APPLY TO HOST CLAIRE HATCHER-SMITH (IN PERSON)

BIOGRAPHY

Claire Hatcher-Smith is a speech language pathologist who has worked with children with Down syndrome for thirty-five years. Originally from the UK, she now lives surrounded by sea on Vancouver Island, with her husband, their teenage son and a Korean rescue dog. As well as writing, Claire runs groups for autistic tweens and teens, focusing on self/other awareness, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills. A Skeleton in the Closet (The Mizzy Mysteries) is her debut novel. 

Home Location: VIctoria, British Columbia
Creator Type: Author
Genres: Middle-grade fiction
Website: clairehatchersmith.com
Tour Region: British Columbia (Vancouver Island)
Target Audience: Grades 3-6
Cost: For one 60-minute presentation: $300 plus 5% GST       

NOTE: The fee of $300 (plus tax) will be paid to The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) upon receipt of an invoice from the CCBC. After Book Week, the CCBC will pay the author their presentation fee of $250 (plus taxes, if applicable).  

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS

Smashing Stereotypes with Empathy

Target Audience: Grades 3-6
Preferred group size: 25-200 students
Maximum group size: 200 students

MIZZY is the result of Claire’s career-long desire as a speech and language pathologist to give children with Down Syndrome a chance to see themselves as the star of the story. But Mizzy isn’t just about Down Syndrome. Her investigations lead readers through a fun, twisty, family-history mystery and encourage us all to stop jumping to conclusions and imagine what people are really like beneath the surface. Most of all, Mizzy aims to remind us that we should never underestimate anyone, including ourselves. 

In this fun, highly-interactive, detective-themed presentation, Claire uses photographs and passages from the book, as well as an improv drama game involving a giant magnifying glass, to explore why empathy is important and the clues we can use to understand what other people might really be thinking and feeling. The included concepts and themes support and extend Communication, Thinking and Personal Social core competencies and fit particularly well with school inclusion and anti-bullying initiatives.

Required equipment: laptop, LCD projector, whiteboard or screen
Required materials: none
 

Create Your Own Detective Workshop

Target Audience: Grades 4 - 7
Preferred group size: 5 - 25 students
Maximum group size: 25 students

Using a range of photographs, activities and tailored writing prompts, as well as examples from the book, Claire supports students to create their own unsuspected detective characters and write a short scene to introduce them to the reader. Everyone is then invited to share their creations with the group, if they would like to do so. This workshop focuses on creative writing for pleasure but also supports the Language Arts area of the curriculum. 

Required equipment: laptop, LCD projector, whiteboard or screen  
Required materials: Pencils, markers, extra paper and printouts of Claire’s Create your own Detective template (digital copy provided)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet. Tundra Books, 2025.
The Mizzy Mysteries: The Shadow on the Wreck. Tundra Books, 2026.