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. Purple Dragonfly Award winner (multiple awards). Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist.
Rates: $250 per session up to 4 sessions per day.
Virtual visits: $200 (one 60 minutes or divided into two 30 minutes) (Zoom or Skype)
Caroline is an enthusiastic presenter who encourages interaction during visits.
Presentations by Grades
Caroline is happy to work with teachers and librarians to develop a need-specific presentation, but here are some examples:
Grades JK-6 (60 minutes)
All presentations include read aloud and author Q & A.
Asha and Baz Meet Mary Sherman Morgan
When Asha and Baz have a challenge with a paper rocket competition in science class, they use a magic stick they found in the school yard to travel back in time to meet real life rocket scientist Mary Sherman Morgan.
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
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
The book judges the reader by their cover. Would you….could you stop reading this book?!
The Adventures of Grandmasaurus At the Aquarium Rescue Centre
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. Award-winning author of more than 20 STEM books for kids.
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.
Lindsey specializes in making science engaging, relevant, and above all, fun. She also has 20 years’ experience as a writing instructor, offering workshops for both children and adults.
NEW STEM PROGRAM for 2023-24!
(Ant)Arctic Adaptations: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth. 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 extreme adaptations of some less-familiar species… including one that protects itselfwith projectile vomit!
This presentation draws on Lindsey’s experience living in the Arctic, her PhD research on northern wolves and arctic foxes, and her favourite facts from her all-new STEM book, Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth. Best for grades 4-6.
STEM Programs for K-3
What Is a Forest For? Introducing the Boreal Forest. The boreal forest is the largest, most northern forest in the world… and 29% 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 the animals – both iconic and obscure! – who call the boreal forest home. Using a movement activity, we’ll then discuss photosynthesis and how it helps forests prevent climate change. This program runs approximately 30 minutes, leaving plenty of time to answer students’ questions.
Laura and the Locusts. In 1875, a swarm of Rocky Mountain locusts destroyed Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family farm. This presentation integrates Laura’s descriptions of the swarm (from On the Banks of Plum Creek) with the newest scientific information on Locust Migration. It’s creepy, crawly fun!
STEM Programs for 4-6
Fur and Feathers and Frogs, Oh My! Amazing Animals of the Boreal Forest. Who calls the boreal forest home? Moose and loons and beavers are both iconic and familiar; tanukis and teals and star-nosed moles, not so much! After a brief introduction to the boreal forest, kids will be asked to brainstorm a list of boreal species. We’ll take a few moments to learn about some of the biome’s more unusual occupants, through a reading from The Boreal Forest that brings these species to vivid life. From the reading, kids will identify three common adaptations for surviving boreal winters, with examples of animals that use each one. We’ll then discuss two extreme winter adaptations before ending with plenty of time for questions.
Ocean Migrations – Over the Ice and Under the Sea. What do wolves, humpback whales, and arctic foxes have in common? Whether over the ice or under the sea, their life cycles all include migration. Drawing on discoveries from Humpback Whale Migration and Lindsey’s award-winning PhD research, this program explores different types of migration and how the world’s oceans influence animal movements. The potential impacts of global climate change on wildlife migration are also discussed.
STEM Programs for 7-12
Source or Sink? The Carbon Cycle and Climate Change. Carbon sinks are ecosystems that trap more CO2 via photosynthesis than they release into the atmosphere each year. As our climate changes, scientists fear that some carbon sinks could become carbon sources… accelerating further warming. In this presentation, we’ll explore the stages of the carbon cycle in the context of the boreal forest and the polar regions, showing how regional events connect to a global process. After discussing the impacts of climate change on life in northern and polar ecosystems, kids will take action by brainstorming simple strategies they can use to reduce their carbon footprints, influence climate policy, and preserve these vast Canadian wildernesses for future generations.
Writing Workshops
Grades 4-6: What’s Your Book About? How to Decide What to Leave Out. “What’s your book about?” is the second-most-common thing people ask a writer – just after “Where do you get your ideas?” But before we can tell other people, we have to be able to tell ourselves. Knowing what the book 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 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 rewriting. Throughout the program, two-minute challenges will give students a chance to apply these techniques to their own manuscripts.
Grades 7-12: Writing Down the Feels. Why do we forget some stories, while others stay with us for years? Be they nonfiction, fiction, 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. Students will harness the emotional resonance of vivid words and figures of speech, bringing their descriptions to life.
Important Info:
For on-site visits, Lindsey requires a laptop and projector for PowerPoint slides.
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. 
