I'd love to meet with your class!
Visiting classrooms and libraries to speak with readers is one of the highlights of being a children's book author.
I offer in-person or online visits of 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or one hour. The content of my books is best suited for grades 1 through 7, and they include many curriculum connections! I also offer creative writing workshops for high school students, as well as workshops geared to teachers for professional development.
I'm happy to tailor my presentation according to you and your students’ interests and needs, so please get in touch!
Contact me to discuss my programs, fees, and availability.
"Author Megan Clendenan shared her amazing picture book Just In Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Seed Vault. Wow, wow, wow! Our students LOVED hearing Megan share her story, share her experience as a writer, and teach us about seed saving and its importance for our future! I think the most powerful thing for our students to see was pictures of the book Megan wrote when she was a young grade 3 student. She then encouraged students to write stories and save them." Mrs. Crystal Cahill, Elementary Library Teacher and K-7 Librarian, Lions Gate School
“I had the pleasure to tour with author Megan Clendenan during Canadian Children's Book Week in the BC Interior. I was struck by her natural presentation style, creativity, and ability to nurture curiosity with learners. Her cross-curricular book, Design By Nature, inspires students to slow down, foster their observational skills, and remain reflective about their surroundings. After learning about biomimicry, Megan encouraged students to create a design for their own invention, inspired by nature, which was so engaging and fun to do! Students and staff left her presentation with a renewed sense of hope and were keen to learn more about ways the natural world can sustain and inspire us.” Andrea Wallin, Kamloops-Thompson District Librarian
“I admire how you were able to convince the students that creative writing is cool. Confidence is everything, and you certainly gave the writers the belief they needed.” Mr. Eddie de Beer, Senior School English and Creative Writing Teacher, Alcuin School.
"We had SUCH an amazing visit with Megan. Our students loved the different examples she read from her book ‘Design Like Nature’ and they especially enjoyed all the samples & props she brought in. They asked lots of questions, and were totally engaged in the activity she had them do at the end. Their homeroom teacher also commented on how great the whole presentation was, and how the topics and activity connected so much to what they are learning about in class." Mrs. Crystal Cahill, Elementary Library Teacher, Lions Gate School
Presentation Options
Contact me to discuss tailoring a presentation for your student’s needs, programs, fees, and availability.
Seeds Buried in the Arctic?
Pack your bags and get ready for an adventure! Join Megan on a virtual field trip around the world to learn about the importance of seeds. She’ll begin the journey in the Arctic Circle, on the island of Svalbard, where treasure is buried deep inside a mountain. What kind of treasure? Seeds from every country in the world! Through an engaging presentation filled with photos, students will have the opportunity to explore the glaciers, the Northern Lights, and polar bears of Svalbard before we open the steel doors of the vault to see what’s inside. The presentation will include a read-aloud of Just in Case, time for questions, and interactive activities that can be tailored to the class, including ‘how a book is made’. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an inspiring example of international cooperation, and Megan had the chance to interview one of its founders.
Can be adapted for Grades 1-6
Problem-Solve with Nature!
Did you know that some lamps are powered by glowing bacteria? Or that gloves inspired by gecko feet let people climb walls? Join Megan to explore biomimicry, an exciting field of science focused on innovations, inventions, and designs inspired by nature. Megan will read a short passage from DESIGN LIKE NATURE and then give a lively presentation showing how inventors and scientists use biomimicry to solve real-world problems. For example, termite homes can teach us how to build more energy-efficient buildings, and search and rescue robots can be inspired by cockroaches. After learning about biomimicry, students get the chance to sketch a design for their own biomimicry invention. This is always a popular activity. The session will be a celebration of the power of imagination! Also includes ‘how a book is made’ adapted to various grade levels.
Can be adapted for Grades 3-7
What’s the Vibe? YOU Decide!
A creative writing workshop!
Have you ever wondered how authors make a story feel spooky, silly, or thrilling? Every story has a mood -- a vibe created by the writer. In this writing workshop, students learn ways to master mood. Discover how to build word banks, use "hard" and "soft" sounds to change the mood, and explore ways to paint vivid settings with your sentences. Through writing prompts and handy techniques, have fun crafting your story’s vibe!
Megan will guide students through a series of fun writing activities, including reading short excerpts from a variety of books, including her novel, OFFBEAT.
Can be adapted for Grades 4-12
From Spark to Fire: Developing Story Ideas
How does a book get from the kernel of an idea to an entire story? In this program, I explore topics such as how sparks of ideas are fuelled into stories and the creativity behind that process. I use fun writing prompts that get students’ creativity revved up! I also talk about being an author and save time for Q&A.
Can be adapted for Grades 4-12
Write, Rewrite, Repeat!
After you've written your first draft, the fun of revising begins! This presentation focuses on techniques for revising and that it can be a fun part of the creative process. I'll use examples from my own published books, showing students early drafts, the editing process, and then the final product and how I went about making those changes.
Can be adapted for Grades 4-12
