Available for virtual visits in: Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia
Craft: Author
Genre: Picture Books, Beginning Readers, Poetry
Target Audience: Grade 2-6
Cost for School and Public Presentation with CCBC subsidy: $200.00, plus applicable taxes
Presentation/Workshop Information:
Workshop – From Green Eggs to Hamilton: Learn to Tell Memorable Stories Through Rhyme (60 mins)
Grades 2-6
No matter the age of your audience, rhymes are one of the most fun and compelling ways of catching a reader’s attention. Additionally, well-written rhymes also increase the likelihood of a reader sticking with your story through to the end. Think of rhymes as breadcrumbs along a trail, enticing your readers forward, beckoning them to follow the path you’ve set out for them.
In this workshop, students will learn to master one of the most essential skills that every children’s author needs to have in their toolbox. The session begins a reading. Students will then be introduced to the important role of rhythm when writing rhymes (hint: this is something Dr. Seuss himself discovered while on a particularly bumpy boat ride).
Finally, students will practice writing their own rhymes using fun and unique guided prompts. With any luck, participants will leave with a solid foundation in connecting with an audience through rhythm and rhyme!
*Resources: Rhythm and Rhyme Handout (6 pages, provided by the author)
This workshop can be scaled to suit young learners of any age. This will be a fun and interactive hour of instruction that will include lots of participation, as well as a guided handout filled with templates for some of the most well-known and widely used rhyming patterns.
Workshop – Shining a Light Through the Darkness: Creating Positive Social Change With Spooky Stories (60 minutes)
Grades 2-6
It’s no secret that scary stories provide thrills. But when handled correctly, a terrifying tale can also be the best way to share messages of love, empathy and inclusion.
In this workshop, attendees will examine stories that pack a fright (but won’t keep them up all night). The session begins with a reading. Drawing on Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique local folklore, this collection of fantastical tales features an underlying message of how life’s big problems (even the dark and scary ones) can be resolved without ever losing one’s sense of wonder.
Participants will be encouraged to reflect on some of their own favorite scary stories and try to find deeper messages beneath each text. Finally, attendees will be encouraged to think of a change they would like to see in the world, then work backward to plot their own tale, using the framework of a spooky story.
This workshop will feature age-appropriate readings with keen attention paid to content and potential sensitivities. Attendees will not be presented with stories that feature violence or life-threatening situations, but will instead focus on stories that are dark in tone (think: the works of Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein). Attendees will be encouraged to think about the power of storytelling and how it can be used to exact positive change in the world!
Book List
Goudie, J. (2022). Where the Crooked Lighthouse Shines. St. John’s: Breakwater Books.
Goudie, J. (2016). Jack and the Magnificent Ugly Stick. St. John’s: Breakwater Books.
Goudie, J. (2014). Jack and the Hurricane. St. John’s: Breakwater Books.
Goudie, J. (2014) “According to Matthew.” The Cuffer Anthology VI. Ed. Pam Frampton. St. John’s: Creative Publishing. 91-93. Print.
Goudie, J. (2013) “Satsuma and Cigarettes.” The Cuffer Anthology V. Ed. Pam Frampton. St. John’s: Creative Publishing. 3-6. Print.
Goudie, J. (2013) “Foreshore.” The Cuffer Anthology V. Ed. Pam Frampton. St. John’s: Creative Publishing. 27-30. Print.
Goudie, J. (2012) “The Goat.” The Cuffer Anthology IV. Ed. Pam Frampton. St. John’s: Creative Publishing. 87-90. Print.
Biography
Joshua Goudie’s first book, Jack and the Hurricane (Breakwater Books), was published in October 2014 with its sequel, Jack and the Magnificent Ugly Stick (Breakwater Books), following in October 2016. A collection of children’s narrative poetry, Where the Crooked Lighthouse Shines (Breakwater Books) was released in September 2022. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies, and he has been shortlisted for the Cuffer Prize for Short Fiction on three separate occasions. In 2013, his novel manuscript, The Last Portrait, was shortlisted for the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union Fresh Fish Award, going on to be awarded the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Percy Janes First Novel Award in 2021. In 2017, Joshua’s original film, The Lore Tax, received national attention and was featured in Quill and Quire magazine (April 2017 issue). In 2023, the short film, The Hag, based on a poem from Where the Crooked Lighthouse Shines will be produced through a partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Corporation. Joshua lives and writes in St. John’s, NL.
