Available for in-person visits in: Manitoba
Craft: Author
Genre: Early Chapter Books
Target Audience: Grades 2-6
Preferred Maximum Group Size: 60
Preferred Presentation Space: Classroom or library
Cost for School and Public Presentation with CCBC subsidy: $200.00, plus applicable taxes
Workshop Information:
Presentation: Your Stories Matter
Target age-group: Could be adapted for students in grade 2 to grade 6
Length: One hour In this presentation, Linda will talk about how intersecting elements of her identity show up in her books and talk about her journey to becoming an author. An introduction will consist of a short discussion about names and their importance (tie into the book series). She will do an overview of The Nguyen Kids series and how the books are influenced by her own experiences growing up in Winnipeg as a child of immigrants from Vietnam and not seeing herself represented in the books she read. She will do a short reading of one of the books. There will be interaction and engagement throughout the presentation, allowing for questions. All this to inform and inspire young readers that their own stories matter.
Presentation / Workshop: Write Your Own Story
Target age-group: Could be adapted for students in grade 2 to grade 6
Length: One hour In this half presentation half workshop, Linda will talk about how her books reflect who she is and what she’s into and engage student participants to think about the same. An introduction will consist of a short discussion about names and their importance (tie into the book series). She will do an overview of The Nguyen Kids series and how the books reflect her Vietnamese culture and heritage, activities her own kids were in (ballet, Taekwondo, and hockey) and situations she found challenging (bullying, not feeling like you belong). She will do a short reading of one of the books. She will do an exercise exploring what participants are interested in and how those things could show up in a story only they could write. There will be interaction and engagement throughout the presentation/workshop, allowing for questions. All this to inform and inspire student participants to write their own stories.
Workshop: Awesome Dialogue
Target age-group: Could be adapted for students in grade 2 to grade 6
Length: One hour In this interactive workshop, Linda will talk about how she uses dialogue in her books to create interesting characters, move along the plot, and ultimately, to tell compelling stories. An introduction will consist of a short discussion about names and their importance (tie into the book series). She will do an overview of The Nguyen Kids series and how the books reflect her Vietnamese culture and heritage and situations she found challenging (bullying, not feeling like you belong). She will do a short reading of one of the books. She will do exercises brainstorming what dialogue is and how it could be used. Student participants will get the chance to write their own scenes and have opportunities to share. There will be interaction and engagement throughout the presentation/workshop, allowing for questions. All this to inform and inspire student participants to write their own stories.
Book List
The Secret of the Jade Bangle (The Nguyen Kids Series, Book 1). Publication date: Oct. 18, 2022.
The Power of the Pearl Earrings (The Nguyen Kids Series, Book 2). Publication date: Oct.18, 2022.
The Mystery of the Painted Fan (The Nguyen Kids Series, Book 3). Publication date: April 2023.
Title TBA (The Nguyen Kids Series, Book 4) Scheduled for publication fall 2023.
Biography
Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author who writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. She explores identity, cultural background, and spirituality. Her debut early chapter book series about Vietnamese Canadian siblings, The Nguyen Kids, published with Annick Press, will be released in October 2022. Her work has appeared in anthologies and literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, This Magazine, The Nasiona, and Prairie Fire. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. She lives in Winnipeg with her family. Twitter: @LindaYTrinh.
