You're invited to "Writing Kid Lit – the Next Level"

Writing Kid Lit – The Next Level!

Online: Monday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m.
Sept 30 – Dec 2, {or to Dec 9 if the course fills up.} No class Oct 14 or 21.

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:

Guest speaker Lana Button has 14 children’s books, with Orca, Kids Can Press, Owlkids, Tundra, Nimbus and Pajama Press, including her latest, First Ones on the Ice (Nimbus) See You Later, Alligator! (Scholastic), 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 several books scheduled for publication through 2028, including a series of early chapter books with Orca Books and a 2025 Groundwood picture book, co-written with Eric Walters.

Lana has been awarded the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award and 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 @lanabuttonauthor  

Guest speaker Erin Silver is an award-winning children’s author and freelance writer. Her books for children include Rush Hour: Navigating Our Global Traffic Jam (Blueberry Award winner) and Sitting Shiva (Ontario Library Association Best Pick, Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor, Vine Award finalist, and TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist).

She's also the author of: Good Food, Bad Waste: Let’s Eat for the Planet; Mighty Scared: The Amazing Ways Animals Defend Themselves; In It To Win It: Sports and the Climate Crisis; and All Consuming: Shop Smarter for the Planet. 

Several additional nonfiction titles about plants, animals and climate change are forthcoming. 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 and other pieces about or inspired by Brian's writing courses, workshops, and retreats here (and scroll down).

Fee: $220.35 plus 13% hst = $259

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

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