Lana Button\, Jennifer Maruno\, and Sylvia McNicoll share their insights on crafting captivating stories for young r eaders. These award-winning authors offer practical tips on writing for ch ildren and provide valuable advice on navigating the publishing world. A u nique opportunity to connect with expert storytellers who have achieved gr eat success writing and publishing books for children and all of whom are nominated for the 2026 Hamilton Literary Awards in the category of Childre n&rsquo\;s Literature.
\nA Different Drummer Books will be on site w ith books for sale and signing after the talk.
\nLana Button \;is the award-winning author of several books fo r children\, including her new chapter book series\, \;Brianna Ban ana. Her books have been translated into several languages and have r eceived the \;Crystal Kite Award\, the \;Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Award\, \;and the IBBY \;Outstanding Book for Young Chil dren\, \;and \;have been shortlisted for \;The Blue Spruce&nbs p\;Award\, \;The Shining Willow\, and The \;Jean Throop IODE Award . Her books have been recognized as the Canadian Children&rsquo\;s Book Ce ntre&rsquo\;s \;Best Books of the Year \;and \;Be st Bets.
\nExplore Lana Button in our collection
\nJennifer Maruno is the author of nine novels for young readers and several picture books\ , all of which have received starred reviews and recognition. \;Wh ile You Sleep\, \;was selected for the 2023 Bank Street College o f Education Best Children&rsquo\;s Books of the Year. \;Momma&rsqu o\;s Going to March \;won the Horace Mann Upstanders Award. As an elementary school principal\, Jennifer encouraged all lessons to begin wi th a story&mdash\;even mathematics. She received her Master of Education f rom Brock University. Jennifer enjoys travelling and mentoring writers.
\nExplore Jennifer Maruno in our collection
\nSylvia McNicoll has wri tten over 40 books for young audiences worldwide. She&rsquo\;s spoken and taught in libraries and classrooms across Canada\, South Korea and Colombi a. In 2022\, she earned a Queen&rsquo\;s Diamond Jubilee Civic Hero medal for her work in co-editing Writing the Rollercoaster\, Stories of Ridi ng out the Pandemic. McNicoll&rsquo\;s latest work\, \;Blue t o the Sky\, stars an allergic-to-everything 13-year-old who believes reciting her Faceless Food poem on the top of the CN Tower will cure her o f her fear of public speaking.
\nExplore Sylvia McNicoll in our collection
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