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Melanie Jackson

Photo: Bart Jackson 2019

Melanie's newest novel, The Fifth Beethoven (Crwth Press, 2020), celebrates the late, great Ludwig in his 250th birthday year. Bah-bah-bah-BOOM! The famous opening notes to his Fifth strike up the start of this young-adult mystery. Rounding out the score: a rockin' piano player, homelessness, renoviction protests, theft, a moral dilemma and even Ludwig's ghost. Until October 15, 2020, Crwth will donate 40% of Fifth Beethoven purchases, online or in-store, to Union Gospel Mission, which has been caring for and supporting Vancouver's homeless for almost a century.

Scottish-born and mystery-minded, Melanie Jackson is also the author of young-adult mystery suspensers such as The Big Dip and Death Drop, as well as the Dinah Galloway Mystery Series (Orca Book Publishers). Melanie's suspenser Medusa's Scream was named a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book, Middle Readers, of 2018.

Tick Tock Terror, clocked into publication in spring 2019. In its May issue, Booklist said of TTT, "Jackson’s gripping, first-person, plot-driven novel ask readers to consider self-confidence vs. over-active ego; right vs. wrong…A suspenseful addition to high-low collections."

A 2018 TD Canadian Children's Book Week author, Melanie teaches a mystery unit every year at a Vancouver secondary school. She also does individual presentations/readings for schools.

A former journalist, now a business/advertising writer/editor, Melanie lives in Vancouver with her family. In 2016 she received a University of Toronto Alumni Arbor Award.

E-mail: dinahgalloway@gmail.com
Phone number:
c/o Writers' Union of Canada

Publications

The Spy in the Alley. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2002.
The Man in the Moonstone. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2003.
The Mask on the Cruise Ship. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2004.
The Summer of the Spotted Owl. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2005.
Shadows on the Train. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2007
The Queen of Disguises. Orca, 2009
The Big Dip. Orca, 2009
Fast Slide. Orca, 2010
High Wire. Orca, 2012
The Midnight-Blue Marble. Gumboot, 2009
Comet Boy. Caramel Tree, 2011
The Legend of Rip Van Winkle. Caramel Tree, 2014
Eye Sore. Orca, 2015
Death Drop. Orca, 2016
Medusa's Scream. Orca, 2017
Tick Tock Terror. Orca, 2019
The Fifth Beethoven. Crwth Press, 2020

Awards

Nominated, Silver Birch Award for The Mask on the Cruise Ship, 2006.
Nominated, Chocolate Lily Book Award for The Mask on the Cruise Ship, 2005.
Second place, BC Chocolate Lily Award for The Man in the Moonstone, 2005.
Nominated, Rocky Mountain Book Award for The Spy in the Alley, 2003.
Nominated, Silver Birch Award for Shadows on the Train, 2008
Named by CTV News as a Summer Best Read for The Summer of the Spotted Owl, 2006
Nominated for Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award for Queen of Disguises, 2010
Resource Links' Best of 2009 for The Big Dip, 2009
Resource Links' Best of 2010 for Fast Slide, 2010
CCBC Starred Selection for High Wire, 2012
TD Canadian Children's Book Week author, 2018
A Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book, Middle Readers, 2018 for Medusa's Scream, 2018
Links:
Website
https://melaniejacksonblog.wordpress.com
,
Twitter
https://twitter.com/MelanieJackson
,
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniejacksonmysteries/
Eligible for National Public Readings Program :
Yes

WITS

Presentation Description

Like the ancient Roman god Janus, my presentations for middle-grade students really have two perspectives. One: explore the elements of a story to enrich kids’ reading and creative writing experiences. Two: draw on mythology as a way to illuminate not only their literary but their everyday experiences.

Journey through the elements of a story…

I take students on a journey through the elements of writing a story, from catchy beginning to problem and conflict; from character, metaphor and atmosphere to climax and resolution. To illustrate these elements, I read excerpts from my new young-adult mystery novel, Medusa’s Scream, and play four brief Hitchcock video clips. All the while I show slides representing a harrowing, if tongue-in-cheek, journey along a roller-coaster ride, a roller coaster being a convenient way to illustrate the ups and downs of a story.

Presentation Length:
60 min.
Genre:
The elements that go into writing a story, with both mythology and my young-adult mysteries as the example.
Grades:
Intermediate
Audience size:
flexible
Workshop Description:

Any of the above for one class maximum, with exercises.

 

Northern OAC WITS:
No
GST:
GST not applicable