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Mireille Messier

Photo: Ian Partridge 2017

Mireille Messier is a Montreal-born, Ottawa-raised and now Toronto-based children’s author with a background in theatre and broadcasting. She has published over thirty picture books and chapter books, some in French, some in English. When she is not writing books, Mireille works in children's television as a scriptwriter and director for various programs. She also enjoys doing corporate writing of youth-oriented material for such clients as the Dairy Producers of Canada, General Mills, Scholastic Canada, TFO, Kraft Foods and Via Rail.

On average, Mireille gives one hundred school presentations per year to French, French immersion and English groups across Canada.

 

E-mail: mireille@mireille.ca
Phone number:
c/o Writers' Union of Canada

Publications

Sergent Billy : La vraie histoire du chevreau devenu soldat. Éditions de l'Isatis, 2020
Nutcracker Night. Pajama Press, 2019
Sergeant Billy: The True Story of the Goat who Went to War. Tundra Books, 2019
Treasure. Orca Books, 2019
Trésor. Orca Books, 2019
Tellement sauvage. D'eux, 2018
À qui le coco?. Éditions de l'Isatis, 2018
Moi aussi! Moi aussi!. Éditions de la Bagnole, 2017
Fatima and the Clementine Thieves. Red Deer Press, 2017
Ma branche préférée. Éditions Scolastic, 2017
The Branch. Kids Can Press, 2016
Une bestiole à l'école. Éditions de l'Isatis, 2016
Une Charlotte olympique. Éditions de la Bagnole, 2014
C'est chouette, une maman!. Éditions de la Bagnole, 2012
Fatima et les voleurs de clémentines. Éditions de la Bagnole, 2012
Tout un méli-mélo!. ERPI, 2012
Chapeau Charlotte!. Éditions de la Bagnole, 2010
Quel fouillis!. ERPI, 2009
Une Charlotte au chocolat. Éditions de la Bagnole, 2008
Competition : Deal With it from Start to Finish. James Lorimer and Company, 2004
Mon album du corps humain – Professeur Génius. Québec Amérique, 2004

Awards

Finalist - National Magazine Award (Words& Picture ) for Owl Magazine, 2001
Finalist - Prix de la Fondation franco-ontarienne (Jeunesse) for Une Twiga à Ottawa, 2002
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading, Prix Tamarac for Tous les oeufs dans le même panier, 2009
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading, Prix Tamarac for Coup de théâtre à Stratford, 2011
Winner - Prix de l'Alliance Française for Fatima et les voleurs de clémentines, 2012
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading, Prix Tamarac Express for Fatima et les voleurs de clémentines, 2012
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading, Prix Peuplier for Chapeau Charlotte!, 2013
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading, Prix Peuplier for Charlotte partout!, 2013
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading, Prix Peuplier for Une Charlotte olympique, 2015
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading - Prix Peuplier for Le voilier d'Olivier, 2016
Finalist - Governor General Literary Awards (Young People's Literatur - Illustrated Books category for The Branch, 2016
Finalist - Surrey Schools Picture Book of the Year Award for The Branch, 2017
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading - Prix Peuplier for Une bestiole à l'école, 2017
Finalist - Maine's Children's Choice Picture Book Award, Chickadee category for The Branch, 2017
Finalist - OLA - Forest of Reading - Blue Spruce Award for The Branch, 2018
Finalist - OLA - Forest of Reading - Prix Peuplier for Ma branche préférée, 2018
Finalist - Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awrd - Shining Willow category for The Branch, 2018
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading - Prix Peuplier for Moi aussi! Moi aussi!, 2019
Winner - Northern Lights Book Award - Arts category for Nutcracker Night, 2019
Finalist - OLA Forest of Reading - Prix Peuplier for Tellement sauvage, 2020
Winner - Christopher Award (Best children's book) for Sergeant Billy, 2020
Winner - Prix AAOF de littérature jeunesse for Trésor, 2020
Winner - Prix Mélèze (Forest of Reading) for Sergent Billy, 2021
Winner - Rocky Mountain Book Award for Sergeant Billy, 2021
Winner - Shining Willow Award for Sergeant Billy, 2021
Finalist - Hackmatack Award (Non-fiction caterory) for Sergeant Billy, 2022
Links:
Website
http://www.mireille.ca
Eligible for National Public Readings Program :
Yes

WITS

Presentation Description

Grades JK – 1:
(In French or bilingual, 30 min.) Mireille introduces herself and her books. She then introduces the students to the French vocabulary of her book «Une bestiole à l'école» (an insect-themed picture book). This is follwed by a reading of said story in her special giant book and a short book-related activity.

Grades 2 – 4:
(In French or bilingual, 40-50 min.) Mireille introduces herself and her books. She then reads from one of her picture books in her special giant book. If presenting "Ma branche préférée", Mireille will talk about the real events that inspired the story. If presenting «Fatima et les voleurs de clémentines», Mireille will explore the story's vocabulary and, season permitting, a clementine peeling activity will follow. Both presentation offer a Q&A period.

Grades 2 – 6:
(In French or in English, 50 minutes) Mireille introduces herself and her books. She then present her historical picture book "Sergeant Billy: The true story of the goat who went to war/Sergent Billy : La vraie histoire du chevreau devenu soldat" from her giant book. The reading is followed by a fun, interactive presentation about military mascots and goats. If time and venue permit, the Q&A period is followed by a Remembrance day-themed craft. 

Presentation Length:
30-50 minutes
Genre:
Children & Youth (FRENCH or ENGLISH)
Grades:
JK-6 (French, French immersion or English)
Audience size:
5-50
Workshop Description:

Grades 4 – 6: (French or biligual, 45-60 min.) Mireille introduces herself and her books. She gives an overview of the different types of writing she does and familiarizes the participants with the terminology surrounding book genres and various book-related careers in both French and English. She reads an excerpt from her middle grade chapter book « Déclic à Toronto» and then leads an interactive oral workshop about different techniques to find original story ideas
prompted by photographs and objects. This is followed by a Q&A period.

Northern OAC WITS:
No
One session:
$550
Two sessions:
$550
Three sessions:
$1000
Four sessions:
$1000
One session:
$400
Two sessions:
$550
Three sessions:
$750
Four sessions:
$900
GST:
GST applicable