Writing Kid Lit – the Next Level, Monday evenings, Oct 2 – Dec 11

Writing Kid Lit – the Next Level

Picture Books to Young Adult Novels

Online: Monday evenings, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
October 2 – December 11, 2023, {0r to Dec 18 if the course fills up} N0 class Oct 9 or 23.
Offered through Zoom and accessible from anywhere there's internet 

This course is for adults {or teens} interested in writing picture books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade books, or Young Adult novels. It’s meant for people who have previously taken a kid lit course or who otherwise know the basics of the contemporary market for children’s literature. 

The focus of the class will be on your work – picture book manuscripts or chapters of novels or nonfiction books for young people that you’ll present to the class for feedback as to how to make them even better. We’ll also have discussions, talks from the instructor, and two children’s authors as guest speakers:

Lana Button has eleven children’s books, with Orca, Kids Can Press, Owlkids, Tundra, and Pajama Press, including her latest, Stay My Baby (Orca ) Percy’s Perfect Friend, (Pajama Press – see here) Tayra’s NOT Talking (Kids Can Press – see here), The Cow Said Boo (Pajama Press – see here), and Tough Like Mum (Tundra / Penguin Random House – see here). 

Lana has four picture books scheduled for publication in 2024, which include books with Scholastic and Nimbus. Lana is also excited about her 2025 Groundwood picture book, co-written with Eric Walters.

Lana has been awarded the Crystal Kite Award. Her picture books have been shortlisted for 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 @LanaButton 

Erin Silver is a children’s author and freelance writer with nearly 20 years of professional industry experience. Her work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Today's Parent, Chatelaine, and The Washington Post, among others.

Erin has six books out, most recently: Good Food, Bad Waste (Orca Books – see here) a nonfiction book for kids about reducing food waste, Sitting Shiva (Orca Books – see here), a picture book about a child grieving his mother, and Rush Hour: Navigating Our Global Traffic Jam (Orca – see here), a nonfiction book for kids 9–12. 

Erin is also the author of Just Watch Me (Common Deer Press – see here), a middle grade novel about the perils of the online age; What Kids Did: Stories of Kindness and Invention in the Time of COVID-19 (Second Story Press – see here), a nonfiction picture book about the amazing ways kids around the world helped during the pandemic; and Proud to Play (Lorimor – see here), featuring outstanding Canadian LGBTQ+ athletes and allies who have made a difference.

Plus, she has several more kids' books on the way.

Erin has a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from King's College in Halifax, a postgraduate journalism degree from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. She's a member of IBBY, The Writers Union of Canada, CANSCAIP and SCBWI. Visit her at erinsilver.ca

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. Brian is the author of a children's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing). But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.  

Read reviews of Brian's various courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

Fee: $220.35 plus 13% hst = $259

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

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