Bryan Smillie

Readings

My book, A Time for Evron, is about typical preteens as the characters grapple with everyday problems of friendship, love, low self-esteem, bullying, divorce, death, racism, and abuse.

Given its themes of equity and respect for others as well as concern for the environment, the book is applicable to Ontario students and particularly the current curriculum. It even qualifies as a fairy tale for the primary curriculum.

In up to 6 one hour long interactive class presentations, students will be stimulated and engaged in everything from the writing process, to the part they can play in enriching their own lives. The presentation is a blend of videos, interpretive questions and group discussion focused on the central themes of the book: the interdependence of all living things, our need for self-actualization and the significance of empathy for others.

Special Equipment:

VCR

Book Sales:

Copies of books can be brought to be sold and autographed.

Workshops

My book, A Time for Evron, is about typical preteens as the characters grapple with everyday problems of friendship, love, low self-esteem, bullying, divorce, death, racism, and abuse.

Given its themes of equity and respect for others as well as concern for the environment, the book is applicable to Ontario students and particularly the current curriculum. It even qualifies as a fairy tale for the primary curriculum.

In up to 6 one hour long interactive class presentations, students will be stimulated and engaged in everything from the writing process, to the part they can play in enriching their own lives. The presentation is a blend of videos, interpretive questions and group discussion focused on the central themes of the book: the interdependence of all living things, our need for self-actualization and the significance of empathy for others.

Special Equipment:

VCR

Book Sales:

Copies of books can be brought to be sold and autographed.

Biography

Bryan Smillie is a recently retired teacher and counsellor with over 30 years experience working with young people from kindergarten to pre-college and university. He continues to teach and counsel part-time at both the elementary and secondary school levels. He also has his own counselling practice, and has counselled part-time at Kids Help Phone, a confidential counselling and referral service for kids across Canada.

He recently spent a year in Europe teaching, counselling and presenting at Vienna International School.

His book, A Time for Evron, is a “Canadian Childrens Book Centre Choice” selection, a “Writer’s Award” winner from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, and he is the only Canadian author to be accepted into the prestigious International Childrens Digital Library at the University of Maryland. An interview with Bryan is also available through the ICDL.

Parts of his book have recently been included in a new children’s reader “Adventures in Reading” in Singapore, along with such wonderful writers as Astrid Lindgren, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, and Charles Dickens.

A Time for Evron is mandatory reading in a fourth year course at McGill University, and Bryan has lectured on children’s literature at York University.

A Time for Evron has recently been optioned as a movie, and Mr. Smillie is currently developing the screenplay.