APPLY TO HOST MEGAN CLENDENAN (IN PERSON)
BIOGRAPHY
Megan Clendenan is an award-winning children’s book author of both non-fiction and fiction books for young readers. She has worked for nonprofit organizations focused on environmental law, women’s empowerment, mental health, and urban food security. She enjoys writing about topics that explore the connections between history, society, and the environment. Megan loves speaking with readers at festivals, schools, and libraries. She lives near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family and two fuzzy orange cats.
Home Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Creator Type: Author
Genres: Picture books, non-fiction, hi-lo books for reluctant readers
Website: meganclendenan.com
Tour Region: British Columbia (Kamloops-Thompson)
Target Audience: Kindergarten – Grade 12
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
Seeds Buried in the Attic
Learn about seeds, food security, hope, and international cooperation!
Target Audience: Kindergarten – Grade 3
Preferred group size: 20-25 students (smaller is fine as well)
Maximum group size: 45 students
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. Our adventure will then take us to several countries around the globe to learn about the diversity of seeds, where they grow, and why it is vital to save them for the future. The presentation will include a read-aloud of Just in Case, time for questions, and interactive activities that can be tailored for the class. For example, Megan can show a variety of seeds and pods, either in person or virtually, and then guide students through a matching activity with seeds and plants. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an inspiring example of international cooperation, and Megan had the chance to interview one of its founders.
Required equipment: LCD projector, screen
Required materials: paper handout provided by Megan, pencils
Let's Design Like Nature
Learn how nature is a genius at design
Target Audience: Grades 3 - 7
Preferred group size: 20-25 students (smaller is fine as well)
Maximum group size: 30 students
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!
Required equipment: LCD projector, screen (However, if this isn’t available, the presentation can go ahead without the screen)
Required materials: paper handout provided by Megan, pencils
Creating Mood and Emotions through Word Choices
A hands-on writing workshop that explores mood, atmosphere, and emotion.
Target Audience: Grades 8 - 12
Preferred group size: 10-12 students (smaller is fine as well)
Maximum group size: 25 students
How does setting influence our stories? A story where a character battles a snowstorm, traverses a sand-dusted moonscape, or plays in the ocean will each feel different. How do writers create atmosphere and emotion for their story? They do so with careful word choices – and this is fun to do! Megan will guide students through a series of fun writing activities. These will include reading short excerpts from a variety of books, including her novel, OFFBEAT, to demonstrate how setting and atmosphere work together. Through writing exercises, Megan will show how different environments, like a rain forest, snowstorm, or a polluted landscape, can help writers creatively set the mood of their stories. Students will learn to create a ‘Word Bank’ to gather words that match their mood and setting, and by the end of the session, they will have the start of their own creative story.
Required equipment: none
Required materials: Paper handout will be provided by Megan. Each student should have something to write on, i.e. paper with pen or pencil, laptop, etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Just in Case: Saving Seeds in The Svalbard Seed Bank. Illustrated by Brittany Cicchese. Charlesbridge, 2025.
What Do We Eat? How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food. Illustrated by Meegan Lim. Orca Book Publishers, 2024.
Cities: How Humans Live Together. Illustrated by Suharu Ogawa. Orca Book Publishers, 2023.
Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment. Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin. Orca Book Publishers, 2022.
Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet. Co-Authored with Kim Ryall Woolcock. Orca Book Publishers, 2021.
Offbeat. Orca Book Publishers, 2018.