Member Profile

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Stephanie McLellan

Stephanie Simpson McLellan

Photo: JoAnne & Dennis Murphy

Stephanie is the award-winning author of six picture books and one mid-grade novel. She reviewed children’s books for twelve years for Today’s Parent magazine (for which she got to interview the legendary Maurice Sendak!), operated an online bookstore for a few years called Neverending Stories, and wrote several scripts for the gemini-nominated children’s television series Roll Play (on Treehouse).

Her books have won and been shortlisted for several awards (Mr. Christie Award, Ruth Schwartz Award, Chocolate Lily Award, CNIB Tiny Torgi Award, Crystal Kite Award and Blue Spruce Award) and have received starred and recommended reviews from Kirkus, OLA (Best Bets), CCBC, CBC Books, Quill & Quire, School Library Journal, Resource Links, TVO Kids, Chickadee Magazine, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, City Parent, CanLit for Little Canadians and CM Magazine.

A passionate promoter of literacy, Stephanie has toured twice for TD Canadian Children’s Book Week: to Labrador in 2014 and Northwest Territories in 2018. Surrounding the release of her 2017 picture book, The Christmas Wind, Stephanie worked with almost 1,700 primary students in every province and territory of Canada (plus one school in Australia) on a unique literacy initiative that resulted in over 13,000 student drawings of her characters Jo, Murdock and the wind. Widely profiled by CBC, The Christmas Wind Story Project involved the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in the spring of 2016 and was a top 10 finalist in the 2016 CST Inspired Minds Learning Project Contest.

Stephanie is a member of The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, CANSCAIP,  The Writers’ Union and SCBWI. Her BA in English Literature is from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and her MBA from the University of Toronto. Stephanie lives in Newmarket, Ontario.

Email:
stephanie@stephaniemclellan.com
City:
Newmarket
Province:
Ontario
Genre:
Picture Books, Mid Grade
I write professionally in the following language(s):
English

Publications

The Chicken Cat. 2000, Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Leon's Song. 2004, Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Hoogie in the Middle. 2013, Pajama Press
Tweezle into Everything. 2013, Pajama Press
The Christmas Wind. 2017, Red Deer Press
Sully, Messed Up. 2021, Red Deer Press
The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe. 2021, Owl Kids

Awards

Mr. Christie Award Gold for The Chicken Cat, 2000
The Ruth Schwartz Award for The Chicken Cat, 2000
Blue Spruce Award Finalist for The Chicken Cat, 2000
Tiny Torgi Print-Braille Award Finalist for The Chicken Cat, 2000
Blue Spruce Award Finalist for Leon's Song, 2004
Chocolate Lily Award Finalist for Leon's Song, 2004
Crystal Kite Award Finalist for Hoogie in the Middle, 2014
Blue Spruce Award Nominee 2022 for The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe, 2022
Links:
Website
https://stephaniemclellan.com/
,
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieMcLellanAuthor/
,
Twitter
https://twitter.com/StephanieMcLe
,
Instagram
https://www.writersunion.ca/member/stephaniesimpson-mclellan
,
LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephanie-mclellan/38/78a/123
,
Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/stephaniemclell/
,
Eligible for National Public Readings Program:
Yes

WITS

Are you available for public presentations and/or workshops:
Yes
Presentation Description

During Stephanie’s school presentations for grades K-3, she encourages children to look for and understand their own creativity by sharing the stories behind her stories, how these stories/ideas turn into books, and what it’s like to write for a living. Specifically, she has four goals with each school presentation:


  • To entertain students with a dramatic reading of her books so they will come to know and care about her characters and about the value of story

  • To stir the writer/creator inside each student by sharing the stories behind her stories, thus empowering them to see the connection between their own lives and their own potential works of art

  • To create a natural bridge to relevant, valuable and interesting learning (e.g. Hoogie in the Middle – a simile exercise; Leon’s Song – a mini science quiz on how frogs survive the winter)

  • To give students a sense of what goes into the creation of a book (the illustrator, the publisher, the ideas) and what it’s like to write for a living 

For grades 5-8, Stephanie will focus on her mid grade novel Sully, Messed Up to explore themes of self-esteem, identity, life choices, social-emotional learning and bullying.

Ahead of each school visit Stephanie creates a school specific page on her website to help teachers and students prepare for her visit.

Presentation Length:
60 minutes
Genre:
Picture Books, Mid Grade
Grades:
K-3 (for picture books); Grade 5-8 (for mid grade novel)
Audience Size:
50-60
Presenation:
In-Person Visits: $300 plus HST for 1 session, $500 for 2, $750 for 3 and $1000 for 4, + travel (50 cents per kilometer, round-trip for SW ON). Virtual Visits: $200 plus HST, for one session, 20-60 minutes, $150 for each additional session on the same day
Are you available for school visits?:
Yes
School Presentation Description:

During Stephanie’s school presentations for grades K-3, she encourages children to look for and understand their own creativity by sharing the stories behind her stories, how these stories/ideas turn into books, and what it’s like to write for a living. Specifically, she has four goals with each school presentation:

  • To entertain students with a dramatic reading of her books so they will come to know and care about her characters and about the value of story
  • To stir the writer/creator inside each student by sharing the stories behind her stories, thus empowering them to see the connection between their own lives and their own potential works of art
  • To create a natural bridge to relevant, valuable and interesting learning (e.g. Hoogie in the Middle – a simile exercise; Leon’s Song – a mini science quiz on how frogs survive the winter)
  • To give students a sense of what goes into the creation of a book (the illustrator, the publisher, the ideas) and what it’s like to write for a living 

For grades 5-8, Stephanie will focus on her mid grade novel Sully, Messed Up to explore themes of self-esteem, identity, life choices, social-emotional learning and bullying.

Ahead of each school visit Stephanie creates a school specific page on her website to help teachers and students prepare for her visit.

School Presentation Length:
60 minutes
School Intended Audience:
K-3 (for picture books); Grade 5-8 (for mid grade novel)
School Audience Size:
50-60
School Presentation Fee:
In-Person Visits: $300 plus HST for 1 session, $500 for 2, $750 for 3 and $1000 for 4, + travel (50 cents per kilometer, round-trip for SW ON). Virtual Visits: $200 plus HST, for one session, 20-60 minutes, $150 for each additional session on the same day
Interested in participating in the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
Yes
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
Yes