Presentations

Chris McMahen has done numerous presentations to groups of varying sizes -- from twenty-five children in a library to a gym full of three hundred students. In May of 2012, he toured southern Ontario as part of Canadian Children's Book Week.

Safety first! When openining the Box of Shocks, Chris always has someone standing behind, just in case they faint.

In developing his presentations for audiences, he draws upon his experiences as a classroom teacher, teacher-librarian, and his involvement in theatre. A presentation of his includes:

  • plenty of energy.
  • audience involvement with a chance to win fabulous prizes in the "Klutzhood Trivia Challenge."
  • animated, entertaining readings of passages from his books, including the terrifying scene where the Mega Yo-Yo tears through an Oregon Coast gift shop.
  • sharing his collection of tabloid newspaper headlines, including, "Man's Eyeballs Pop Out When He Eats Double Decker Sandwich!"
  • revealing his secret method and surefire cure for writer's block using a simple dictionary, closed eyes and an index finger.
  • his background of life experiences which have found their way onto the pages of his books.
  • giving the students and teachers a number of writing activities they can take from the presentation and try for themselves back in the classroom, including "Six Endings in Search of a Beginning," "Headless Chicken Writing," and "Developing That Unforgettable Character."
  • demonstrate, with the help of a hockey stick, his adventures in ice hockey buffoonery.
  • lots of laughs.

Chris presenting at a Toronto area school during his 2012 Children's Book Week Tour.

Over-all, his goals in each presentation include:

  • inspiring the students to read not only read his books, but other fine literature available to them.
  • engaging reluctant young male readers with humour and action.
  • share his playful approach to writing, and encourage the students to discover the joy of creating with words.
  • leave students and their teachers some follow-up activities they can try back in the classroom in the areas of writing and reading.

Please contact Chris, if you interested in having him visit for a presentation.