I LOVE DOING SCHOOL VISITS!
I just needed to get that out of the way.
I want to visit your school. This spring, I’ll be in New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Connecticut, Tennessee, New York and China. Yes, China! Going around to schools all over the country (and now the world) is my absolute favorite part of being an author.
How could it not be? Check out this one recent greeting in Waterford, Ohio!
My presentations usually last around 40-45 minutes. It’s a little shorter with the younger kids, and with the older kids, we sometimes go over during the question and answer period. I use PowerPoint to show how my picture books and chapter books are created. I trace the life of a text from idea to publication, sharing rough drafts, thumbnail sketches, editorial letters, sample layouts and corrected proofs.
I don’t have a preference on the size of the group. I can be in a classroom or library with 40 kids or a gymnasium or cafeteria with 400. I totally understand that many/most schools want to include as many students as possible. I do prefer working with kids in second grade and older, and of course, it’s helpful when the kids are familiar with at least one of my books.
Writing Camps
Lately, instead of traditional author visits, I’ve started doing “Writing Camps.” Lindsay Jones, a Texas school librarian and a great friend, came up with the concept, and they’ve taken off!
I usually meet with smaller groups of students (between 30 and 50 third, fourth and fifth graders). We discuss writing strategies and techniques. But before I come to a school, I speak to some of the teachers so that I’m using the same words or terms the kids are using in class. We cover such concepts as “Show, Not Tell,” “Seed Ideas,” “Vivid Verbs,” “Utilizing the Five Senses,” and “Exploding the Moment.” We use my books and writings as the launching point for the writing workshop.