School Presentations, Book Readings & Motivational Speaking*
*Andrea offers FREE 15 minute online book readings/virtual visits to any classroom/group who has purchased her books! Contact her for details and to set up your free session!
Presentations/workshops can be adjusted for curriculum.
All presentations contain elements of mental wellness, unity-in-diversity, and empowerment.
Andrea also offers motivational speaking, mental wellness workshops, and creativity coaching for individual adults as well as faith groups, writers groups, artist groups, and mental health awareness groups.
(Scroll to bottom for adult group speaking options.)
For presenter bio, click here.
For School-Age Children:
Yo, ho, ho, and a visit with Greenbeard the Pirate Pig!
It's a piratey good time as Andrea reads from her book and teaches children (aka "wee piggywinkles") how to act like "proper pirates" and sing Greenbeard's pirate shanty! Can be split into 30 minute presentations.
The Nightingale's Song
With the theme of unity in diversity, Andrea will read from her book and take the children on an inspiring journey of awareness and empowerment. Combined with music and song. 60 minutes or can be split into 30 minute presentations.
Illustrating with Happy the Pocket Mouse!
Students will learn how to draw Happy the Pocket Mouse from Philip Roy's beloved series which Andrea illustrated. Combined with a book reading, music and song. 60 minutes or can be split into 30 minute presentations.
For Young Adults:
The Great & the Small: The Hero's Journey in Real Life
Join Andrea for an interactive workshop on The Hero’s Journey, the archetypal cycle of crisis and victory that propels protagonists forward. While we love these quests in stories, we often dread them in our own lives, struggling to frame our trials as anything remotely “heroic.” Despite our fictional heroes facing immense challenges, we often feel like failures when we face our own. But The Hero’s Journey isn’t just a literary construct—it reflects the struggle we all face on the path to becoming our true selves. Andrea will share how her own experiences with buried trauma inspired her dystopian fantasy novel, The Great & the Small, and will read from the book while engaging participants in discussion. By the end, participants will begin to reframe failure, trauma, and even mental illness as part of the heroic quest for self.
The Great & the Small: The "Why" of Writing
Join Andrea for an interactive session on transforming facts into fiction and uncovering the WHY of writing. She will read from her dystopian fantasy novel, The Great & the Small, sharing the questions about dictatorship, the cost of blind obedience, buried trauma, and the search for self that inspired her to write it. Andrea will discuss her unconventional use of rats as main characters to explore authoritarianism in a colony paralleling Stalinist Russia, and how their narrative intersects with a teenage girl grappling with buried trauma and suicide ideation. By exploring her WHY—asking questions and writing to find the answers—and by excavating personal experiences for inspiration, Andrea will help participants discover their own questions and lay the groundwork for meaningful stories.
For Faith Groups, Writers' Groups, Artists' Groups, and Mental Health Awareness Groups:*
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The Hero's Journey in Life and Art!
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Finding the Joy: Writing for Children and Youth
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Reframing "Failure" and Finding Your True Self
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Recovering from Trauma--Reclaiming Your Life
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How Art, Writing and Living Your Best Life Intersect
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The Writer's Alchemy: Turning Life into Fiction
Sessions can be done either in person, or online.
please click here to use the form provided on the contact page.
*Specific topics can be requested.
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Kelly St James
Librarian
“[Andrea] was very informative in explaining the process of book writing and illustrating. Her price was affordable and she was very accommodating to our needs. She allowed us to split her presentation time into two different sittings to accommodate our little ones….
I would highly recommend booking her as a feature author/illustrator. The presentation was both insightful and entertaining. We look forward to reading her next book and having her back for another visit….”
Mrs. Crocker
Unionville Montessori
“The children and the teachers loved the program! I would love it if she could repeat this book next year!”
-The Nightingale's Song presentation
Tralee Reford
Teacher
Andrea Balsara did several excellent presentations at our school (3 presentations, to be specific; 1 for kinder to grade one, 1 for gr 2/3 classes and 1 for grade 4 and 5 classes…The focus was on DIVERSITY through the use of her excellent picture book, The Nightingale's Song, and other
resources, large visuals, props and guitar playing/songs.
I highly recommend Andrea as a presenter for other schools... Andrea is extremely talented and has written numerous books, including an excellent novel suitable for grade 7 and 8 levels and beyond. I personally read it, hence the recommendation, as it has strong direct and indirect
messages regarding diversity as well as historical references to past situations on our planet.
Joan Blackburn
Event Organizer
Andrea was a wonderful speaker at the ladies lunch at Kendal. Andrea reads her stories and brings them to life.
She shared her personal life story and how she draws from experiences for her writings …She was very interesting speaker.
Laura Hurtubise
Integrated Literacy Program Teacher
“Andrea’s arrival was highly anticipated by students and staff…and she did not disappoint! Her presentations were engaging and interactive with many interesting visual aids. Andrea’s stories about her family, her pets and her journey to becoming a published author and illustrator, helped the students realize that they can also be great writers…! Many students purchased one or more of Andrea’s books and she signed and personalized every one of them. Students were anxious to take them home to share with their families….”
Holly Earp
Grade 3/4 Teacher
Andrea has been a huge inspiration to my students and to me. Last school year I read Andrea’s book, “Greenbeard The Pirate Pig“ to my grade 3/4 class. The book was recommended by one of my students. This was just the beginning of what has turned out to be an amazing learning adventure for us! This year we were blessed with an opportunity to learn with and from Andrea through a virtual author visit. We were spoiled further with an illustrator lesson too!
Through these two videos we got a sneak peek into Andrea‘s creative world of being an author and illustrator. Andrea spoke directly to the kiddos explaining her process, experiences and her learning along the way, you could’ve heard a pin drop in my classroom-true engagement! Students have taken the learning from Andrea and have applied it to their writing and illustrations, even during free time! Andrea has become a mentor to many and has kindly been writing us back, answering our many wondering’s. We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity and I know this will be a highlight in my student’s memories for years to come. Thank you so much Andrea! We are truly grateful.
Megan
Imagine In The Park
Andrea is a kind, loving individual that inspires everyone around her to use their imagination! While having the pleasure of working with her, her true colours came through. She works wonders with children, and helps them see the possibilities in the impossible. Something that looks so complex she has the art of breaking it down and while using her imagination building the picture to be even more complex than it started. She has a nurturing, calm approach while teaching with children and will accept anyone that shows interest with using their own imagination. You never really know what you are going to find outside in nature, however you won’t know until you start looking!
We cannot wait to work with Andrea again- thank you for everything you do!
Jennifer Alls
Vice Principal and Teacher Librarian
“Ms. Balsara’s presentations were highly engaging and interactive. Students were captivated by her ability to bring her book’s characters to life…. The presentations included a strong message of child and youth empowerment and positive character attributes…. She seemed really able to reach students with her message of ‘never giving up,’ and to always use their imaginations…. Many students asked me when Ms. Balsara could come back again!”