experience the story with open minds and curiosity. Before concluding with a brief Q&A, students will dive into a writing activity using their five senses to spark original ideas. Paola will help children see writing as an adventure, where even a sound, scent, or texture can inspire a whole new story. (Up to 60-minute session)

A Book Blooms / Un libro Florece. Topics: Latine culture, creative process, creative writing, and book journey. Suitable for grades 5–6. Paola will take students on a lively, behind-the-scenes journey through the creation of How to Eat a Mango. From initial sparks to discarded drafts and surprising turns, students will discover the creative process in all its playful, unpredictable stages. Paola will share how her cultural background, love of language, and childhood in Venezuela shaped the story. Through an interactive “HOW TO” brainstorming activity, students will experiment with turning their ideas into books that could bloom next. (Up to 60-minute session)

Explore, Sense, Write! / ¡Explora, siente, escribe! Topics: Latine culture, nature, the five senses, creative process, and creative writing. Suitable for grades 5–6. In this hands-on workshop, Paola will help students unlock the magic of their senses through guided activities that turn everyday moments into stories. She will share how her memories of smells, tastes, and sounds from Venezuela have shaped her writing, and will invite students to explore their sensory memories in playful ways. With an interactive approach that blends observation, imagination, and fun, Paola will show students how even the smallest details can spark big ideas. (Up to 60-minute session)

Required equipment for virtual visits: Screen, good internet connection

Required equipment for in-person visits: Digital projector, whiteboard, or screen; table for laying out books and/or props at the front of the room

Required materials: Pencils, paper.

Book Paola for a visit:

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:

Kress, Adrienne (Toronto, ON)

Writers’ Union Member. Winner of the Heart of Hawick Award (UK). Shortlisted for the Red Cedar (BC), MYRCA (Manitoba) and Audie Awards (USA). OLA Best Bet. Many of her books have been optioned for TV/Film.

Grade 4 – Adult

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical, Friendship, Horror, Reluctant Reader

$300+HST for a single session; $500+HST for two sessions; $900+HST for a full day. Prices for larger groups, workshops, panels, etc., to be negotiated*. For outside the Toronto area, add kilometrage/accommodation. Virtual Visits $100 – $200

ABOUT:

Adrienne Kress is an enthusiastic and creative presenter with a background in acting that makes her engaging for audiences of all ages. She has toured with TD Children’s Book Week and presented at MASC in Ottawa. She is a Toronto-born actor and author who, so far, has twelve novels to her credit (with an upcoming graphic novel in 2025), as well as essays, plays, screenplays and short stories. She has spoken to children and adults in a large variety of circumstances, from school assemblies and classroom workshops to writers’ associations and conference panels. Her presentations have taken her across Canada, the United Kingdom and the US. Adrienne is a dynamic, skilful speaker, insightful, knowledgeable and fun to be with.

PRESENTATIONS/READINGS/WORKSHOPS

“Adrienne first visited our school for a book reading and discussion about her writing career. We were so impressed with her dynamic and engaging approach to children that we immediately looked for other opportunities to bring this very talented individual back to the school. The almost-instantaneous connection she has made with our students is a testament to her extraordinary ability to work with young people.”

– Jonathan Harris, Head of School, Fieldstone Day School

READINGS:

Readings based on middle grade books are geared towards children in grades 4, 5, 6 and 7. They are 45 minutes to 11⁄2 hours in length depending on needs. She is comfortable with any group size. She has spoken to small groups in a cozy huddle on the floor in a library and to large groups of a couple of hundred in gyms and auditoriums.

As a passionate author, professional actor and teacher, Adrienne brings a large array of skills to her readings. She starts with a short talk about “how a book gets published” and “working with your editors is like working with your teacher,” continues with a dramatic reading from one of the books and ends with a question period and a book signing opportunity. When her session arises from one of her more swashbuckling books, Adrienne is happy to add a fencing lesson (no swords required!).

PRESENTATIONS:

Presentations can be geared to any audience, for example, Writer’s Craft classes, writers’ groups, book clubs. The length of the presentation varies according to the needs of the group, but is most often 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours in length. The content can be individualized to suit the interests of the group, but usually covers topics like the trials and tribulations of getting published (including how to get a literary agent), the writing process, working with an editor, identifying your audience, trends in modern literature and the importance of studying past works and authors.

WORKSHOPS:

“It was all amazing, Adrienne Kress is a fantastic author and person, she is very engaging and super nice.”

“I really liked all the exercises, and how all the exercises really make you think. I think it really helped with my writing!”

— MASC Young Authors & Illustrators Student Participants

Workshops can be geared to any audience, for example, elementary school students, Writer’s Craft classes, writers’ groups, book clubs. The length of the presentation varies according to the needs of the group but is most often 1 1⁄2 hours to 3 hours in length, though it can be expanded. The content usually covers topics like honing your writing skills, creating your own voice, creating a “world” for your stories, the use of dialogue, humour – its types and where to use it – identifying your audience, etc.

Comfortable in all venues. Equipment required: A glass of water, a microphone for larger groups or in the gym, a screen and projector for power-point.

To book Adrienne email:

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.
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