The words that came out of Shakespeare’s quill were instantly magical! Well, that may have worked for the bard, but it’s almost never the case with any writer today. (Which is good, because there’s only one Shakespeare and we’re not him—nor do we want to be.)
Getting it down on paper is just the first step. What makes most people’s writing good—or great—is the process of editing and revising.
Input from others. Trying out new words to see what they can do. Improving and improvising. This presentation takes kids behind the scenes of the writing process to show them how they can improve their writing through feedback and polishing.
This presentation can be tailored to any age group: grades 1-3, grades 4-7 and up.
All of Joyce’s presentations are tailored to your students’ needs, to support your teaching.
There are lots of signs that we’re in information bubbles these days. You may be seeing one side of the story–your side. Other people may be in a very different bubble. In fact, each camp may have no idea there are other points of view. They would be very surprised to find that your bubble is so different from theirs, and vice-versa.
It’s time to burst those bubbles! Find out what other people are saying–and let them hear your point of view. Burst Your Bubble! helps you outsmart the algorithms that keep you in your bubble, so you can see more of what’s really happening.
Burst Your Bubble! is in stores November 11, 2025. Pre-order it online today! Illustrated by Jan Dolby and published by Owlkids Books. For ages 8-12 officially … but don’t you want to know how to burst your bubble as well (or help your parents to)?
I can apply to The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) on your school’s behalf for funds to do a free author visit in your classroom. Hurry, because I only have until Feb. 17 to apply.
The visit would be between April 1 and August 31, 2025 and there’s nothing for you to do except contact me and I’ll put in an application. (TWUC asks for your contact info and a proposed date for the visit.)
I would prefer visits in the Hamilton/Burlington area so you don’t have to pay my travel fees (and so I don’t have to travel!). But if you’re in another Ontario city, I can do a remote visit.
To ask me to apply for a free author visit, Contact me here or DM me on Instagram @JGCanada. There is no guarantee we’ll get the money, btw. TWUC has a pool of money and it’s generally first-come, first-served. But we’ve got nothing to lose!
Visit my profile on TWUC, or here for more info about my presentations. Below is my presentation reel to show you the absolute JOY AND THRILL of having me in! (You be the judge, lol!)
I got a chance to speak to 100 grade 5 students at a school north of Toronto recently, and afterward they lined up for an autograph. Not only did it give me the boost I needed to get through this week’s -13C temperatures, but it was a chance to connect with each and every student.
While writing can be an all-too-solitary endeavour, these kinds of moments remind you that kids truly love books and writing. (I was presenting a writing workshop.)
Together, we looked at “plain-‘ol” sentences and, adverb by adjective, made them better–and stranger–and wackier. And then we looked at how a whole story could some out of some of those sentences. And new characters, as well.
Half-way through my talk, I asked them, “Who here has already pushed themselves creatively–more than they thought they could, because of what we’ve been discussing today?” Nearly every hand went enthusiastically up. Some waved, the student they were connected to bouncing in their seat to let me know.
Those are young people who are engaged, excited about writing and interested in looking at fun, new ways of approaching their writing. And I didn’t leave out the teachers. Because oh, I realized that I was whipping up their classes into a bit of a frenzy, which can be a bit of a handful for them. (If you know my presenting style, you’ll understand what I mean, here. We do tend to get a bit… loud.) At some point, I pointed out that the work we were doing in this presentation could be turned into a lesson plan. Teachers could, if they wished, get the students to “use” those new sentences to create short stories, plot outlines or create new characters. I hope they’ll get to use them that way, because I sure appreciated their involvement in the presentation and their help throughout, handing out supplies and helping me select students during the Q&A.
Oh, and the students taught me some things too. They taught me some slang–some of which my own son had to explain further to me. I promise not to use it, though! And we also shared a bonding moment over One Piece, an anime show I’ve been watching lately–and one most of them knew well.
Anyway, this is a gratitude post. I’m grateful to have an audience for the work I do and for my books. And I’m very grateful to be able to visit schools like the one I went to yesterday, with students, teachers and staff who care.
And I’m very grateful they want my autograph! LOL!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Star’s Media Literacy for Educators event November 29.
I was left with an overwhelming sense of hope about the future of young people and the internet, after a great day chatting with educators and parents. I spoke about how to help young people think more critically about what they see and read online. My TeachingKidsNews.com co-founder, Jon Tilly, gave a teacher’s perspective with a brilliant talk about strategies and best-practices. And I got to interview the Star’s new editor-in-chief, Nicole MacIntyre about what the future holds for journalism and the Star. We capped the day off with a tour of the Star’s newsroom by Star librarian Astrid Lange.
Thank you to everyone who organized this fantastic day at The Well in Toronto!
Here’s a link to the coverage of the event in the Star:
Gabby and her friend Roy are in the backyard, setting up a stage for their play about “Queen Gabriella” — but they are missing a few crucial items.
Using her magic letter book, Gabby assembles letters to create words that will transform into various props for a fun drama adventure.
When Gabby finds a mysterious photograph in her backyard, she teams up with her best friend, Super Roy, to figure out who the strange girl in the picture is.
Using her magic book and the power of punctuation, Gabby and Roy must ask the right questions to solve the mystery and save the day.
Miguel hasn’t missed El Salvador since arriving in North America with his mother and sister. But with his father still in El Salvador and gangs shaking down the old neighbourhood, life isn’t easy for Miguel.
As the team learns about the hard realities some new immigrant kids face, Miguel and his family learn to trust their neighbours and teammates.
The inner-city Blues baseball team is having a lousy year. Shortstop Nash and the Blues can’t seem to win.
Is it a problem that their new all-star player is gay? It is for Nash.
