Tag: historical fiction

Bergstresser, Nikki (Abbotsford, BC)

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, 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.

Contact Nikki to book a visit:

    Ludwig, Sidura (Thornhill, ON)

    Membership: Writers’ Union of Canada, SCBWI, CANSCAIP, Association Jewish Libraries.

    Awards: Vine Award for Fiction, 2021 (You Are Not What We Expected); Danuta Gleed Award, finalist, 2021; Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, finalist, 2008.

    Presentation rates, in person:  $325 for one session, $500 for half day (two sessions), $1000 for full day (four sessions, max). For outside of GTA, $.50/km. Presentation rates, virtual: $200 per session.

    RISING is the recipient of the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for children and youth

    Sidura is an internationally published writer of books for children and adults. She has over 30 years experience leading creative writing workshops to students of all ages. She loves nothing more than being in front of the classroom and sharing her life-long love of writing and books. She is the author of the picture book RISING (Candlewick, 2024), the middle grade novel SWAN (Nimbus, 2024), the adult short story collection YOU ARE NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED (House of Anansi, 2020) and the adult novel HOLDING MY BREATH (Key Porter Books, 2007).

    Presentations

    Middle Grade (4-8) (one hour)

    Rejection is Your Best Friend – my journey on how I became a full-time working writer, including the year I tried to get rejected as many times as possible, and what I learnt along the way. Includes reading from SWAN, question and answer and short writing prompt.

    Writing Historical Fiction – learn the background to writing SWAN, from idea, to research, to deciding why to write in verse. Includes photos from research in Nova Scotia. Writing workshop on how to get started when writing historical fiction and the importance of curiosity and asking questions (I WONDER poem).

    Grades 1-3 (one hour)

    How I became a picture book writer – presentation includes how I became a writer (with images from childhood), and how picture books get made. I read from RISING and include a lot of interactive questions with students. Art workshop on making a picture book, using an unpublished manuscript, where students get to be the illustrators. All art supplies included.

    JK-SK (45 minutes)

    Let’s Eat! – interactive song and storytime about making challah and celebrating Shabbat. Discussion on what foods do you eat when you are celebrating something? Read from RISING. Two station art workshop afterwards: 1) drawing picture of what you eat when you’re celebrating 2) learn to “braid challah” with Play Doh. All art supplies are included.

    Maximum number of students: Grade 1-3, 50; JK/SK, 30; grade 4-8, 100

    Preferred location: library or classroom, but am fine with anywhere that allows students room to both my presentation and art workshop (for JK-Grade 3).

    Equipment: (Grades 1-3) projector, screen, glass of water, tables with enough seating for students for art workshop; (JK-SK) chair and table for circle time, tables and seating for students for two-station art workshop; (Grades 4-8), projector, screen, microphone for large groups

    Contact Sidura to book a visit:

      Camlot, Heather (Toronto, ON)

      The Writers’ Union of Canada 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 CAMLOT is an award-winning author of a dozen books for young readers.

      Her middle-grade nonfiction include What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows? True Stories of Imagination and Determination, The Prisoner and the Writer, and One Goal: How Soccer Can Help Save the Planet. Heather is also an accomplished fiction writer. Her two middle-grade novels are Clutch and The Other Side. 

      Fall 2026 will see two new nonfiction books, Have a Bite! How Food Connects Us and Beyond Words: The Meaning and Impact of Signs and Symbols. Two more books are slated for 2027  Champions for Change: How Athletes are Making a Difference and Poster Child: The Story of Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, her first picture book. 

      Heather’s books have been honoured as a Best Book pick from Kirkus Reviews, a Canadian Jewish Literary Awards winner (juvenile category), Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections, an Outstanding Science Trade Book (NSTA/CBC) and Skipping Stones Honor Awards. They have also been shortlisted for provincial, national, and international awards, including Forest of Reading, CCBC Book Awards, and Prix littéraire FETKANN – Maryse Condé. 

      PRESENTATIONS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

      Heather aims to entertain and educate, engaging students with a fun and interactive presentation, lively discussion and themed activities. We’ll talk about a specific book (choose from the list below), inspiration, challenges, themes and of course writing.

      Heather is happy to collaborate to create a customized presentation.

      Books and themes:

      • Clutch: Baseball, family, tradition, 1940s, Montreal, Jackie Robinson, Judaism, World War II, Holocaust, Canada, government of Canada, historical fiction, sports, courage, injustice
      • The Other Side: Mystery,family secrets, illness, soccer, 2014 World Cup,World War II, Germany, Canada, inter-generational, injustice, courage, history, present
      • What If Soldiers Fought with Pillows?: Social justice, human rights, imagination, real-world crises, asking big questions, courage, change, peace, reconciliation, bravery, injustice, leadership, history, present
      • Secret Schools: School, underground, hiding, current, history, present, education, learning, courage, perseverance, resilience, determination, change, injustice
      • I Can’t Do What?: Laws, rules, human rights, sports, art, entertainment, injustice, technology, family, crime and punishment, weird, governance, social justice
      • Becoming Bionic: STEM, science, biology, technology, superheroes, comics, cartoons, science fiction, technological innovations, medicine, pop culture, history, present
      • The Prisoner and the Writer: Dreyfus Affair, antisemitism, Judaism, advocacy, racism 19th century, France, media literacy, bias, fake news, treason, betrayal, courage, true story, justice, equality, prejudice, scandal, misinformation
      • One Goal: Soccer, climate change, World Cup, Olympics, sports, social justice, human rights, sustainability, environment, reduce, reuse, recycle
      • Beyond Words: Symbols, hate, peace, support, protest, social justice, human rights, history, racism, 2SLGBTQI+, sexism, physical and mental health, marginalized
      • Have a Bite: Food, food history, social justice, family, tradition, climate change, history, culture, trade, geography, connection, politics, food safety, food waste

      WORKSHOPS (60 minutes, grades 3+)

      • Where do ideas come from?: In this idea-generating workshop, we’ll discuss where to look for fiction and/or nonfiction book ideas – starting in our own lives. Students will get writing with two exercises to jumpstart the creative process. Based on ONE GOAL: HOW SOCCER CAN HELP SAVE THE PLANET.
      • What’s news?: Bias in the media is difficult to spot. In this media-literacy workshop, we’ll look into 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, and hearing is objective, biased or completely fake. Based on THE PRISONER AND THE WRITER.

      You can find more presentation and workshop descriptions available on Heathercamlot.com.

      Maximum presentation size: 100 (flexible) / maximum workshop size: 30 (flexible)
      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)”

        Torres, J (Whitby, ON)

        Award-winning Filipino Canadian writer of comic books and graphic novels. Member of Writer’s Union of Canada, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, and Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers. Middle grades. 

        Rates are $350 for one session, $650 for two, $950 for three, plus mileage. Classroom or library setting preferred over gymnasium or auditorium. Limit of 50 students per session (negotiable). Projector and laptop required for slideshow presentation. 

        Virtual rates: $200 for one session, $300 for two (within the same week).

        Best suited for grades 4 to 6, each session is approximately 45-60 minutes consisting of a brief intro, a reading (excerpt or short comic story), presentation on how graphic novels are made, and a Q&A at the end. Book sales and signings available upon request.

        J. has written for all the major North American comic book publishers including Archie, Dark Horse, DC, Image, and Marvel. He has also been published by Kids Can Press, Owlkids, Scholastic, and Tundra . He currently writes the Chirp comic in Chirp Magazine and the Adventure Comics motion comics for the DC Kids YouTube Channel. His graphic novels include Alison Dare (Eisner Award Nominee), Bigfoot Boy (Junior Library Guild Selection), Brobots (Kids Read Comics Award and Parents’ Choice Award), How to Spot a Sasquatch (Junior Library Guild Selection) , Lola: A Ghost Story (Aesop’s Accolade), Planet Hockey (Forest of Reading Honor Book), and Stealing Home (Forest of Reading Honor Book, Hackmatack Award Winner, nominated for Red Cedar, Bilson Award, and Sakura Medal).

        LOLAAESOP J Torres

        CONTACT J TO BOOK A VISIT:

          Kacer, Kathy (Toronto)

          Writers’ Union Member.Historical fiction and non-fiction, multi-award winner, and experienced speaker. Kathy’s rate in and around the GTA is $400 per session. HST and mileage charges are also applicable. Virtual Visits: $250 plus HST, 60 minutes, Skype/Google Talk

          2025 Nominee CCBC Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award for Two Pieces of Chocolate

          Continue reading “Kacer, Kathy (Toronto)”