Author Marty Chan

a CILC Content Provider

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Marty is an author and playwright. He’s written over 20 books for kids and nearly 100 plays for adults. He specializes in writing hi-lo fiction to encourage striving readers to pick up books. The Junior Library Guild awarded the gold medal standard to two of his novels: Haunted Hospital and Willpower. One of his early books, The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, won the 2007 Diamond Willow Young Readers’ Choice Award. 

 

Looking for a dynamic workshop on how to write scary stories? An engaging storytelling session to introduce young students to folktales and story structure? An inspiring book talk to get your reluctant readers excited to visit the library? Marty has a variety of sessions that cover Kindergarten to high school. He also provides professional development sessions for teachers who need extra help getting their students excited about creative writing.

 

From his virtual studio in Alberta, Canada, Marty delivers interactive writing workshops and author visits with a cutting-edge blend of special effects, humor, audience participation, writing games, and storytelling. Kids won’t be able to look away when Marty turns his pen into a lightsaber to illustrate how specifics matter. Younger students will be amazed at the behind-the-scenes look at how Marty’s picture book about his cats came together. Kids will scream their guesses at the screen as they play his version of ‘I Spy’ and learn the value of sensory details. He offers programs to schools, homeschool students, and the general public. 

 

Since 2020, Marty has performed over 1,000 virtual sessions across North America. He can connect with classes and students via Zoom, Google Meet, MS Teams or YouTube Live. 

2023-2024

2022-2023

 

Programs by Author Marty Chan

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Chinese Folktales

Get a glimpse behind the Great Wall of China as Marty Chan tells classic Chinese folktales. Perfect for Lunar New Year, Asian Heritage Month, or the mid-autumn festival, these stories offer a peek into Chinese culture. Marty incorporates humour...

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Five Nights of Fright - 5 Program Workshop

Inspire your students to write spooky stories designed to frighten their friends and family. Marty Chan breaks down the major elements of suspense stories and shares each them in a series of five workshops. He’ll reveal his techniques to keeping...

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Liars' Club

Want to make writing fun for reluctant students? Tell them authors are professional liars. In this fun and interactive session, students learn the secret to telling a good lie and writing a great story. They’ll put their skills to the test as they...

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Marty Chan's Secret Vault

In this exciting interactive session, kids become codebreakers and treasure hunters in search of a prize hidden away in a secret vault. They must break codes and solve puzzles to learn the location of the vault. Then they'll have to use all their...

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Springboard to Stories

Marty shares the origins of his books to show students how their lives can be springboards to stories. Through funny anecdotes, he’ll demonstrate how personal experiences combined with imagination can be a wellspring of inspiration. He’ll also...

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Writing Prompts Made Easy

Starting a story can be one of the hardest things to do, but Marty Chan has the key to unlocking your imagination. He reveals his secret to using writing prompts effectively. Whether it be text or picture prompts, students will know how to create...

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More About This Provider

Type of Organization

Independent Provider of Content

Contact

Marty Chan   martychan@shaw.ca
10539 - 75 Street NW
Edmonton Alberta T6A 2Z6
(780) 975-9292
Canada

https://martychan.com

Primary Disciplines

The programs of Author Marty Chan cover:

Language Arts/English
Literacy
Performing Arts
Reading
Writing

Awards, Quotes, Testimonials

“Just wanted to say thank you for the first session- the kids were so energized and excited. Not many times you hear Grade 6 students say, ‘that was really good, thanks for organizing this,’ especially on a Monday morning!!” – A. Sieb, Bishop Roborecki School (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

 

“Thanks for everything, Marty!  Everyone had nothing but huge praise for the residency and your ability to engage the students.  Even reluctant writers are flourishing with this project.” -- M. Wenzel-Curtis, Rosemont School (Calgary, Alberta)

 

“My two grade 7 classes at A. Blair McPherson had such a blast listening to your presentation last Wednesday. The energy in the room was brimming and for a virtual presentation that says a lot about the effort you put into them.” – H. Paranich, A. Blair McPherson School (Edmonton, Alberta)

 

“All of the teachers have been raving about you since finishing their sessions. I am so grateful that you made this work for us. Our students had such a good laugh and learned so much. I know in my class they were saying they wish they could meet you and were asking about getting your books. I have three of them (with Kung Fu Master on its way), so they know they'll have access to those next year. Some of them have never had a live author visit, so this was such a wonderful introduction. Kim said that your in-person sessions are amazing, and I am absolutely thrilled with how you have adapted for the virtual environment!” – E. Kim, Lanor Junior Middle School (Toronto, Ontario)