School & Library Visits
FAQs
What age range/grade level is appropriate for your presentation?
I primarily write young adult novels and have found my presentation and books best suited for middle school and above. For me, that generally means 6th graders and older, though I am open to presenting for some 5th grade advanced reader programs.
How did you choose topic(s) to cover in your presentation?
Topics can be tailored to specific classroom needs (upon request). However, at the advice of my sister, who is an ESL (English second language) middle school teacher, I chose to focus my presentation on subjects that reinforce skill-sets that teachers and librarians work to drive home every day in their students. Together, we fine-tuned this lively presentation to show students how a working author uses these tools every day and how students can use such tools in their own writing.
How long is your presentation?
Presentation subjects, time limits, and number of sessions per day can be accommodated to fit your needs. Generally, I like to have around 20-25 minutes per session, with additional time (5-10 minutes) for students to ask questions, sign books, allow students to take pictures with me, etc. Again, I'm happy to work with you to meet the needs for your school and/or library.
What materials would you need for your presentation?
I use Power Point, so a projector and computer works for me. Also, it's nice to have a microphone if the presentation(s) will occur in an auditorium, gym, etc.
Do you charge for a school/library visit?
This depends on a number of variables - (location, number of sessions, will your school be purchasing books, etc.). While this is a business, I understand different schools have different needs and budgets. Again, visiting schools and libraries is a passion of mine. I'm happy to negotiate fees, based on your needs and resources.
Why do you visit schools and libraries?
Before I became an author, I worked as a business management consultant for six years. Companies would fly me all over the U.S. to meet with their employees and gauge both what they as an organization did well and to determine areas for improvement. Obviously the outcomes varied from company to company, but 'visibility' was an actionable item I heard frequently when asking employees for time-efficient/cost-efficient suggestions for improvement. "If so-and-so would just stop by to see us then we'd know they care...That we matter to them."
Having grown up in a small town in Indiana, I certainly related to such suggestions. Our county had three high schools and mine was the most remote. No one ever came to see us. We were given the hand-me-downs from other schools' theatre programs, and it was often hard to see a bigger world existed beyond the local cornstalks and soybeans. In those situations and countless others, it’s easy for students to think they don't matter – and to believe the fabled “You can do anything you put your mind to” mantra is a bill of goods someone is trying to sell you.
I like to think that visiting schools and engaging students with my journey is a way to prove that one truly can do anything they put their mind to, if willing to knuckle down and work hard for it. Also, that reading often and widely is a key step to achieving their goals.
I primarily write young adult novels and have found my presentation and books best suited for middle school and above. For me, that generally means 6th graders and older, though I am open to presenting for some 5th grade advanced reader programs.
How did you choose topic(s) to cover in your presentation?
Topics can be tailored to specific classroom needs (upon request). However, at the advice of my sister, who is an ESL (English second language) middle school teacher, I chose to focus my presentation on subjects that reinforce skill-sets that teachers and librarians work to drive home every day in their students. Together, we fine-tuned this lively presentation to show students how a working author uses these tools every day and how students can use such tools in their own writing.
How long is your presentation?
Presentation subjects, time limits, and number of sessions per day can be accommodated to fit your needs. Generally, I like to have around 20-25 minutes per session, with additional time (5-10 minutes) for students to ask questions, sign books, allow students to take pictures with me, etc. Again, I'm happy to work with you to meet the needs for your school and/or library.
What materials would you need for your presentation?
I use Power Point, so a projector and computer works for me. Also, it's nice to have a microphone if the presentation(s) will occur in an auditorium, gym, etc.
Do you charge for a school/library visit?
This depends on a number of variables - (location, number of sessions, will your school be purchasing books, etc.). While this is a business, I understand different schools have different needs and budgets. Again, visiting schools and libraries is a passion of mine. I'm happy to negotiate fees, based on your needs and resources.
Why do you visit schools and libraries?
Before I became an author, I worked as a business management consultant for six years. Companies would fly me all over the U.S. to meet with their employees and gauge both what they as an organization did well and to determine areas for improvement. Obviously the outcomes varied from company to company, but 'visibility' was an actionable item I heard frequently when asking employees for time-efficient/cost-efficient suggestions for improvement. "If so-and-so would just stop by to see us then we'd know they care...That we matter to them."
Having grown up in a small town in Indiana, I certainly related to such suggestions. Our county had three high schools and mine was the most remote. No one ever came to see us. We were given the hand-me-downs from other schools' theatre programs, and it was often hard to see a bigger world existed beyond the local cornstalks and soybeans. In those situations and countless others, it’s easy for students to think they don't matter – and to believe the fabled “You can do anything you put your mind to” mantra is a bill of goods someone is trying to sell you.
I like to think that visiting schools and engaging students with my journey is a way to prove that one truly can do anything they put their mind to, if willing to knuckle down and work hard for it. Also, that reading often and widely is a key step to achieving their goals.