There’s nothing like an in-person author visit! I love meeting young readers and writers face-to-face and I am so excited for, and honored by, every opportunity that I get to do so.

Format: In-Person

Length: Full Day

Includes:

- Up to 3 presentations or workshops

- Up to 2 small meet-the-author groups (snack/lunch/chat/Q&A)

- Time for book signing and personalizing

Fee: $1,800 + travel expenses

**If flight is necessary: $2,000 + travel expenses. Please reach out to plan with me directly if you are interested in this option. I love working with educators to build a trip to their area!

**If you are within 90 minutes drive of Shelburne, VT, check out my “Local Visit” pricing!

There’s nothing like an in-person author visit! I love meeting young readers and writers face-to-face and I am so excited for, and honored by, every opportunity that I get to do so.

This half day option is only available for a local visit (within 90 minutes drive of Shelburne, VT) or for a non-local visit if we can arrange other visits in the area. Please reach out for more information if you are interested in this option.

Format: In-Person

Length: Half Day

Includes:

- Up to 2 presentations or workshops

- 1 small meet-the-author group (snack/lunch/chat/Q&A)

- Time for book signing and personalizing

Fee: $1,000 + travel expenses

**If flight is necessary: $1,200 + travel expenses. Please reach out to plan with me directly if you are interested in this option. I love working with educators to build a trip to their area!

**If you are within 90 minutes drive of Shelburne, VT, check out my “Local Visit” pricing!

Local visits are within a 90 minute drive from Shelburne, VT and priced on a sliding scale. Local educators, please reach out and we’ll arrange a visit!

You can view my usual rates above, but I don’t want cost to prohibit the opportunity to connect with local readers and writers at their schools. Pay what you can.

I offer all of my presentations virtually and enjoy connecting this way with readers and writers from across the globe.

Please browse the list of my current presentations below for more information!

Are you currently reading one of my novels? Would you like me to pop in and read a few pages or a chapter with you? I love being a part of your daily work in this way and would love to visit, read, discuss, and answer any questions you have about the book, writing, or anything else!

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 30-45 min.

Fee for virtual presentation: $250 (for in-person fees, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

Are you interested in learning more about Just Like Jackie? I love chatting with readers about the inspiration behind Robinson and her grandpa, and how I tapped into small moments and big emotions from my own life to develop the characters and craft the heart of the story.

The presentation includes plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min.

Recommendation: This presentation is best if students have read at least half of the book.

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person fees, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

Are you interested in learning more about Right as Rain? I love chatting with readers about the inspiration behind Rain and her family and friends, the Washington Heights setting, and the issues of grief, gentrification, and community organizing throughout the book.

The presentation includes plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min.

Recommendation: This presentation is best if students have read at least half of the book.

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person fees, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

Are you interested in learning more about Brave Like That? I love chatting with readers about the inspiration behind Cyrus and Parker, and how I tapped into small moments and big emotions from my own life to develop the characters and craft the heart of the story, and how much I LOVE picture books, just like Mr. Hewett.

The presentation includes plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min.

Recommendation: This presentation is best if students have read at least half of the book.

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person fees, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

Are you interested in learning more about Bea Is for Blended? I love chatting with readers about the inspiration behind Bea and her family and team, and how I tapped into small moments and big emotions from my own life to develop the characters and craft the heart of the story.

The presentation includes plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min.

Recommendation: This presentation is best if students have read at least half of the book.

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person fees, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

Are you interested in learning more about The Real Deal? I love chatting with readers about the inspiration behind Gabe, Oliver, and Reuben, and how I tapped into small moments and big emotions from my own life to develop the characters and craft the heart of the story.

The presentation includes plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min.

Recommendation: This presentation is best if students have read at least half of the book.

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person fees, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

In this presentation, I’ll share with young readers and writers how I use "small moment writing" or personal narrative writing (short memories from my own childhood) as part of my process for writing my books. This presentation is full of engaging storytelling, and the strategies I use to take those important small-moment memories and turn them into new characters, and ultimately, the heart of books!

Students will leave the presentation feeling empowered with the understanding that they have stories to tell, and I hope, with a greater interest to read some of my books to search for the small moments that they learned sparked the stories.

The presentation will include introductions to my books, two current children’s book recommendations, and plenty of time for Q&A.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

If you’re working on something specific in class and would like me to focus on that concept, I’m happy to work with you to create a presentation tailored to meet your students’ needs. I love hearing about what students are already working on, and how I can meet them where they are to strengthen their reading or writing.

All of my presentations include plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person or virtual

Length: 45 min

Fee for virtual presentation: $300 (for in-person, see “In-Person Author Visits”)

Are you staring at the blank page or the blinking cursor wondering how writers ever get their ideas? In this workshop we’ll get our brains moving and thinking by practicing some of my favorite strategies for collecting ideas for stories.

By the end, students will have several “seeds” ideas to begin growing their stories!

All of my workshops also include plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person

Length: 45 min

Requirements: Students will need something to write with and something to write on. I will need a document camera / projector.

Fee: See “In-Person Author Visits”

For me, the main character’s voice is the most important key to crafting a story. I have to really know my main character, and how they sound, before I can know their story. Building a main character and crafting their voice is SO fun. I can’t wait to share with young writers how a lot of that writing work happens through listening, and imagining, and acting, and using my notebook in strategic ways. I’ll help students round out any flat characters they’re working on through interactive character-building exercises and they’ll will leave with a shaper sense of who their character really is, and how they sound.

All of my workshops also include plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person

Length: 45 min

Requirements: Students will need something to write with and something to write on. I will need a document camera / projector.

Fee: See “In-Person Author Visits”

You may have heard the advice “Write what you know,” but what has been most helpful to my own storytelling is “Write what you’ve felt.” If you have ever felt joyful or angry or worried or uncomfortable, and you can really remember how those emotions felt when you were feeling them, then you’ll be more likely to write those emotions honestly for your characters, and your readers will be able to relate. In this workshop, I’ll share some ways that I use those small moments and big emotions from my own life as seeds to create character and plot.

All of my workshops also include plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person

Length: 45 min

Requirements: Students will need something to write with and something to write on. I will need a document camera / projector.

Fee: See “In-Person Author Visits”

Every writer has their own unique process and it takes a lot of trying things out to find it. In this workshop, I’ll share with students how I struggled with the writing process I learned in school, and how I found my own way into and through a story, much later in life, as a teacher in my own classroom. In this workshop, we’ll practice a few different ways into a story and discuss what feels easy or challenging for each of us. Students will leave with strategies to practice and tips for finding their own unique way.

All of my workshops also include plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person

Length: 45 min

Requirements: Students will need something to write with and something to write on. I will need a document camera / projector.

Fee: See “In-Person Author Visits”

If you’re working on something specific in class and would like me to focus on that concept, I’m happy to work with you to create a workshop tailored to meet your students’ needs. I love hearing about what students are already working on, and how I can meet them where they are to strengthen their writing.

All of my presentations include plenty of time for Q&A and two current children’s book recommendations that I have read and loved recently.

Format: In-person

Length: 45 min

Fee: See “In-Person Author Visits”