Next Meeting: April 20, 2009

Our next meeting is fast approaching. On Monday, April 20, at 7:30 pm, at the Nellie McClung Library at Cedar Hill Rd. & McKenzie Ave. (back entrance, library is closed), we will hear Diane Swanson, a very prolific writer of children's non-fiction, speak.

Diane Swanson is a full-time author who gets her inspiration from the natural world. Swanson encourages young writers to "Write what really excites you. No matter what your subject is, if you let your excitement shine through your words, you'll grab your readers' interest." Creating engaging and factual books for children is definitely what excites Diane Swanson.

For more info about Diane and her books, please visit http://www.authorviews.com/authors/swanson.php


Our last meeting is Monday, May 25 and will be a presentation by Mark Tougas, author and illustrator of Mechanimals, winner of the first Bolen Book Prize last November, 2008. More information to follow.

Kristin Butcher-Monday, February 23, 2009

Looking into the Prism—Three Sides to Every Story

It takes inspiration, perspiration, and a healthy knowledge of the craft of writing to shape a story. But it's the writer's personal experiences that breathe life into it, and it's the reader's personal experiences that unearth its soul.

Join Kristin Butcher as she examines the reflective qualities of the writing process—where stories come from, what makes them credible, poignant, and memorable, and most importantly, what makes them unique.

Please join us on Monday, February 23rd, 7:30 pm at the Nellie McClung branch of GVPL to hear Kristin and be sure to visit kristinbutcher.com and learn all about this fantastic author.

Next Presentation: Monday, January 19, 2009 at 7pm

We have two excellent presenters lined up for our next meeting. Check out their bios below:

Robin Stevenson spent 10 years working as a counselor and social worker before beginning a new career as an author. Robin’s first YA novel, Out of Order, was published in the fall of 2007 and was a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books starred selection. She has since published four more novels: a sports adventure novel called Dead in the Water, a juvenile novel called Impossible Things, a YA reluctant reader called Big Guy, and her newest release, a teen novel called A Thousand Shades of Blue. A sixth novel for teens, Inferno, will be published in the spring of 2009. Robin grew up in England and Ontario, and now lives in Victoria, BC.

Author Website: www.robinstevenson.com

Michelle Mulder loves writing about kids who seize life’s opportunities. Her early readers, Maggie and the Chocolate War, and Yeny and the Children for Peace, are based on true stories of children who banded together to improve their world. Originally a freelance travel writer, Michelle began writing for children in 2006 with the release of the first picture book of the Theodore Too series. She has since published two more picture books (both in the Theodore Too series) and two early readers. Orca Publishers will be releasing her third early reader, After Peaches, in Fall 2009.

Author website: www.michellemulder.com