Alladin, Erin (Parry Sound region, ON)

Writer’s Union member. $300+HST for one 45-60-minute session, $500+HST for two, $700 for three, $900 for a full day in one location (four sessions). If travel is over 50 km, a CRA-based travel rate applies of $0.68 per kilometer, round trip.

Virtual Visits: $200 for one 45-60 minute session. $175+HST for each additional visit the same day.

Erin is an author, editor, and educator with a particular passion for outdoor education. She loves to craft energetic author presentations that bring together her years of experience creating children’s programming, teaching outdoor living skills, training adults in leadership and drama, and running gardening workshops. She published her first picture book, Outside, You Notice, after a decade of working in the children’s publishing industry and can offer a rewarding peek behind the curtain of how books are written, illustrated, contracted, edited, produced, and promoted.

To each presentation, Erin brings her experience and training in engaging groups of every kind. She uses songs, stretches, responsive activities, and games, all focused around a central theme, to keep even the wiggliest audience learning with attention and glee. She also loves to give students the opportunity to share what they themselves have noticed outside. She can provide worksheets to teachers and leaders who want to prep their group a week or so before the presentation to go out and make some observations to share. Physical show-and-tell (e.g. produce from the garden, a cool rock, an old nest, etc.) is welcome.

Book sales can be organized in advance. Erin will offer ordering instructions upon request.

The following presentation frameworks can be adapted to meet an audience’s needs:

Born Naturalists: Ideal for the youngest audiences. In a presentation full of movement, songs, and activities, Erin celebrates kids’ ability to learn about nature simply by paying attention with their own senses. Throughout the presentation, Erin invites students to share their own experiences of spending time outside and noticing interesting things. During an interactive reading of Outside, You Notice, Erin uses props to illustrate a number of the nature facts the book contains.

Curriculum connections: the five senses; pollinators; the needs of living things; plant life cycles; mindfulness; healthy, active movement

Notice, Wonder, Write: Ideal for grades 2 and up. In this workshop, Erin takes the audience through the process of transforming Outside, You Notice from idea to book. An interactive book reading is included, if desired. Erin then models the writing of a nonfiction paragraph using her own sensory observations paired with research. A shared writing activity follows, and worksheets are available for optional independent writing later.

With communication beforehand, this presentation can tie in to a curriculum topic your class is currently studying.

Custom Nature Workshop: Please contact Erin to discuss specifics if you are looking for a custom outdoor education experience centered around seed starting, a nature walk, gardening, or plant identification.

Group Sizes:
Erin’s Born Naturalists presentation can be conducted for any group size, but for an emphasis on discussion and student sharing, one class is ideal. For Notice, Wonder, Write workshops and custom nature workshops, maximum 35.

Setup:
For virtual visits, Erin prefers a setup that allows her to see all participants, since she has designed many activities to let them give responses through actions. For discussion periods, a teacher/leader should be prepared to choose which participant will speak next and to manage the mute/unmute button.

For in-person visits, Erin requires water and a chair or stool to be available. Erin lives with chronic fatigue syndrome and, while she will be energetic and on her feet throughout most of the presentation, she will need the option to sit, particularly during any waiting periods between presentations. For Notice, Wonder, Write workshops, chart paper, a whiteboard, or similar is needed. For group sizes over 35 in a gym or auditorium, a microphone and projector are preferred (Erin can bring her own laptop if it can connect to the school’s projector, or she can bring a PDF of her slides on a USB stick)

If outdoor space is available, it can be rewarding to conduct the Born Naturalists presentation outside (limit to 35 participants).  

Contact Erin to book a visit:

    Crawley, Oksanna (Brampton, ON)

    Author/Illustrator of levelled books for Kindergarten and Grade One

    Member of CANSCAIP and SCBWI

    Virtual presentation $100.00 + HST per one session

    Oksanna is a retired Kindergarten teacher and early literacy specialist. She loves writing funny books about a goofy, super hero hamster and has just as much fun drawing the illustrations.

    Oksanna is the author and illustrator of over 30 levelled books – Super Hammy – My First Reading Series (a collection of 15 books, Fountas & Pinnell levels A-C), and Super Hammy’s New Adventures (a collection of 15 books, Fountas & Pinnell levels D-F). She is also the author and illustrator of Super Hammy ABC. The books are also available in French and Chinese.  She writes levelled picture books for preschool, kindergarten and grade one. Books for beginning readers. Books that teachers and parents can use to help children learn to read. 

    Oksanna has two 30 or 45 min. virtual presentations for grades K to 3. Choose one.

    Presentation # 1 emphasizes reading and writing.

    • Oksanna talks about herself as a young girl and how she was bitten by the writing and drawing bugs.
    • She reads her Super Hammy books, and, using a PowerPoint presentation, shows how an idea in her head becomes a book.
    • After a short dance break, more read alouds, and then students brainstorm super powers they’d love to have. Super Hammy’s super powers are love and kindness.
    • A talk about the elements of a story ensues – setting, characters, problem, solution, beginning, middle and end with examples from a Super Hammy story.
    • Then, a Q & A.
    • The task: Students write and illustrate a story about their super power on their own time.

    Presentation #2 emphasizes reading, writing and art.

    • Oksanna talks about herself as a young girl and how she was bitten by the writing and drawing bugs.
    • She reads her Super Hammy books and, using a PowerPoint presentation, shows how an idea in her head becomes a book with an emphasis on illustrations.
    • After a short dance break, more read alouds, and then students brainstorm super powers they’d love to have. Super Hammy’s super powers are love and kindness.
    • Oksanna demonstrates how to make a 4-panel comic/how to draw and write – with a problem and a solution.
    • Then, a Q & A.
    • The task: Students make a 4-panel comic (captions and drawings) with a story about their super power on their own time.
    • Teacher will be provided with a template of a 4-panel comic to be photocopied for students.

    Audience: One class at a time, or two or three grouped together for a Zoom presentation. Oksanna would appreciate that the students be familiar with Super Hammy books. Books can be ordered from DC Canada Education Publishing. The presentations are done in English, however, Oksanna can do the read alouds in French if requested.

    Contact Oksanna to book a visit:

      Collins, Peggy (Eastern Ontario)

      Peggy Collins is an Eastern Ontario based author and illustrator and college professor. She is a member of the Writers Union of Canada, the Society of Children’s book Authors and Illustrators (SCBWI), Canadian Association of Children’s Authors Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) and the CCBC.

      Peggy creates every presentation to suit the age/grade and book (or books) for the presentation, and all presentations will be done in English. As a college professor and presenter for all ages there is a presentation for every age group available.

      At this time, virtual visits are preferred but eastern Ontario in-person visits will be considered. Rates: $250 for one session, $450 for two, $675 for three, $900 for a full day (four sessions). Plus a travel fee of $0.50/km if outside the Kingston/Belleville/piston area. Virtual visit fees range from $100 – $200

      Peggy Collins has written and/or illustrated a wide variety of books that reflect social awareness, STEAM content and foster an understanding of the greater world around us.

      Rooted in a sense of wonder and play, Peggy brings this curiousity into each classroom she visits, engaging children in the creation of their own stories and artwork. She is a firm believer that every story matters and works to make sure that children feel that after her workshops. Workshops can include story generation, illustration demos (with kids drawing along), process and editing – with examples from actual projects, readings, q and a and more.

      Peggy prefers to work with individual classes for workshops (15-35 students) in-person. Virtually, depending on the wishes of the class/school she can facilitate 2 or more at a time – however would prefer no more than two to allow time for the students to interact directly with her.

      For virtual presentations the classroom must have access to a camera and teams, Peggy will provide a link prior to session. Students must be ready to draw! For in-person visits, schools should have a smart board or presentation screen, a flip pad of paper and markers, and materials for the children to draw with. Peripheral teaching materials will be emailed to teachers prior to class as well. A teacher must be present at all times during and between the presentations.

      Contact Peggy to book a visit:

        McLellan, Stephanie Simpson (Newmarket, ON)

        Writers Union Member. English. Fiction (Picture Book and Mid Grade), Mr. Christie Award winner, Ruth Schwartz Award Winner, 2022 Blue Spruce Award Honour Book. Grades K-3 and Grades 5-8.

        In-Person Visits: $300 plus HST for 1 session, $500 for 2, $750 for 3 and $1000 for 4, + travel (50 cents per kilometer, round-trip for SW ON).

        Virtual Visits: $200 plus HST, for one session, 20-60 minutes, $150 for each additional session on the same day.

        Stephanie is the award-winning author of six picture books and one mid-grade novel. She reviewed children’s books for twelve years for Today’s Parent magazine (for which she got to interview the legendary Maurice Sendak!), operated an online bookstore for a few years called Neverending Stories, and wrote several scripts for the gemini-nominated children’s television series Roll Play (on Treehouse).

        Her books have won and been shortlisted for several awards (Mr. Christie Award, Ruth Schwartz Award, Chocolate Lily Award, CNIB Tiny Torgi Award, Crystal Kite Award and Blue Spruce Award) and have received starred and recommended reviews from Kirkus, CCBC, CBC Books, Quill & Quire, School Library Journal, Resource Links, TVO Kids, Chickadee Magazine, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, City Parent, CanLit for Little Canadians and CM Magazine.

        A passionate promoter of literacy, Stephanie has toured twice for TD Canadian Children’s Book Week: to Labrador in 2014 and Northwest Territories in 2018. Surrounding the release of her 2017 picture book, The Christmas Wind, Stephanie worked with almost 1,700 primary students in every province and territory of Canada (plus one school in Australia) on a unique literacy initiative that resulted in over 13,000 student drawings of her characters Jo, Murdock and the wind. Widely profiled by CBC, The Christmas Wind Story Project involved the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in the spring of 2016 and was a top 10 finalist in the 2016 CST Inspired Minds Learning Project Contest.

        Presentation Description

        During Stephanie’s school presentations for grades K-3, she encourages children to look for and understand their own creativity by sharing the stories behind her stories, how these stories/ideas turn into books, and what it’s like to write for a living. Specifically, she has four goals with each school presentation:

        • To entertain students with a dramatic reading of her books so they will come to know and care about her characters and about the value of story
        • To stir the writer/creator inside each student by sharing the stories behind her stories, thus empowering them to see the connection between their own lives and their own potential works of art
        • To create a natural bridge to relevant, valuable and interesting learning (e.g.Hoogie in the Middle – a simile exercise; Leon’s Song – a mini science quiz on how frogs survive the winter)
        • To give students a sense of what goes into the creation of a book (the illustrator, the publisher, the ideas) and what it’s like to write for a living 

        For grades 5-8, Stephanie will focus on her mid grade novel Sully, Messed Up to explore themes of self-esteem, identity, life choices, social-emotional learning and bullying.

        Ahead of each school visit Stephanie creates a school specific page on her website to help teachers and students prepare for her visit.

        Maximum group size: 50-60 for optimum interaction 

        Equipment required: a table, an easel (for presentation boards), water, microphone for larger groups or in the gym.

        Contact Stephanie to book a visit:

          Cohen, Tziporah (Toronto, ON)

          Tziporah Cohen

          Tziporah Cohen. Toronto, Ontario. Writers’ Union Member. English. Grades SK-3 (picture book presentations), Grade 4-8 (novel presentations).

          Virtual rates: $200 per session (45-60 min). In-person rates: $275 for one session (45-60 minutes), $200 each for additional visits up to four. Full day visits can include eating lunch with small group of interested older students. Kindergarten visits can be split into two 25 min visits with different classes. No travel costs within City of Toronto; GTA (excluding City of Toronto) $25 per 30 min car travel, rounded up. 

          Tziporah is the author of three picture books:  ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE: HOW MILTON HERSHEY BROUGHT MILK CHOCOLATE TO AMERICA (December 2022), AFIKOMEN (March 2023) and CITY BEET (March 2023). She is also the author of the award-winning middle grade novel, NO VACANCY, published in September 2020.

          Middle Grade Novel Presentations

          • Author’s Journey: How do you go from writer to author? Learn the origin story of NO VACANCY and all the steps from beginning to publication: from idea to first draft and revisions, to acquisition, editing and copy editing, cover design and book-on-the-shelf! Includes photos from the entire process and reading of a chapter from the book. (60 minutes, Grades 4-7, in-person or virtual)
          • Revision, Revision, Revision! What are the steps in going from first draft to finished story? Get an inside view on the author’s revisions of NO VACANCY, both before and after acquisition by the publisher. Includes specific examples of revision strategies (using strong verbs; show, don’t tell; adding detail; use of outlines and calendars; eliminating writing quirks, etc) with photos of manuscript. Includes reading of a chapter of the book. This presentation works best if students have read the book, but not required. (60 minutes, Grades 4-7, in person or virtual)

          Picture Book Presentations

          • Let’s Talk About Chocolate! Where does chocolate come from? Learn about where and how cacao beans grow and how they are turned into the chocolate we all love, followed by a reading ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE: HOW MILTON HERSHEY BROUGHT MILK CHOCOLATE TO AMERICA. (45 minutes, Grades JK-2, in person or virtual)
          • How Do Picture Books Get Made? Using ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE or CITY BEET, we’ll talk about how a picture book gets made, from idea to research, first draft to revision, illustration to printing, plus the various people involved in the process, including the writer and illustrator, editor, book designer, publicist and more.  Includes a reading of either book and Q&A time. (45 minutes, Grades 1-3, can be combined with Let’s Talk About Chocolate for total of 60 minutes, in-person or virtual)
          • Let’s Make a Picture Book Workshop! Why are picture books always 32 or 40 pages in length? What is the author’s job and what is the illustrator’s? Who decides if the characters will be people or animals? We’ll answer these questions and more and then, using one of the author’s manuscripts, the students will illustrate the words and put them together to make their own picture book for the classroom library. Includes a reading of any of author’s picture books. (45-60 minutes, Grades 3-4, in-person only)

          Size limits: 100 for virtual presentations, 30 for in-person visits (60 for Reading/Q&A)

          Equipment: For virtual visits, Skype or school Zoom account. For in-person visits, laptop with Powerpoint, (can bring own laptop if it can be connected to school projector, otherwise will bring USB stick), projector and screen for Power Point presentation, table, microphone if space larger than classroom, glass of water. Teacher or librarian must be present for all presentations, virtual or in-person.

          Contact Tziporah to book a visit:

            Cooke, Stephanie (Toronto, ON)

            Stephanie Cooke. Toronto, ON. Writers’ Union of Canada Member. English. Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Middle-Grade, and Young Adult. Stephanie’s rates for school visits is $300 for one session (local schools only), $500 for two sessions or for a half-day, and $900 for a full school day (maximum four sessions), plus travel if applicable. Virtual visits are $250.

            Stephanie Cooke is an author and editor based out of Toronto, Canada. She is the writer of ParaNorthern and the co-writer of Oh My Gods!

            She loves to speak to people about comics, graphic novels, and writing and devotes a lot of time to helping educate people about creating, understanding, and appreciating the graphic novel medium.

            CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL
            Ever wonder how a comic book or graphic novel gets made? How many different people work on one book? What’s the process for creating a story and turning it into a graphic novel? Stephanie delves into all of this and more as she helps people explore the world of the comic book industry and sheds light on the process of writing a story from inception to completion.

            Ages: Any

            Group size: Any, but especially love working with smaller groups of 15-30 kids.
            A/V needs: Projector or anything to present some images to go along with the presentation.

            Collaboration is hands-down the best parts of creating a graphic novel. Working with someone to bring an idea to life is an incredible feeling. Having someone to bounce ideas around with is amazing and inspiring. And getting to see an artist bring what was in your head to life on the page is nothing short of magical! With her experience as a co-writer on Oh My Gods! and a co-creator on an unannounced series, Stephanie has created this presentation to help teach you about the process, what to expect, and provide exercises for you to learn from.

            Ages: Any, but works especially well ages 6 and up (and for students and adults)
            Group size: 15-30

            Other topics are available upon request.

            Contact Stephanie to book a visit…

              Church, Dr. Dana L (Waterloo, ON)

              Dr. Dana L. Church

              Dr. Dana L. Church lives in Waterloo, Ontario. She is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada and presents in English to grades 1 through 8.

              In-person rates: $250 for one one-hour session, $450 for two, $675 for three, plus a travel fee of $0.50/km if outside Waterloo. Virtual visit rates: $200 for one one-hour session, $150 for each additional session on the same day.

              Dr. Dana L. Church is a middle-grade nonfiction writer who loves turning fascinating science hidden in scholarly journals into prose that is fun and accessible for everyone.

              Dr. Dana L. Church has a PhD in animal cognition, which means she spends a lot of time figuring out how other animals think, remember, learn, make decisions, and solve problems. She spent many years studying bumble bees and loves to talk about why they are such amazing little creatures. Dana’s presentations include background about how she was originally terrified of bees but then eventually fell in love with them. She also answers questions such as, What are bumble bees, anyway? Why are they important? Are bees in trouble? How do scientists study bees? What can we do to help save the bees? She loves answering questions from the audience. Dana can also chat about her journey to becoming a published author, her writing process, and what it’s like to write nonfiction.

              Dana used to teach outrageously large undergraduate classes in university so she really doesn’t have a size limit for her audience. She finds that her PowerPoint slides are handy for showing people photos of all different kinds of bumble bees that exist, so for in-person visits, if she could hook up her Mac laptop to a projector, that would be great. For virtual visits, she can adapt to any platform, and if she can share her screen, even better.

              Contact Dana to book a visit:

                Leatherdale, Mary Beth (Toronto, ON)

                Writers’ Union Member. Her picture book, middle grade and YA non-fiction have received many awards and accolades in Canada including Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, Silver Birch Honour Book, Red Maple nominee (2x), as well as in the U.S. (Excellence in Non-Fiction YALSA finalist, Kirkus Prize Nomination, Junior Library Guild Selection) and internationally (White Raven Award). $300 + HST for 1 hour presentation; $500 + HST for 2 + travel for locations outside Toronto.

                Virtual Visits: $250 plus HST, 60 minutes, Skype/Zoom/Google Talk. HST extra.

                Mary Beth loves visiting schools and connecting with kids, sharing personal stories and engaging students with interactive activities. For more than 25 years, she has been involved with researching, developing and writing books, magazines and resources for students and educators. She holds a Master of Education from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE). Mary Beth’s books have been selected for readers’ choice awards in Ontario, British Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Texas and Bangkok. She has presented at schools and libraries in Ontario, British Columbia and Kansas City, Missouri.

                Presentations:
                JK- Gr. 3 – TERRY FOX AND ME: Storytelling session plus Q & A. For older children she includes a Powerpoint presentation, with an interactive look behind the curtain at how an idea becomes a book.
                Gr. 4-8: STORMY SEAS: This presentation focuses on Mary Beth’s Silver Birch Honour Book STORMY SEAS. In an interactive presentation, students are invited to take on the roles of the young boat refugees featured in the book. Through discussion and powerpoint resources, we explore the factors that force families to leave their home, the difficult choices they must make, and the challenges of adapting to a new home. Works best in a classroom or library space.
                Gr. 4 -8: WHAT WRITERS DO AND HOW THEY DO IT: As a writer and editor, Mary Beth has lots of experience in taking an idea and through perseverance and many drafts turning it into an award-winning book. Sharing fiction and non-fiction examples from both sides of the desk, Mary Beth will help students better understand real-life research, writing and revision process.
                *ALL PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIRTUAL VISITS.

                Mary Beth is happy to adapt her presentations to meet the curriculum needs of teachers. Educator’s guides are available online.

                Grades: JK through 6
                Maximum number of students per session: 60 for grades JK – 2, 80 for older grades
                Setting: school library or classroom (no gyms, please!)
                Requirements: digital projector, screen or Smartboard, a microphone if the presentation is more than 50 kids, small table. If a laptop is available at the school, let her know and she’ll bring her presentation on a USB flash drive.

                Contact Mary Beth:

                  Morse, Joe (Toronto, ON)

                  Joe Morse. Illustrator/educator. Toronto. English. Grade levels: Grade 3 and up. Rates: $250 for one session, $450 for two, $675 for three, $900 for a full day (four sessions) Plus HST and travel fee of $0.50/km if outside Toronto.

                  Joe Morse’s recent picture book Go Show the World with Wab Kinew was nominated for the Governor General’s Award, won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award and is a Finalist in the Forest of Reading (Silver Birch Express).

                  Joe Morse is an award winning book illustrator and educator. He has won over 200 awards as an Illustrator in editorial, advertising and books working with international clients: Universal Pictures, Nike, the NBA, and Major League Baseball and 30 years of teaching Illustration with a focus on drawing.

                  Joe’s Workshops are tailored to 2 different needs.

                  1. Heroes without Capes: audio/visual presentation on the super powers each one of us has using the real life characters from the book Go Show the World. Focus: history, personal storytelling, culture, empowerment, empathy, diversity, environment and media awareness.

                  2. Draw Thinking: smaller groups with paper and drawing tool (crayon, pencil). He shows the original art for Go Show the World and the group works with the second best form of communication we humans have (after physical gestures) DRAWING. A language that is truly universal.

                  Focus: hands on fun. Creative thinking. Making mistakes is good for you. Note: for students that may have challenges with the physical aspect of drawing, he can emphasize the visual identification of shapes drawn during the workshop.

                  Audience size: 1. Heroes without Capes: can be any size. He needs a screen and projector with an HDMI input/output. For 2. Draw Thinking: size dependent on table space for drawing. (30 and less optimal). He needs a screen and projector with an HDMI input/output. (If a projector is not available, please let Joe know in advance and he will attempt to bring one with him).

                  Contact Joe to connect him with your readers:

                  Continue reading “Morse, Joe (Toronto, ON)”

                  Humphrey, Anna (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON)

                  annahumphrey1Kitchener-Waterloo. English author. Grades 2–6. $275 + HST for one 45–60 minute session in-person. Virtual (Skype) visits: $150 + HST for 30–60 minutes.

                  Anna is the author of the Megabat series (ideal for readers 6–9) and of the comic-filled Clara Humble series (for readers ages 8–12). She is also the author of Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea, a middle grade novel that relates to simple machines/Rube Goldberg machines and ties in well with STEM topics.


                   

                  Presentations will include a talk about what it takes to become an author and a discussion about craft (from finding inspiration, to making your words ring true, to revising, then revising again). There will also
                  be a short reading and an opportunity for students to ask questions.

                  Maximum number of students per session: 150 (flexible)
                  Preferred venues: library, classroom
                  Equipment requirements: table, screen with laptop set up for PowerPoint, microphone if the only space available is the gymnasium.

                  CONTACT: