Anne C. Kelly has loved to read and write for as long as she can remember. Her first publication was a class newspaper which she wrote with a friend in Grade four. She especially enjoys reading historical fiction and books about characters who discover who they really are after going through challenges in life.
Anne is an English teacher at heart. She taught English-as-an-Additional-Language (EAL) to adult newcomers to Canada for over twenty years. She loves learning about different cultures and traditions. She always says that she learned more from her students than they ever learned from her!
Anne’s first novel, Jacques’ Escape, was published by Trap Door Books in June 2019. Jacques’ Escape, which tells the story of a fourteen-year-old Acadian boy who is deported with his family to Massachusetts in 1755, is a middle reader for children aged 9-12. It was shortlisted for the 2020-21 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award.
For grades 3-6, Anne shares stories of her own writing experience and discusses where story ideas come from, how to do historical research for a story, and the importance of editing and re-writing. Anne’s presentations are interactive and informal, with lots of time for students’ questions. She also emphasizes the importance of the students’ own reading and writing.
Four workshop options:
elements of setting
playing with words
writing description
writing action scenes
Workshops include discussions and sharing, readings from Jacques' Escape and other stories written by the author, and in-class writing exercises
For grades 3-6, Anne shares stories of her own writing experience and discusses where story ideas come from, how to do historical research for a story, and the importance of editing and re-writing. Anne’s presentations are interactive and informal, with lots of time for students’ questions. She also emphasizes the importance of the students’ own reading and writing.
In addition, for grades 4-6, Anne offers mini-workshops on creating setting, playing with words, writing description, and writing action scenes.