Writers’ Union Member. Now doing virtual visits only: $200 for one 60 minute session, $350 for 2, $525 for 3, $675 for 4. Maximum 4
sessions per day. JK to SK: two 30-minute sessions for the price of 1.
Cinders presents to JK to Grade 3. Single class size is best for discussion, but Cinders is flexible.
Author-illustrator of the Moneybunnies financial literacy for young children series, published by Penguin N.Y. She is also a well known human rights cartoonist and musician. Cinders has 20 years’ experience in Canadian and British books and newspapers, is the creator of the 8-year-old Broomie Law cartoon and one of the few published, women political cartoonists in the world. She is also an experienced performer (singer, songwriter, double bassist with a record on Billy Bragg’s label) and cartoon workshop presenter. She wrote and illustrated EARN IT! SPEND IT! SAVE IT! and GIVE IT! for ages 3- 8 because it’s never too early to teach children about money. The Moneybunnies series is popular with STEM educators.
Storytellers of Canada. Gold Mountain Stories. Traditional Asian folklore & Canada’s immigrant history (FDK – 12). Per session, 80-100 students. Three Sessions $625 + travel from Toronto. Continue reading “Hune, Bernice (Toronto)”
Writer’s Union member. CANSCAIP. SCWBI. Silver Birch Non-Fiction Honour Book Award 2016.
Rates – in person: $300 for one session and $150 for additional sessions. Virtual visits: $150 per session (with negotiation for size of audience and recording permissions). Travel outside of Toronto: 59.0 cents/km.
Caroline Fernandez loves to write children’s books for curious kids. She’s won awards for her fantastic stories, like the exciting chapter book series “Asha and Baz” which highlights real-life historical women in STEM. She has written numerous picture books including; “Hide And Seek: Wild Animal Groups in North America” and “The Adventures of Grandmasaurus” (series) and “Stop Reading This Book“. For those looking for a big adventure, her middle-grade historical novel “Plague Thieves” is now out. Caroline is an enthusiastic presenter who encourages interaction during visits.
Asha and Baz Meet Elizebeth Friedman is a 2024 Next Generation Indie Award finalist
Asha and Baz Meet Mary Sherman Morgan is a 2023 Next Generation Indie Award Finalist and TD Summer Reading Club Recommended Read.
Asha and Baz Meet Hedy Lamar is a 2023 Purple Dragonfly winner
The Adventures of Grandmasaurus is a 2021 Purple Dragonfly winner
Boredom Busters is a 2015 Forest of Reading Silver Birch honour book award winner
Presentations by Grades
All presentations include a reading, engaging activities, and author Q & A. Caroline is happy to work with teachers and librarians to develop a need-specific presentation, but here are some examples:
Middle Grade (60 minutes)
Plague Thieves
Reading of Plague Thieves. Then, discussion of inspiration, brainstorming, researching, writing, revision, and editing of this historic middle grade novel. Discussion on the challenges of incorporating real facts into middle grade historical fiction.
Themes: middle grade books, writing and editing, research, historical fiction, geography, history, pandemics, urbanization, STEM in renaissance times Vs modern times, types of story conflict in books.
Grades JK-6 (60 minutes)
Asha and Baz series (chapter book series)
Asha and Baz Meet Mary Sherman Morgan
Asha and Baz Meet Hedy Lamarr
Asha and Baz Meet Elizebeth Friedman
Asha and Baz Meet Katia Krafft
In the Asha and Baz series, two children are faced with a STEM challenge in school. They time travel to meet a women in history who has made a significant discovery which relates back to their school challenge. They learn about the woman, her time, and her STEM genre. Then, they travel back to their time and apply what they learn to their class challenge. Each of the STEM challenges can be reproduced as an activity at home or in class using simple materials.
Themes: science and technology, women in science, history, biography, space, STEM, gender equality, early reader chapter book
Hide and Seek: Wild Animal Groups in North America (picture book)
Themes: collective nouns, animals, migration of monarch butterfly, North America, finding one’s place, inclusivity, Earth Day, Earth Month, picture book
Stop Reading This Book (picture book)
The book judges the reader by their cover. Would you….could you stop reading this book?!
The Adventures of Grandmasaurus (picture book series)
The Adventures of Grandmasaurus
The Adventures of Grandmasaurus At the Aquarium Rescue Centre
The Adventures of Grandmasaurus At the Supermarket
Grandma sneezes herself into different dinosaurs on a field trip to the museum. Role reversal story where the kids know the rules better than Grandmasaurus.
Themes: inter-generational relationships, non-gendered characters, role reversal, literary non-fiction, diversity, facts, role reversal, dinosaurs, picture book
Boredom Busters
More Boredom Busters
Let’s dive into busting boredom! Brainstorming on things you can craft using supplies you have around your home or classroom. Great for makerspace and school-vacation activity ideas!
Writers’ Union Member. Multi-award-winning author of more than 20 books for kids and teens.
Fees for on-site visits: $350 + HST for up to one hour, $600 + HST half day, $900 + HST full day (4 hours). Travel and/or accommodation fees may also apply. Fees for virtual visits: $300 + HST for up to 1 hour, $200 + HST for each additional presentation on the same day, to a maximum of 4 hours.
Surprising facts, engaging stories, and her willingness to answer just one more question set Lindsey’s science programs apart. And her workshops make even the most reluctant young writers excited to express themselves.
Polar has been nominated for the 2024 Lane Anderson Award
STEM PROGRAMS
What Is a Forest For? Introducing the Boreal Forest | Grades 1-3 | Duration: 45 min | Curriculum Connections: biodiversity, photosynthesis, biomes, habitats, the boreal forest, climate change
The boreal forest is the largest, most northern forest in the world… and 29 percent of it is right here in Canada! This introduction to the boreal biome will help kids understand why forests matter. We’ll explore biodiversity with a look at some weird and wonderful animals that call the boreal forest home. During a movement activity, we’ll discuss photosynthesis and how it helps forests prevent climate change.
This high-energy program is designed to captivate young learners, and includes plenty of time to answer questions.
Surviving ‘til Spring: Animal Adaptations in the Boreal Forest | Grades 4-6 | Duration: 60 min | Curriculum Connections: biodiversity, animals, biomes, the boreal forest, adaptations, migration
In the world’s most northern forest, where snow cover lasts up to 10 months, boreal animals use a wide range of adaptations to survive until spring! During this interactive presentation, students will brainstorm a list of well-known boreal animals. A reading from The Boreal Forest introduces some of the biome’s more unusual occupants; from the reading, students will identify popular adaptations that get these critters through the cold. We’ll round out our discussion with two extreme adaptations that are sure to get students talking!
Packed with engaging, high-interest examples, this program encourages critical thinking and leaves plenty of time for questions.
(Ant)Arctic Adaptations: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth | Grades 4-6 | Duration: 60 min | Curriculum Connections:biodiversity, biomes, polar regions, adaptations, life cycles, climate change
The polar regions are bitterly cold, freeze-dried wildernesses, where the wind can blow harder than hurricanes. They are also the only places on Earth where day—and night—last up to six months. And yet, many animals not only survive in these extreme environments, they thrive!
After a brief introduction to the Arctic and Antarctica, kids will be asked to brainstorm a list of polar species. We’ll discuss the adaptations that help their favourite animals stay warm, find food, and raise their babies, all in two of the harshest habitats on the planet. Then, we’ll explore the surprising adaptations of some less-familiar species… including one that protects itself with projectile vomit!
Packed with stunning visuals and surprising facts, this lively presentation features deleted scenes from Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth.
Ocean Migrations: Over the Ice and Under the Sea | Grades 4-6 | Duration: 60 min | Curriculum Connections:animals, oceans, polar regions, migration, life cycles, climate change
What do humpback whales, northern wolves and arctic foxes have in common? Their life cycles all include migration. In this deep dive into animal migration, we’ll define three different types of migration, and meet Arctic animals that use each type. Whether over the ice or under the sea, each migration depends upon the world’s oceans. We’ll finish by discussing potential impacts of global climate change on wildlife migration.
Drawing on Lindsey’s PhD research and her book Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, this presentation is the perfect ending to any elementary science migration unit.
Boreal Brake: The Carbon Cycle and Climate Change | Grades 9-12 | Duration: 60 min | Curriculum Connections: the carbon cycle, the boreal forest, climate change, positive feedbacks, conservation, activism
The boreal forest provides habitat for countless fish and birds and mammals—including humans! By drawing CO2 out of the air, the forest’s plants and trees also slow down climate change. In this presentation, we’ll cover the stages of the carbon cycle in the context of the boreal forest and the polar regions, discovering how regional events connect to global processes. After discussing the impacts of climate change on life in northern ecosystems, students will explore simple, research-based strategies they can use to reduce their carbon footprints, influence climate policy, and preserve these vast Canadian wildernesses for future generations.
Rooted in science, this program empowers students to take meaningful action in uncertain times.
WRITING WORKSHOPS
What’s Your Book About? How to Decide What to Leave Out | Grades 4-6 | Duration: 60 min
Tell people you’re a writer, and they’ll probably ask “What’s your book about?” But before we can tell other people, we have to be able to tell ourselves. Knowing what our book, story, article, or report is really about lets us research efficiently, revise strategically, and avoid time-consuming tangents… producing a final draft that’s concise, cohesive, and effective. In this presentation, I’ll share the coolest animal facts that aren’t in The Boreal Forest, and explain exactly why I cut them. Then, we’ll walk through each draft of the book’s opening scene, exploring the step-by-step-decision-making process of revision.
Throughout the program, two-minute writing challenges give participants a chance to apply revision strategies to their own work. Designed to get writers excited about re-writing, this program can be adapted for elementary, middle, high school, or adult audiences.
Writing Down the Feels | Grades 7-12 | Duration: 60 minutes or full day
Why do we forget some stories, while others stay with us for years? Be they fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, stories with staying power are the ones that make us feel. This workshop explores the connections between language and emotions, teaching writers how to manipulate their reader’s response. Writers will harness the emotional resonance of vivid words and figures of speech, making their readers laugh, cry, and remember their words forever.
This program can be adapted for elementary, middle, high school, or adult audiences. It’s available as a 60-minute session, or as a full-day workshop in which participants apply these techniques to a new piece of writing.
Note: To allow each student to receive personalized feedback, the full day version of this workshop is capped at 20 participants.
IMPORTANT INFO:
For on-site visits, hosts must provide an LCD projector and screen for slideshows. Depending on program and audience size, speakers (for video), whiteboards, and a microphone may also be required. Contact Lindsey for details.
For virtual visits, Lindsey can present in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and YouTube Live. She can accommodate schedules in a range of time zones.
René Schmidt is the author of four books by Scholastic Canada on Canadian Disasters series, and received the Red Maple Honour Book award for Leaving Fletchville.
$275 for one session, $375 for two, $525 for three and for $750 for four sessions. No travel charge will be asked within 100 km of Trenton Ontario. Skype sessions are available for $150 per session.
FACT vs. FICTION. Where do you get your information from? As well as his regular presentations, René Schmidt is presenting on teaching students to separate known fact from rumours and fiction.
Do you teach any students that don’t have a clue
about fiction or non-fiction what’s opinion, what’s true?
Because in our world of media confusion
many students can’t tell between real and illusion.
They research something and come up with actual
opinions or hearsay but nothing proven factual.
Did they read it on Facebook or other media social
(because we all can be fooled by arguments emotional).
So I tell what I found researching Canadian Disasters,
including many times when rumors spread faster than truth…
My rule is: don’t trust any source that can’t be fired
for lying or misleading the public or whoever hired – them
Be it books or newspapers, TV or Internet media;
a lot of real facts can be found in Google or Wikipedia.
But trust only sources with something valuable to lose,
like a job, or tenure, or a reputation; they should have no excuse…
for lying.
To your students I’ll bring funny stories of misinformation
and tragic ones too, that fooled our nation.
Because the falsehoods we sift through are no real mystery
bogus stories are endemic through Canada’s history.
So invite me to your school if your principal has a budget
and you and I will teach research and how to judge it.
Q & A sessions follow all presentations.
As a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada, René’s presentations qualify for the Ontario Writer’s In The Schools grants (WITS) program.
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. Continue reading “Winters, Kari-Lynn (St. Catharines)”
Writers’ Union Member. Now doing virtual visits only: $200 for one 60 minute session, $350 for 2, $525 for 3, $675 for 4. Maximum 4
Storytellers of Canada. Gold Mountain Stories. Traditional Asian folklore & Canada’s immigrant history (FDK – 12). Per session, 80-100 students. Three Sessions $625 + travel from Toronto. 
