Bio:

Carmela Martino is an author and teacher based in Illinois. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. Carmela has taught writing classes at the College of DuPage since 1998. She also teaches workshops for third through eighth-graders at the Hinsdale Center for the Arts. She is cofounder of www.TeachingAuthors.com, a blog of writing and teaching tips written by six children’s authors who are also writing teachers.

Carmela writes for both children and adults. Her first children’s novel, Rosa, Sola, (Candlewick Press) was named to Booklist magazine’s “Top Ten First Novels for Youth: 2006”. Her poem “Questions: A Poem for Two Voices” appears in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk High School. Her humorous short story, “Big Z, Cammi, and Me,” is included in the middle-grade anthology I Fooled You: Ten Stories of Tricks, Jokes, and Switcheroos, (Candlewick Press), edited by Johanna Hurwitz.

Before writing for children, Carmela worked as a freelance journalist for the New Catholic Explorer. Her articles and essays have also appeared in the Chicago Tribune and several magazines, including Writer’s Digest, Catholic Parent, and Catholic Library World.

Carmela enjoys sharing the story of her writer’s journey with audiences of all ages. Her basic presentation, “Worms, Pens, and Butterflies,” describes her roundabout route to becoming a published author while emphasizing the importance of both reading and writing in accomplishing career goals.

Carmela also offers writing workshops for students in grades 3-12 and adults. In her children’s programs, she uses games and group activities to “make writing fun.” She is happy to incorporate the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing into her presentations. She can also tailor her talks to fit a specific curriculum. Her two most popular workshops are:

• Transforming Life into Fiction: explains how she transformed people, places, and events from her life into fiction. Students practice using their own magic wands (or trusty pens) to turn their life experiences into spellbinding stories.
• Re-Visioning—Seeing with “Fresh Eyes”: describes the many revisions Rosa, Sola went through prior to publication and presents specific techniques to help students "re-vision" their own writing.

For more information, visit her website.

Writer
PAL
Member since 1992
Region: Illinois

Contact Information

Current Location:   Naperville
Website:  http://www.carmelamartino.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes
Available for Speaking Engagements? Yes