Q: For what Grade levels are your presentations appropriate?
A: Because of the wide range of my work I am able to provide presentations appropriate for K-8 grades.
Q: How many presentations do you do in one day?
A: I do a maximum of 3 presentations per day. The length of the presentations depends on the age level of the audience. My programs run between a half hour and forty-five minutes for K-1, and a full hour for the older grades.
Q: Do you SKYPE?
A: Yes!
Q: How long does a SKYPE visit last?
A: I offer two options - a 20 minute visit for small groups, or a one hour visit for larger groups.
For prices for SKYPE visits please contact me directly at authorweeks@aol.com
Q: Do you do a different presentation for each grade level?
A: Yes. The presentations I do for the younger children focus on picture books. For older students the focus is on novels, chapter books and the writing process. All of my presentations include a PowerPoint program.
Q: What is the ideal group size?
A: The smaller the better! If time and space permit, my favorite place to present is in the library, where the atmosphere is intimate and the kids have a more up-close and personal experience. However, many schools have large populations and that requires that I meet with bigger groups in places like the auditorium or an all-purpose room. That’s fine as long as there is a PA system and a large screen for the PowerPoint presentations.
Q: What grades should be grouped together for your presentations?
A: Although I know sometimes it's hard to work around schedules, it's really important that the groupings be made up of two sequential grades - ie: K-1, 2-3, 4-5 etc. If the age levels are too far apart, it's very hard to create an effective program for anyone.
Q: Do you do Autographing?
A: Of course! I am happy to autograph and personalize books. Ideally books should be pre-sold and organized by class with post-it notes affixed to the cover with the name (first name only) of the person for whom the book is being autographed.
Q: What materials will you need the school to provide for your presentations?
A: I travel with my own laptop, but I require the school to provide an LCD projector and a screen for the PowerPoint presentations. If the room is large, a good PA system, preferably with a clip on mic is also a must.
Q: How much does an author visit cost?
A: For details about cost and availability, contact me directly at: authorweeks@aol.com. Or you can contact the School and Library promotions department at HarperCollins- 212-207-7000.
Q: How can we prepare for an author visit?
A: The more time you spend familiarizing the students with my work before I arrive, the more meaningful the visit will be for them. For suggestions on some creative ways to do this, please contact me at authorweeks@aol.com and I will be happy to send you materials via e-mail.
Q: What are some of the books you will likely focus on when you visit our school?
A: Picture books might include:
Mrs. McNosh Hangs up her Wash, Crocodile Smile
If I Were a Lion, Follow the Moon, Woof, A Love Story, Mac and Cheese!
Novels and chapter books might include:
Regular Guy (middle grade series)
Oggie Cooder (Scholastic series)
So B. It
As Simple As It Seems
Q: Do you bring books with you?
A: No. If you are interested in getting books to sell at your school, please contact your local independent bookstore or for a 40% discount on books for school visits contact:
HarperCollins Library Promotions- (212) 261-6667
Scholastic – 1-800-SCHOLASTIC
Simon and Schuster- 1-800-976-1726
Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin- 1-800-543-1918
Or, for a small fee you can hire an author visit coordinator who will handle all the details of the visit, including book sales. Please contact:
Kerri McPhail of Children’s Authors’ Ally, LLC
914-921-1776 (work)
914-582-0499 (cell)