An experienced teacher, tutor and presenter, I love sharing my writing process and the trials and rewards of being an author. Peppered with humorous anecdotes, my presentations and workshops are designed to inform, entertain, and even inspire groups of all ages to want to write, too.
Book Fairs/Events for Pre-Schoolers
» » Read-aloud of Esther’s Hanukkah Disaster, followed by Q & A and games matching stuffed animals with silly and appropriate gifts. Programs for grown-ups and book signings can be added.
» »Read-aloud of Paulie’s Passover Predicament, followed by questions reinforcing messages of story and audience members’ reenactment of plot, using stuffed animals. Programs for grown-ups and book signings can be added, as well as coloring sheets with book characters and seder plates.
» » Read-aloud of Don’t Call Me Sidney, followed by interactive rhyming activities. Programs for grown-ups and book signings can be added.
» » Read-aloud of What’s Up With this Chicken?, followed by 
volunteers’ re-enactment of humorous parts of story. Upon request, discussion of factual aspects about chicken life cycle, chicken raising, and chicken behavior included. Programs for grown-ups and book signings can be added, as well as craft activities that transform cut-up egg cartons to baby chicks.
School Visits
Each presentation is tailored to the needs and wishes of the individual school. My planning takes into account the size and age group of the audience, requests to support ongoing curriculum, and ways to complement specific language arts standards. Whatever the age group, I allow plenty of time for questions and discussion. Visits can include sale of books and evening programs for grown-ups about the roller coaster life of a children’s book author or my experience seeing my middle grade novel become a musical (see NEW THIS YEAR below).
School programs below support student growth in Common Core State Standards, including ELA Anchor Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 for Reading and ELA Anchor Standards 3 and 5 for Writing.
Grades K-2
» » MEET A REAL LIVE AUTHOR
Read-aloud of one of my picture books, using large projected slides. Kid-friendly explanation of how a book moves from idea to publication. Slides of messy revisions, editors’ post-it notes, illustrators’ sketches. Importance of revising emphasized. Terms matched to teachers’ terms, e.g., drafts might be “sloppy copies.”
Classrooms studying and/or raising chickens will find a reading of What’s Up With this Chicken? especially relevant.
—second grade teacher”Thanks for coming to enlighten and inspire our students.”—first grade teacher
Grades 3-5 (Five Program Options)
» » HOW AUTHORS WRITE: Same as program for K-2, but with more detail, e.g., dealing with rejection, role of an agent, how a book becomes an app. Can be combined with programs below.
» » MAKING CHARACTERS COME ALIVE IN FICTION AND NARRATIVES: Interactive program on how to show/not just tell about characters’ personalities, conflicts, dreams, etc. Includes practice with evocative verbs to illustrate emotion and personality (examples: stomp vs. walk; wolf down vs. eat). Single or multiple sessions (with assignments between sessions) available.
» » USE YOUR SENSES TO MAKE WRITING COME ALIVE: Interactive program on using sensory details for vivid description of settings and objects (examples: describe the school cafeteria, a stuffed elephant). Practice using rich adjectives, adverbs, comparisons, verbs. Single or multiple sessions (with assignments between sessions) available.
» » REVISING=GOOD WRITING: Combines “Making Characters Come Alive in Fiction and Narratives” and “Using Senses to Make Writing Come Alive” with emphasis on the importance of revision. Especially helpful for preparing students to write narrative essays. Includes the why and how-to of revising, how to make a sentence shine, coming up with evocative adjectives, adverbs, comparisons, verbs—all to show/not tell. Single or multiple sessions (with assignments between sessions) available.
—fourth grade teacher
RATES
Single presentation: $225
Multiple presentations in 1 day: $200 each. Mileage added for more than 15 miles from Lexington, MA.
$150 per virtual presentation
All rates include 1 free signed book for school library or classroom, plus a list of suggested follow-up activities.
For Grown-ups
» » THE ROLLER COASTER LIFE OF A CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR: Informative, entertaining presentation for libraries, senior centers, assisted living facilities, adult education groups and parent organizations. Projected slides show stages from initial idea to printed book. Audience questions are encouraged. Children welcome. Signed books available for purchase.
*******See NEW THIS YEAR above
RATES
$200 per presentation