Author
Visits to Schools
What
kinds of programs do you offer for the different grade levels?
How do we contact you, and how much do you charge? Our school can't afford an author visit. What can we do? How should we prepare students and teachers for your visit? We want an author, but we don't want you . . . Programs for 2011-2012  The Busiest School in
Town(grades K-2) Click here for instructional objectives Bring a picture book to life—with a little help from the author. Students take part (and props!) in a lively, interactive read-aloud of The Busiest Street in Town. Then they discuss the story and respond to it by drawing the "busiest street" they'd like to see. Along the way, they learn a little bit about the parts of a book and what an author and an illustrator do. School equipment needed: laptop-compatible projector and screen; cordless microphone; paper and crayons or markers (for students) "Thank you so much
for your visit today. The children had a wonderful time."
—St. Mary Elementary School, Schwenksville, PA "The kids loved being a part of
the presentation." —Stone-Robinson
Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
"Today I pinned up their street pictures in the room. Beautiful!" —Media-Providence Friends School, Media, PA  Secrets of a Super
Story(grades 2-5) Click here for instructional objectives Do super sleuths Milo and Jazz solve their cases on the first try? No way! As any young mystery fan knows, the detectives' path is littered with false leads and slip-ups. But Milo and Jazz stick to the case like Velcro and, working together, come up with the answer in the end. In this program, students learn that writing a mystery (or anything else!) is just like solving one. From the first brainstorming session to the final wrap-up, it takes persistence, collaboration, and a willingness to toss out ideas that aren't working and try new ones. (Tired of hearing your students whine about revision? Wait till they see how many drafts an editor requires!) School equipment needed: laptop-compatible projector and screen; cordless microphone "I
loved the mysterious entrance, and the humor. It was so
beneficial to our kids to see the writing process in action.
Your presentation was very well thought out and gave clear, real life examples of every step of the writing process." —Woodbrook Elementary School,
Charlottesville, VA
"I loved the focus on the idea that writing is never perfect the first try." —Livingston Avenue School, Cranford, NJ "I loved the way Mara dealt with our students. She asked intelligent questions and treated them with respect and humor. Her presentation and disguise were on target with the 3rd graders. The students were captivated by her presentation." —Samuel Gompers Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA "Since your visit our library's Milo & Jazz mysteries have been the most circulated items in our collection. I have something like 3 of each title and they are NEVER in the library. BRAVO!" —Stone-Robinson Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA  Get Real! What Kind of World Are You Buying? (grades 6-8 or 9-12) Click here for instructional objectives What’s really in that bottled water? Why are those sneakers so cheap? And is it a good thing when pigs—or potatoes—fly? This fun, fast-paced talk has lots of audience participation, using quizzes, games, and role-play to get students thinking about the impact of their everyday purchases on the planet, other people, and themselves. Ties in to topics in social studies, business, economics, media literacy, environmental studies, and family and consumer science. Group size: single class to full assembly Location: classroom or auditorium School equipment needed: laptop-compatible projector and screen; cordless microphone for auditorium "Excellent! Really made the kids think." —Green Woods Charter School, Philadelphia, PA "You got people aware and thinking about problems that they did not even know existed. The statistics were very informative and really made an impact." —Kutztown Area Middle School, Kutztown, PA "I think the student interaction was wonderful. Having the students answer questions and participate really helped to build their understanding of topics discussed." —Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, Whitehall, PA "THANK YOU for the amazing job today. You were so patient and kind with the questions from our students. . . Thank you for providing the wonderful pictures, for sharing some information about yourself and your family, and for inspiring our students to make better choices as consumers in this world." —Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School (online visit) Cost My fee varies depending on distance and number of programs. I offer substantial discounts to schools in my home area of eastern Pennsylvania. I also offer discounts for multiple visits in one school district. Please email me for details, letting me know where you are and what schedule you have in mind:  Funding author visits As every teacher knows, time spent in the classroom is just the tip of the iceberg. Visiting authors put in many hours planning, preparing, organizing, gathering materials, communicating with the school, and traveling. All that takes time away from our regular job—writing! For schools, this means an author visit can be pricey. Here are a few tips:
Amber Brown Grant From
the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Grants for Librarians A comprehensive list, with links. Grants for School Visits Posted in 2004; some may be out of date. Jennifer Ward's Teachers Page Scroll down to the bottom for a list of grants. Preparing for an author visit When you book me, I'll send you a letter with specifics about your program. Additional materials are available to download here. These links can also help you get started: The Perfect Author Visit Courtesy of Dan Gutman, author of many hilarious books including the My Weird School series. The ABCs of a Successful Author/Illustrator Visit From the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Invite an Author: Planning, Fundraising, and Tips for Success Although this is aimed at schools inviting Scholastic authors, it includes lots of good general info on author visits. Hosting an Author From the childrensauthorsnetwork (a small group of authors who do school visits). Arrange an Author Visit Geared to librarians, from the ALA. Organizing an Author Visit Geared to parents' clubs, from PTOtoday.com. How to Ensure a Terrific Visit From Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz, authors of the classic Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers. Authors who do school visits Eastern Pennsylvania A. S. King Cyn Balog Debbie Dadey Eric Wight Jordan Sonnenblick Josh Berk Kay Winters Lee Harper Linda Oatman High Marie Lamba Matt Phelan Sandy Asher Susan Campbell Bartoletti Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Eastern Pennsylvania - Members National America Writes for Kids! Author School Visits by State Authors and Illustrators Who Visit Schools Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators: Find a Speaker
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