Kristin Varner
Award winning Author-Illustrator & Graphic Novelist of books inspired by childhood experiences
About Kristin
Kristin Varner is an award-winning author, illustrator and graphic novelist based in the Pacific Northwest. She grew up in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Utah before attending Rhode Island School of Design where she received her degree in Illustration and cultivated her love of children’s books. Her middle grade graphic novels, Horse Trouble and Dog Trouble have won numerous awards, including a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard, the Sequoyah Children's Book Award and been named to many state award reading lists. She lives on a wooded island near Seattle, Washington with her husband and daughter and is often distracted while working in her studio by one mischievous kitty and two big, goofy dogs. When she’s not inside drawing, she loves visiting classrooms and libraries where she can connect with young readers through interactive presentations, creating stories and comics and just having fun!
Books
What educators say
“Kristin visited our class last week and showed us how to draw a horse, talked to us about her book Horse Trouble, and answered questions about creating a graphic novel. It was delightful! Kristin engaged them and spoke with them as fellow authors.”
“Kristin Varner recently visited my school library. She dazzled students with many insights on how she came to write her first graphic novel, Horse Trouble. Her presentation is very personable, engaging and FUN!”
Visit formats
What a visit includes
Presentations are generally 45-50 min (shorter for younger grades). I briefly discuss my journey of becoming an author and illustrator, and explain how the ideas behind my stories are inspired by my own childhood experiences and how students can use this as a tool in their own writing. I show the creative process behind my middle grade graphic novels from initial ideas to finished pages and we discuss book components such as characters, setting and plot and what makes a compelling story that will grab readers. The highlight is making an interactive, short story/comic together as a group. I leave time for Q&A and book signings if requested.
Fees vary by format, travel, and your school's needs. Reach out directly for a quote and open dates.
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