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Students will be enthralled throughout these presentations from three acclaimed Middle Grade authors who each show kids the power of overcoming your fears and standing up for what you believe in. Kevin Sylvester has authored more than 30 books, including Apartment 713—a remarkable place that lets Jake Simmons travel to the past! The bestselling author of Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao, returns with a rollicking adventure in Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. And Kim Spencer explores the challenges of being an Indigenous youth in a small town, and how kids can navigate differences together. Fun, fast-paced, and sure to entertain, this is a lesson from the best in the business. For Grades 4–7.

Event Participants:

Kim Spencer

KIM SPENCER is a graduate of the Writer’s Studio at SFU. Two of her short stories appeared in an anthology released through SFU. Spencer was a mentee for the Writers’ Union of Canada’s BIPOC Writers Connect, and for ECW’s BIPOC Writers Mentorship Program. She is from the Ts’msyen Nation in northwest BC. (BRITISH COLUMBIA)

Kevin Sylvester

KEVIN SYLVESTER is the award-winning, beloved author and illustrator of more than thirty books. His novel, The Fabulous Zed Watson!,co-written with Basil Sylvester, was a finalist for a 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award and a Silver Birch Award. Apartment 713 is his latest middle-grade novel. (ONTARIO)

Xiran Jay Zhao

XIRAN JAY ZHAO is the bestselling author of the Iron Widow series. A first-gen Hui Chinese immigrant from small-town China, they were raised by the internet and made the inexplicable decision to leave their biochem degree in the dust to write books instead. Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is their first middle-grade book. (BRITISH COLUMBIA)