Jennifer's children's novels of historical fiction have all been nominated for several Canadian Awards. The Go-Between, set in 1927, was released with Red Deer Press April 2024. Breakwater Books released Moose's Roof, with Laurel Keating, in 2017, She celebrates While You Sleep with Miko Sato from Pajama Press in 2022.
Elementary school principal, educational consultant, and teacher of all grades, Jennifer believes in the power of story as it enthralls the young mind.
Prescription for Description –What exactly is an adjective?
No one ever called them Bad Big Wolf or Red Little Riding Hood because it doesn’t sound right. That’s because it isn’t right. There is a writing rule that tells you which order adjectives need to follow. In order for a great story, Authors young and old need to know this rule to write descriptive language. Authors also need to know how to create their own words that describe people, places, and things for fun and understanding. Come and find out….
- what work adjectives do
- how many adjectives you hear
- the order of adjectives when writing.
(workshop includes power point presentation, story time, writing exercise, question and answer time)
Asian Heritage Month Presentation – When the Cherry Blossoms Fell
Educator, researcher and author, Jennifer Maruno know stories provide more than entertainment. From the pages of Canadian history, she creates novels empathetic to those who have experienced the darker side of our past. Maruno's understanding of the importance of cultural identity has brought The Cherry Blossom series, based on the Japanese-Canadian Internment. Recommended by the Children’s Book Center, the Manitoba Library Association, and nominated for the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award and the Young Readers of Canada Award.
The books of The Cherry Blossom Series follow the fate of my husband's family when the Canadian government declared all people of Japanese descent enemies of the country and forced them into internment. They lost their house, their car and all of their special possessions. After a long and painful journey of relocation and loss, apology and retribution, Japanese Canadians are now finally recognized as having contributed to the development of our great nation.
For some, this contribution is a simple as sushi. Others look to cultural forms of martial arts, taiko drumming, ikebana or manga. I see their greatest contribution as their display of dignity and exemplary behaviour.
Throughout all of their hardships, the Japanese -Canadians held their heads high. Mothers raised their children without bitterness. Acts of retaliation and destruction were not even considered. They turned their inner turbulence to chopping wood, playing baseball and other physical expressions.
The Japanese remained silent about their past in order to maintain harmony. I told their story for others to know Asian Heritage month is more than just origami.
(workshop includes power point presentation, excerpt of novel, question and answer time)