School Visits
I love to visit schools! As a former elementary and special needs teacher, I think I fit right in.
PRESENTATIONS:
K/2—30 minutes. We sing, do finger plays, read, and play a game or two.
I give a simple short presentation, focusing on the books I have written for that age group. I explain how an author works with an illustrator to create a book that is a real collaboration. We sing a few songs and play a game or two depending on time.
Grades 3/6—45 minutes. I share a bit about my reading and writing journey and show how I take events in my life and shape them into stories. I explain my process of writing from generating an idea, drafting it, sharing it with my critique group, sending it to my agent for review, and finally a critique and rewrite for an editor. I leave 15 or 20 minutes for questions at the end.
I am comfortable speaking to children in a wide variety of settings. I prefer to work with a maximum of 100 students (or so) in a session. This gives students the opportunity to ask questions and leaves them with the feeling that they have been seen and heard. I am happy to present in other formats as well.
FEES:
Out of town: $1000/day (4 presentations), plus expenses
Kansas City area, $800/day (4 presentations)