School Visits

My very favorite thing about writing for children is connecting with young readers. There’s nothing better than being in a classroom full of kids who are excited, engaged, and ready to talk books!

I love to talk about ideas and where they come from. (Spoiler alert: everywhere!).

I love to share the power of the “stinky first draft” and how I use feedback from my fellow authors to revise (over and over again) to make my work better––just like students use feedback from classmates and teachers to make their work better.

I love to emphasize that the two most important factors in reaching any goal (including becoming a published author) are working hard and believing in yourself.

And I aspire to leave every individual child with the certainty that they are important––and so are their stories.

I’m happy to craft a presentation to fit your specific needs, or you can choose from one of the following tried and true options:

THE TRUE STORY OF A NONFICTION BOOK

(Adaptable for grades 1-5; 45 minutes)

Discover how The Great Stink went from idea to book, as I discuss the steps of my writing process, including the importance of the “stinky first draft,” multiple revisions, and “tricking” yourself into working hard when you’d rather be doing something else. I also share early sketches from Nancy Carpenter that didn’t make it into the book, photos from my research trip to London, and what a manuscript looks like with notes from critique partners and copyeditors. (For grades 4 and 5, I can add a brief segment that describes some of my favorite revision techniques. This will add about 5-10 minutes to the presentation.)

THE GREAT STINK READING PLUS Q&A

(Ideal for grades 1-3; 30 minutes)

Sit back. Relax. And enjoy a not-so-stinky story time as I read The Great Stink and then answer student’s questions. I can answer questions about the book, writing, where I get ideas, why we still have a poop pollution problem and more. Nothing is off the table! Plus, I always keep a handful of images on hand to add visual interest to my answers.

 

Contact me with questions or to schedule a visit for the 2022-’23 and ’23/’24 school year.

I look forward to hearing from you!

 

Download my 2022-23 School Visit Information Packet HERE.*

*An updated 2023-24 school year packet is coming soon!

COST

  • My 2022-2023 honorarium for in-person visits is $1000, plus travel expenses,* for a full day (multiple presentations, plus lunch with a small group of students) or $500, plus travel expenses,* for a single presentation. Two schools within a ten-mile radius are welcome to share the cost of a full day visit and I will spend the morning at one school and the afternoon at another.
  • My 2022-2023 honorarium for a full-length virtual presentation of up to one hour is $250.
  • I offer free 15-minute virtual Q&A sessions for classes who have already read The Great Stink, and I participate in World Read Aloud Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in February.

*Travel fees will be waived for schools within 50 miles of downtown Los Angeles, CA and San Mateo, CA during the month of January 2023. Travel fees will be waived for schools within 25 miles of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY during the months of October, November, and December 2022 and February, March and April 2023.

Check out 35 Ways to Fund an Author Visit for creative ways to bring me–or any author–to your school.