NOW BOOKING 2024 – 2025 VISITS! 

I’m delighted to visit your classroom, school, or homeschool community, speaking to large assembly-sized or smaller, class/grade-level groups, either in-person, or on your preferred virtual platform. 

View my latest School Visit Brochure HERE.
To check availability, discuss rates, and receive additional information, EMAIL HERE.

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Did you know I’m part of the KID LIT COLLECTIVE?
Click HERE to learn more!

 

ASSEMBLIES

In an interactive assembly which includes a digital slide presentation, student participation, props and Q&A, I’ll talk about my life as a writer. Younger audiences enjoy discovering that “ordinary things” in our everyday lives have inspired all of my picture books. Older audiences are often curious about the collaboration of author, illustrator, editor, art director, and the process of creating a book from story idea to draft, revision to publication.

The most effective groupings for assemblies are K-2, 3-4, and 5-6, though every school has its own requirements, and I can adapt to any grouping.

While the program varies depending on the age of the participating students, its ultimate goal remains the same: to remind us all that each one has a story to tell in a voice uniquely our own. Sharing these stories is a privilege and a gift to the writer and the reader.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops are appropriate for class-sized or small groups of creative writers, and are adjusted according to the grade level of students. Below is a sampling of workshop offerings:

• Words, Picture Books, and the Inspiration of the Ordinary: Stories hide in the ordinary. A rainstorm. A popular song. A field trip to the pumpkin patch. In this workshop, I’ll share the “story spark” for several of my picture books and talk about the journey from inspiration to draft, revision to publication. We’ll leave time at the end for Q & A. (Grades K-5)

• The Extraordinary Ordinary: In this hands-on workshop, I’ll talk about the importance of observation as a “way in” to writing a poem. We’ll consider a handful of poems, noticing how the poet describes each subject in a fresh way. Then, we’ll study a photo of a familiar creature (a bee or dragonfly, for example) and collect words, looking with a poet’s eye to see how the extraordinary often hides within the familiar. We’ll begin a class poem together and lead students to write their own. (Grades K-5)

• Piecing a Story Puzzle: In this hands-on workshop, students will learn about the elements of a good story: character and setting, problem and solution, story arc, and the use of appropriate, specific details. We’ll share a mentor text and identify the story elements. Students will then innovate on the example to create their own story. Kindergarten and 1st grade students will write a group story. 2nd and 3rd graders will write their own. (Grades K-3)

These sessions are available to all schools and homeschool groups. Students and staff interested in ordering personalized, signed books may arrange to do so through my local independent bookstore, CHANGING HANDS. 

To schedule a visit or receive additional info, please contact me HERE.

Helpful Links

• 35 Ways to Fund Author Visits by The Booking Biz
• Why Pay Authors for School Visits Anyway? by Caroline Starr Rose
• The Truth About School Visits: Finding Funding by Alexis O’Neill
• Funding an Author Visit to Your School by SCBWI Mid-South

        The Children’s Museum of Phoenix