Debbie Spring

Readings

GROUP A
I focus on the Holocaust, World War II, anti-Semitism, racism, intolerance, and bullying. I use age appropriate description especially since I am dealing with sensitive material. I do not want to frighten the children.

I use PowerPoint and do an interactive multi-media presentation using music and slides to introduce children to the difficult topic of the Holocaust. I talk about each slide and do some readings from the books.

I engage the children in discussion by asking them questions while I am presenting. At the end of the talk, I encourage the children to ask me questions on the topics of the Holocaust, my books and the writing process.

GROUP B
I read excerpts from the book. During my talk, I relate my own experiences as an asthmatic, and make the connection with my protagonist, who had to overcome many obstacles with her asthma in order to play soccer and have a normal life. I bring in an Epi Pen and asthma spray puffer to show the kids.

I show how a role model can have a positive influence on people from all walks of life. In the book, my protagonist chooses her role model to be Canadian Olympic rower Silken Laumann, who had a terrible accident and was told that she could never compete again and ended up winning the Bronze medal for Canada.

I talk about winning and losing. I ask the children pertinent questions like, "Does losing make you a loser? Can you grow and learn from losing? What happens if you always win?"

I incorporate drama into the workshop and have the students act out a scene. A powerful example from the book is when her soccer coach won't let Lisa play, even though her teammate is begging to come off because she is exhausted.

I end the workshop with question and answer.

Special Equipment:

PowerPoint, and either speakers or CD player.

Book Sales:

Debbie will bring copies of her books to the readings for students to purchase and have autographed.

Workshops

Workshops and talks for schools, libraries, and other groups focusing on the Holocaust, World War II, anti-Semitism, racism, intolerance, and bullying.
I use age appropriate description especially since I am dealing with sensitive material. I do not want to frighten the children.

I use PowerPoint and do an interactive multi-media presentation using music and slides to introduce children to the difficult topic of the Holocaust. I talk about each slide and do some readings from the books.

I engage the children in discussion by asking them questions while I am presenting. At the end of the talk, I encourage the children to ask me questions on the topics of the Holocaust, my books and the writing process. I teach students about writing techniques such as character development, setting, pacing, point of view, writer's block and research.

In my workshop, students learn, practice and fine tune their writing by participating in writing exercises, reading their works-in-progress to the group and dramatizing their stories.

Topics covered include:
• Where do authors get their ideas from?
• Story creation and structure.
• Editing and revision.
• Types of writing: different age groups, genres.
• Researching stories and writing about what they know.
• I lead group discussions and analyze each work-in-progress making sure that it has a strong beginning, middle, and end.

I engage the students to ask questions designed to help the writers:
• Does the story move along?
• Do the characters move the story forward?
• Are there setbacks and obstacles facing the characters?
• Do things get worse before they get better?
• Does the writing lead up to the climax of the story?

Special Equipment:

PowerPoint, and either speakers or CD player.

Book Sales:

Debbie will bring copies of her books to the readings for students to purchase and have autographed.

Other Presentations

The content is the same as the above, but geared towards an adult audience. For example, I get more graphic with stories about the Holocaust and World War II. I give more detail and sophistication and more advanced writing exercises. I give teacher guidance and aids in how to teach difficult topics such as the Holocaust and disabilities to students.

Biography

I live in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada and have enjoyed writing children’s picture books, middle-grade and young adult novels, short stories and plays for over twenty years.

I have won several awards and short story contests throughout Canada. My stories have been published in journals, anthologies and magazines. My short story "The KayaK was published in Takes: Stories for Young Adults and in The Best of Friends in the United States alongside Gary Paulsen’s work. The story is currently being used in the curriculum for Ontario (Grade 9), Saskatchewan (Grade 10), British Columbia and Texas. The first unit in the Language & Writing 9 is Margaret Atwood and the second unit is mine. The short story was such a success that Thistledown Press is publishing The Kayak as a young adult novel in 2010.

Grandpa Promised, published in 2009 by Scholastic, is an educational book for Grade 6 with an accompanying CD. It is about a boy struggling to survive in Germany during World War II in the Holocaust.

My middle-grade novel Breathing Soccer, published by Thistledown Press, is shortlisted for the 2010 Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Awards. The novel touches on adversity and how even with asthma, a young girl is empowered to fight to play soccer in spite of her disability.

The Righteous Smuggler, published by Second Story Press in 2005, was shortlisted for CBC's Young Canada Reads. The Holocaust novel was given a star as a favourite and recommended book in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s “Our Choice” guide. It also was chosen by the Canadian Toy Company.

I have traveled across Canada speaking to over 6,000 students about "one person making a difference", bullying, World War II, anti-Semitism, intolerance and the Holocaust. I was invited by the Netherlands Embassy in Ottawa during Holocaust Education Week to speak to three hundred students, where I not only had a chauffeur, but a body guard. The ambassador signed my books.

I had a whale of a good time at Franklin’s Gardens at Toronto Island, sponsored by the TD Bank, talking about my picture book Wilma, The Wild White Whale.