Available for virtual visits in : New Brunswick, Ontario & Saskatchewan
Craft: Author/Graphic Novelist
Genre: Picture Books, Beginning Readers (ages 4-6), Middle-grade Fiction (ages 8-12), Teen Fiction (ages 13+ ), Non-Fiction, Graphic Novels
Grades: Grade 4 – Grade 12
Website: www.cecilcastellucci.com
Virtual Presentation Information
Science, Science Fiction and Superheroes – 4th grade to 12th grade.
Everyday, scientists work to dream up breakthroughs that spark the imagination and help us understand and unlock the world around us. Scientists often say that they went into the field of science because of the Science Fiction books, TV and movies they enjoyed. Using excerpts and examples from pop culture, including the books and characters I’ve worked with and created: Batgirl, Supergirl, Shade the Changing Girl, Star Wars and Tin Star we’ll take a look at how real science finds its place in fiction. We’ll explore the questions: How does real science influence and inspire fiction? Why is science so important to understand? And how is science is used or misused in stories such as comics and novels? We’ll then take a piece of current science news and get inspired ourselves to kickstart students to write a great science fiction story of their own.
Life Themes include: science, imagination, inquiry, generating ideas
Writing Fundamentals: plot, setting, character
Comic Book Writing – 4th grade to 12th grade.
Comic books have fast become the most popular medium of storytelling. From memoir to superheroes, all kinds of stories merging words and pictures together can tell great vital stories sequentially. But comics are a relatively new medium in the story telling canon. What makes comics such a compelling way to tell and consume stories? And how did this medium – one that was once dismissed – grow to become such a powerful force in pop culture? In this writing workshop, we’ll look at the history of sequential arts. From how to read and write comics. What makes it so compelling to storytellers. How words and pictures work together to move a story forward. And how to start to create our own comic book stories. From idea to page, superheroes to memoir, there’s a story bursting out of you. Let’s take crack at using words and picture and create a simple comic story!
Themes include: Art, History, Writing, self-confidence
Writing Fundamentals: plot, character, technique, dialogue
Book List
Flash Facts, Supergirl and our Solar System -Short Story in an Anthology edited by Mayim Bialik, Ph.D. (DC Comics, 2021)
Batgirl, Ongoing Comic series (DC Comics 2020)
The Little Mermaid, Graphic Novel, Dark Horse / Disney, 2020
Frozen, Graphic Novel (Dark Horse/ Disney, 2020)
Plain Janes 3, Graphic Novel, (Little Brown for Young Readers, 2020)
Girl on Film, Graphic Novel, (Boom/ Archaia, 2020)
The Female Furies, Miniseries, (DC Comics, 2019)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Graphic Novel, (Dark Horse/Disney, 2019)
Don’t Cosplay With My Heart, Novel, 2018 Scholastic Press
Shade, Ongoing Comic, The Changing Girl, Series: Young Animal (DC Comics, 2017)
Soupy Leaves Home, Graphic Novel, Dark Horse Comics, 2017)
Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure, Novel, (Lucasfilm/Disney Press 2015)
Stone in the Sky, Novel, February 2015, (Roaring Brook / Macmillan, 2015)
Tin Star, Novel, (Roaring Brook/ Macmillan, 2014)
Odd Duck, Graphic Novel, (First Second Press, 2013)
The Year of the Beasts, Graphic Novel, (Roaring Brook/Macmillan, 2012)
First Day on Earth, Novel, (Scholastic, 2011)
Rose Sees Red, Novel, (Scholastic, 2010)
Grandma’s Gloves, Picture Book (Summer 2010)
Geektastic, Anthology, Co-Editor, (Little, Brown, 2009)
Janes in Love, Graphic Novel, (Minx/DC Comics, 2008)
Beige, Novel, (Candlewick Press, 2007)
The Plain Janes, Graphic Novel, (Minx/ DC Comics, 2007)
The Queen of Cool, Novel, (Candlewick Press, 2006)
Boy Proof, Novel, March 2005, Candlewick Press
Upcoming 2021
Soupy Leaves Home, Graphic Novel- Educator Edition, (Dark Horse Comics, August 2021)
Wonderful Women of History, Ellen Ochoa – Short Story in an Anthology (DC Comics 2021)
Graphic Novel – Frozen 2 – Dark Horse Comics
Biography
Cecil Castellucci is the award winning and New York Times Bestselling author of books and graphic novels for young adults including Shade, The Changing Girl, Boy Proof, Soupy Leaves Home, The Year of the Beasts, Tin Star, The Female Furies and Odd Duck. She has also written books and comics for many beloved characters including, Batgirl for DC Comics, Snow White, Frozen and The Little Mermaid for Disney Comics and Star Wars Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure. Her two newest original graphic novels are Girl on Film (Boom!) and The Plain Janes (Little Brown). Her short stories and short comics have been published in Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Womanthology, Star Trek: Waypoint, Vertigo SFX: Slam! and many other anthologies. In a former life, she was known as Cecil Seaskull in the Canadian ‘90s indie band Nerdy Girl. She has written two opera librettos Les Aventures de Madame Merveille (World Premiere in 2010) and Hockey Noir: The Opera (World Premiere 2018). She is a two-time MacDowell Fellow and currently lives in Los Angeles.