There is nothing more enjoyable than walking into a room full of children who are eager to hear about what I do all day long! My School and Library Programs are fun and interactive and can be tailored to meet the needs of your school or library. My goal is to teach kids that writing can be a creative, rewarding career and that there is more to publishing a book than meets the eye. For children and adults who are interested in learning more about writing, please check out my Workshops listed below. New! Ohio Thunder School Program Rumble-BOOM! Join me on a discovery of how thunderstorms form, how lightning is produced and how to stay safe during a thunderstorm. Using interactive demonstrations, simple experiments, a plasma ball, and handouts, I’ll discuss the science of severe storms, basic electricity and meteorology. For ages 6 and up. Visit Information My program is designed to give students an overview of how a book is published and provide a better understanding of the life of a working author. My presentation varies according to the age of the students. Typically, I begin by introducing myself. Then I read one of my books. Next I take the students through the entire process of making a book—from conception of an idea through editing, peer critique, revisions, submissions, acceptance, illustrations, printing, and finally, to placement in a bookstore. I use actual marked-up manuscript samples to show the editing process and large printed galleys to show how a book is cut, folded and gathered. I also discuss the cost and how long it takes to have a book published and the many people and hours it takes to produce one. During the second half of my presentation I use my laptop to illustrate "My Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions." I show lots of pictures and discuss My Childhood, Where I Live, Where I Get My Ideas, Why I Like to Write, My Typical Day, just to name a few of the "Questions" I cover. I always leave time at the end for questions--believe me, there are still more! Length and Number of presentations: Age Group: Program Size and Location: What I need: School Contact: Preparing for the Visit: Book Sales: Book Signings: Fee: Confirmation: “We were delighted to meet a published author and learn how a book is made…You’re tops!” —Ann
Hayes and her class of first graders, “I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate your traveling so far to participate in our “Let’s Book” program. It was wonderful meeting you and having you share your thoughts with our children.” —Sharrie
Alechman, Head, Children’s Services, I would love to come to your school or library for a visit! Please email me at for more information and to discuss my fee and availability. I look forward to meeting you and your students!
My workshops can be done at schools, libraries, and for book clubs or other groups in private homes or at prearranged locations. These programs are designed for smaller groups and feature hands-on, interactive activities. The length of each program can be tailored to meet your group’s needs. Please contact me for a list of workshop fees. The ABC’S of Writing for Children (For adults) Do you want to know more about writing for children? I can provide you with great resources for getting started plus tips on crafting ideas, characters, plots, and revising manuscripts for submission. I will also offer first-hand accounts of what it’s like to be a children’s author and an overview of the children’s publishing market. As always, I offer a good dose of positive encouragement! Poetry Workshop (For Students) Great for 'April is Poetry Month'! Using interactive activities, I introduce basic rhythm and metrics and their importance in poetry. Students will break into small groups to analyze excerpts from popular poems and present their metric patterns to the class. Other activities include Poetry Charades (for younger grades) in which students have to act out a rhyming word; Poetry Feud, which challenges students to write as many rhyming words as possible in a given time; and Poetry Jam in which students form groups and write short poems using sample words. The goal is to teach students that poetry can be fun and easy. This workshop is designed to spark children’s imaginations and get their creative juices flowing! I discuss the importance of journal-writing and use writing "prompts" and fun, confidence-building activities to help children explore character development, scenes, plots, dialogue, and final revisions. Children create and take home a book containing their collected works. This course requires several back-to-back weekly sessions. |
Testimonial from Robin Holleran: "Denise has a knack for writing beautiful, lyrical verse - something many children's book writers strive for, but few actually achieve. Her presentation of her personal writing process and experiences that contributed to her stories made the books real to the students even though the books themselves were written for a much younger audience. She was a true inspiration to the many children who love books and an eye-opener for those less enthusiastic readers. We were fortunate to have you at our middle school." |
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