YA – Authors' Booking Service

Becker, Shari (Toronto, Ontario)

SCBWI, CANSCAIP and The Writer’s Union. Picture Books, Middle Grade & YA

Shari Becker is a critically acclaimed novelist and picture book author who has been writing and creating content, fiction and nonfiction for children and teens for over 25 years. Her nonfiction picture books include Taking Turns With Turtles: A Rescue Story and Sprouting Wings, which she co-authored. Her fiction picture books include Maxwell’s Mountain and Horris Grows Down. She has also written the YA climate-change adventure novel The Stellow Project, and she is currently working on a middle grade contemporary manuscript.

Over the span of her writing career, Shari has tutored, taught and led creative activities for students in elementary, middle and high schools across North America. In 2017, Shari founded Whale Rock Literary Workshops, a master-level writing education company for children’s authors that employs award-winning authors and editors as well as MFA-level faculty. She holds an MA from New York University and kicked off her career developing branded content for Nickelodeon, Disney-owned properties, and an Emmy Award–winning puppeteer.

Shari’s books have received honors including Bank Street Best Books Outstanding Merit, Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Book for Young People, Golden Kite Finalist, Oklahoma State Sequoyah Book Award Nominee, Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Nominee and Charlotte Zolotow Honors. Multiple titles are Junior Library Guild selections, and she has received starred School Library Journal as well as a starred Publishers Weekly Reviews.

Rates:

Within Toronto, for in-person workshops, Shari’s rates are $300 for one session, $550 for two and $800 for three sessions. HST is additional. All sessions are between 45 and 60 minutes. For virtual workshops, Shari’s rates are $250 for one session, $450 for two and $675 for three. HST is additional. Kindergarten visits can be split into two 25 minutes visits with different classes. Travel fees may apply outside the metro-Toronto area.

Presentations are available in Montreal when possible as I am there often.

Presentations Available:
Preschool through Kindergarten
Taking Turns With Turtles: A Rescue Story
25-30 minute storytime with question and answer period and optional art activity connected to turtles or other community helpers. Shari is happy to connect with teachers and librarians ahead of time to adapt the presentation to their current curriculum.

Maxwell’s Mountain
25-30 minute storytime with question and answer period and optional art activity connected to map-making and trip planning. Shari is happy to connect with teachers and librarians ahead of time to adapt the presentation to their current curriculum.

Grades 3 – 5
Sprouting Wings
This 45-60 minute presentation includes a reading of the picture book as well as a conversation about the backstory and/or questions students may have about James Herman Banning.

Class conversation will revolve around community and untold stories. Students will be given time to brainstorm an idea and write a story about either a community they are a part of or a greatest story from their family. If there is time we can share and read aloud.

Shari is happy to connect with teachers and librarians ahead of time to adapt presentations to the current curriculum. As well, if appropriate, Shari can combine Taking Turns With Turtles as part of a class discussion around the concept of community.

Grades 5 – 12
Shari has taught workshops in schools and afterschool programs for private and public groups. She tutored high schoolers in essay writing as well as in writing personal statements for the US university application process.

She will coordinate with school faculty to collaborate on specific, 45-60 minute writing workshops, aligned with the current curriculum, if desired, drawing on Shari’s extensive background in teaching creative writing and educational / academic writing to students.

Some examples of her workshops for middle and high schoolers include:

Using concrete nouns and creative verbs to enhance your writing
We’ll explore how making word choices in writing can elevate a piece of writing. Shari will share and explore examples of paragraphs from age-appropriate literature where the authors use concrete nouns and unique verbs. Shari will create a list of nouns and verbs with students and each student will write their own paragraphs, which we will then share out loud and discuss.

Character development
Memorable characters stay with readers for a lifetime. Shari will lead students through a conversation around their favorite characters. She’ll investigate why these characters are beloved and how the authors created them. Shari will share selections from literature and discuss with the class all the various questions an author needs to consider when creating a character. Students will each be asked to answer a series of questions about a character and then write a paragraph where they “tell” us about a character using the “show don’t tell” approach.

Dialogue and body language
Compelling dialogue makes stories believable. In this workshop we’ll read a series of novel excerpts where characters are talking to each other. We’ll look at how real conversations often don’t include full sentences. Characters cut each other off, repeat themselves, start an idea and then continue later. We’ll look at how authors describe the characters’ bodies while they are speaking so that the reader can imagine the scene. Shari may ask two or three students to come up and act out the scenes they read. Students will then have an opportunity to write themselves or with partners a scene that contains dialogue and body language.

Personal Essays
Personal essays can be a powerful writing tool for both students applying to universities and students looking for a form of self-expression. Using examples of the US Common Application essay as a starting point, Shari can teach 10th-12th graders the art of writing about oneself. She’ll talk about how to find a great topic, how to use narration as a tool to hook readers, and how to bring the narrative together in a way that is memorable.

Equipment required: Equipment differs from presentation to presentation. Flip chart and markers or whiteboard and pens, microphone and podium (for large rooms), paper and pencils or pens (for workshops). Art supplies may be needed or brought by author, TBD. Teacher and/or librarian must be present.

Contact Shari to book a visit:

Kamal, Sheena

Sheena is currently unavailable for bookings/visits

Adult thrillers and bold, gritty YA fiction. Globe and Mail bestselling author, Strand Magazine Critics Award Winner, Macavity Award Winner, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Winner, White Pine Nominee, Crime Writers of Canada Nominee. All ages. $400 plus HST for 1 session + travel. Virtual Visits: $300 plus HST per session.

Sheena is an internationally published, critically acclaimed author of adult thrillers and young adult fiction. She holds an HBA in Political Science from the University of Toronto and was awarded a TD Canada Trust scholarship for community leadership and activism around the issue of homelessness.

Her debut novel The Lost Ones (US)/Eyes Like Mine (UK) won the 2018 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, a Strand Magazine Critics Award and Macavity Award for Best First Novel. It has been sold in fifteen countries and was a Globe and Mail Bestseller, a Time Magazine Recommended Read, an iBooks Best Book, a Bustle Best Book and a Powell’s Pick. Fight Like a Girl is her debut YA novel and is also published in the UK by Hot Key Books.

Additionally, her writing has been featured in The Guardian (U.K.), Bustle, The Irish Times (Ireland), Writers Digest, and Entertainment Weekly.

She enjoys giving workshops about the writing process, connecting with your creativity, and finding your voice.

Contact Sheena 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…

Narsimhan, Mahtab (BC)

Writers’ Union Member. Silver Birch winning author available for school, public library, and conference visits. Member of The Writers’ Union of Canada.

Younge-Ullman, Danielle (Toronto, ON)

Writers Union Member. White Pine Award Winner and two-time nominee, also nominated for Governor General’s award, Amy Mathers Teen Book award, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz award, among others—a total of 18 nominations and Best-of lists. YA Author of HE MUST LIKE YOU, EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IS NOT RUINED, and LOLA CARLYE’S 12 STEP ROMANCE.

Danielle’s virtual visit fee is $200 per 50-60 minute session. In person visits are $300 for 1 hour presentation; $550 for 2, $800 for 3, plus travel for locations outside Toronto.

Danielle is a confident and dynamic presenter who loves talking about books with people of all ages. She attained a BA from McGill, worked for years as an actor before turning to writing, and has had a wild variety of jobs—everything from acting, to dubbing English voices for Japanese TV, to temping, to teaching Pilates, to freelance writing. Danielle lives Toronto with her husband and two daughters.

Presentations: Because of her background in theatre, Danielle is very comfortable in front of an audience and loves engaging with readers. Though she writes teen fiction, she can also adjust her presentations for groups as young as grade 5 and 6. Presentations can be geared toward each group, and can be done with more of a workshop emphasis if required. All presentations include time for questions!

Age range: grades 5 and up, but ideally grades 7-12. Danielle also loves presenting to and working with adult groups, and meeting with book clubs.

Topics:

Pantsters, Plotters & Making Soup: A discussion of the essential elements of fiction, and explanations of some of the different techniques used by writers to craft story and write fiction.

Turning Real Life Into Fiction: The process of using your own stories as inspiration for fiction is deeper, more layered, and much more detailed than it looks. In this session, Danielle will take you through the process of distilling the essence of your experiences, and using the most compelling themes and elements to create a work of fiction, using He Must Like You and Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined as examples.

How to Pursue a Career as a Novelist: A presentation that explains the process of becoming a professional writer, from beginning writing through searching for an agent, to going through the process of being published. This presentation is great for students who are interested in the arts, and in the process of making decisions about their futures.

How to Revise the Crap Out of Your Manuscript: Danielle is an in-depth and joyfully ruthless reviser. In this session she will go through the steps she takes to revise her manuscripts in a way that can also be applied to shorter works. Subjects will include character consistency, POV, tone, tightening and/or expanding, layering in new characters and plot lines, analyzing structure, and general troubleshooting of things that aren’t working.

Equipment: podium or desk, microphone for groups larger than 40. Maximum group size: 40-60 for optimum interaction, but Danielle is also comfortable in front of larger groups. 25 or fewer for workshops.

Contact Danielle Younge-Ullman:

Hohn, Nadia (Toronto)

The Writers Union member. Picture book. All ages. $350 for 1 session (60 min) $ 600 for 2 sessions of 60 minutes (1/2 day)$ 400 for 2 x 30 minute sessions (great for JK to 1). Full day (4 sessions) $ 1000. + kilometrage. Can present in English and French.

Malaika’s Costume (2016) and Malaika’s Winter Carnival (2017).

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:

Zweig, Eric (Owen Sound ON)

Writers’ Union Member. Hockey historian and author. Available for school and library visits. Eric’s rate is $300 for one session, $500 for two, or $750 for three, plus HST. Mileage costs can often be negotiated for multiple bookings or for presentations in the GTA. For virtual visits, the fee is $200 per session.