Marlene McKay is an instructor and PhD candidate in the faculty of elementary education at the University of Alberta. Marlene has over 30 years of experience in education, as both a classroom teacher and a language arts consultant. As a language arts consultant, Marlene spent several years guiding and supporting teachers in remote northern Manitoba locations and providing professional workshops throughout North America. Her professional expertise lies in: teacher development and training, and using children’s literature to implement teaching strategies and skills that develop literacy in all children