Kathy Kacer

Readings

All of my books focus on stories about the Second World War and the Holocaust. My one-hour reading revolves around a PowerPoint presentation and talk. I have wonderful historical slides pertaining to each of my novels, and I weave my stories around the historical events of this time in history. The presentation is visual, interactive, and fast-paced. I usually do a combination of two books during a visit, depending on the age of the students in the audience. I encourage questions and comments throughout my reading and presentation. I have spoken in hundreds of schools and libraries about the Holocaust in the context of my books. I have also toured in parts of the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Special Equipment:

Data projector for PowerPoint presentation, screen, and microphone. I provide the laptop.

Book Sales:

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

Workshops

I am available for workshops for students on the writing process and on writing about personal stories and from personal life experiences. Workshops cover the details of what it takes to be a writer, how to begin, and how to develop vibrant characters, settings, and plots. Students will begin writing their own stories and will have the opportunity to critique one another in the group. This workshop is ideally two hours in length, but can be adapted to one hour as needed.

Book Sales:

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

Biography

BIOGRAPHY:
“About 10 years ago, I stopped working fulltime as a psychologist because I had a dream to be a children’s writer. Not only did I have this dream, but I had a story that I wanted to tell – a story about my mother whose name was Gabi.

It was the time of the Second World War and my mother, as a young Jewish girl, was in danger of being arrested and taken away to a concentration camp. Out of desperation, her mother, my grandmother decided to hide Gabi in a dresser that sat in the dining room of my grandmother’s house. Nazi soldiers came and searched through the house, looking for my mother. My grandmother stood close by, and held the key to that dresser in her hand.

It was a remarkable story for me as a child growing up. It was filled with adventure, suspense, and heroism. I was determined to write that story down. That story became my first novel, The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser.”

Kathy Kacer is a children’s author whose focus is historical fiction and true stories about the Holocaust. She is dedicated to writing about the Holocaust in a way that is sensitive to the age and stage of development of a young reader. Her many books in include The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, Clara’s War, the Our Canadian Girl Series, and Hiding Edith.

A winner of the Silver Birch, Red Maple, Hackmatack and Jewish Book Awards, and a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson and Norma Fleck Awards, Kathy has written unforgettable stories inspired by real events. Her books have been sold to Germany, China, Italy, Thailand, England, Japan, Korea, and Belgium. Her novels are stories of hope, courage, and humanity in the face of overwhelming adversity. Several years ago Kathy adapted her first book, The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser into a play which has had three successful runs in Toronto, attracting thousands of young people. Her book, Clara’s War has recently been optioned for film.

Kathy speaks to children in schools and libraries around the country, about the importance of understanding the Holocaust and keeping its memory alive. In addition, she speaks in universities and colleges on the topic of teaching sensitive material to young children.

OTHER PRESENTATIONS:
I am available for keynote addresses at conferences and workshops. I also provide workshops for educators on the topic of Teaching Sensitive Material to Young Readers. This workshop focuses on the principals of working with risky topics (i.e., the Holocaust, other catastropohic events) in the classroom. Reading lists and guidelines are provided. I have presented an numerous conferences including Power of Literacy Through the Arts (York Region District School Board), Celebrating Linguistic Diversity (OISE/UofT), Need to Read Festival, Reading for the Love of It, etc.