Online Kid Lit workshop with Jennifer Stokes, editorial director at Owlkids Books and picture book author Lana Button

The Serpent's Fury, a middle grade novel
by Kelley Armstrong, a NYT #1 bestselling author
and one of Brian's students

Writing for Children and for Young Adults

  with Owlkids Books editorial director

     ~ Jennifer Stokes

  and picture book and board book author

     ~ Lana Button

Saturday, April 9, 2022
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom and accessible wherever there’s Internet

If you want to write the next best-selling children’s books or just want to create stories for your own kids, this workshop is for you. Learn how to write stories kids and young adults will love and find out what you need to know to sell your book. Be sure to bring all your questions – we'll have lots of time for interaction.

Special option: Participants are invited to submit the opening couple pages (first 500 words) of your children’s book or young adult novel (or up to 1,000 words if that gets you to the end of your picture book or to the end of your first chapter). Email your pages to me prior to our workshop. Jennifer and I will publicly critique about half a dozen submissions so everyone can see what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your story-telling. If you’re not currently working on a children’s story, don’t worry, we’ll get you started! ~Brian

Guest speaker Jennifer Stokes is the editorial director at  Owlkids Books. Owlkids publishes about 15 new books each spring and fall, including board books, picture books, nonfiction, fiction, and graphic novels.

Jennifer has been a children’s book editor for over twenty years. Before joining Owlkids, she was a senior editor at Kids Can Press. She also worked as the manager of the children’s section at the now-closed McNally Robinson Booksellers in Toronto. And she’s the co-author (with Dave Whamond) of the picture book Frank and Laverne.

“My goal is to work with the Owlkids team to publish books that appeal to every single kind of reader,” says Jennifer, “whether they be enthusiastic or reluctant, whether they look for humour or pathos, whether they want something to really sink their teeth into or are just looking for a short burst of fun.”

Guest speaker Lana Button grew up in the tiny border town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick. She has a background in acting and is an early childhood educator. Today Lana writes for young children and reads out loud to crowds of kids whenever she gets the chance. 

She has eight published picture books, with Kids Can Press, Owlkids, Tundra, and Pajama Press, including her latest The Cow Said Boo (see here), and Tough Like Mum (see here). Her new book, Tayra’s NOT Talking (Kids Can Press) is releasing this June. Her board book, Forever and a Day (Orca) is coming in 2023, and she has a picture book coming with Tundra in 2024.

Lana’s picture books have been shortlisted for awards including The Blue Spruce, The Shining Willow, the Jean Throop IODE Award and the Rainforest of Reading, and have been recognized as Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Bets and the IBBY Outstanding Book for Young Children.

Find out more about Lana and her books at www.lanabutton.com and connect with her on social media on Twitter @LanaButton and Instagram lanabutton.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor, author, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers and is the author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing Inc). But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published.

Read reviews of Brian’s classes and workshops here.

Fee: $43.36 + 13% hst = $49 paid in advance by mail or Interac

To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.