Available for virtual visits in: Yukon, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia
Craft: Author
Genre: Picture Books, Beginning Readers, Non-Fiction, Graphic Novels
Target Audience: Grades 2 – 6
Cost for School and Public Presentation with CCBC subsidy: $200.00, plus applicable taxes
Presentation/Workshop Information:
Book summary — Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench
Deep, deep down, at the very bottom of the ocean, lies a secret world. Through lyrical narration, this spare-text STEM picture book takes readers on a journey to a place very few humans have ever been–the Mariana Trench. The imagined voyage debunks scary myths about this mysterious place with surprising and beautiful truths about life at Earth’s deepest point. This book shows a vibrant world far below, and teaches readers how interconnected our lives are to every place on the planet.
Crafting Nonfiction (Grades: 2-6 / Length: ideally 1 hour)
*Note: After the workshop, the author will email participants a 40 page teacher guide for her book that includes dozens of curriculum tie-ins and activities suitable for children.
How can students write a short text based on facts and evidence, with nothing imagined? Welcome to the world of nonfiction, where every statement must be rooted in truth. Students will begin by learning the importance of research and the quality of one’s sources (beware of relying on Google!). The author will use her book Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench as an example. Older students will also learn about the difference between primary and secondary sources, as well as the different types of nonfiction. All students will go on to pick an engaging topic and learn how to structure the text based on their research. They will write their nonfiction texts at a later date under the educator’s supervision.
Perfecting Poetry (Grades: 2-6 / Length: ideally 1 hour)
*Note: After the workshop, the author will email participants a 40 page teacher guide for her book that includes dozens of curriculum tie-ins and activities suitable for children.
In this workshop, students will study the various types of poetry. Through discussion, the reading of poems, and various exercises, they will learn how to construct their own poems. The author will use her book Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench as an example of how scientific content can also be written in a lyrical way. Younger students will examine rhyme and flow, while older students will explore figurative language such as metaphors, alliteration, personification, and onomatopoeia. Each student will begin writing a short poem and will be given further instructions for other poetry projects.
Book List
Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone Editions, January 1, 2023)
The Broken Bees’ Nest (Kane Press, 2019)
No Bears Allowed (Clear Fork Media, 2019)
The Space Rock Mystery (Kane Press, 2018)
Biography
Lydia Lukidis is the author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023), The Broken Bees’ Nest (Kane Press, 2019) which was nominated for a Cybils Award, and No Bears Allowed (Clear Fork Media, 2019). A science enthusiast from a young age, she now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books. Lydia is very involved in the kidlit community. She volunteers as a judge on Rate your Story, co-hosts the annual Fall Writing Frenzy competition, and is an active member of SCBWI, CANSCAIP, 12 x 12, and The Authors Guild. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program. Lydia is represented by literary agent Miranda Paul from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
