TURN YOUR STUDENTS INTO AUTHORS AND POETS!

CREATE AN ALPHABET BOOK ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL WITH BRAD

I am a writer of many interests. I have written more than two-dozen children's books – fiction and nonfiction, serious and humorous, poetry and prose, picture books and chapter books, about everything from baseball and birds to heroes and hiccups. My alphabet books for Sleeping Bear Press (which include letter-by-letter poems for younger readers and expansive sidebar text for older readers) have sold more than 200,000 copies. One of them, H is for Home Run, is dedicated to my fourth-grade teacher.

I have also written three acclaimed travel memoirs about small-town America. In the latest, Turn Left at the Trojan Horse, I ponder what constitutes a heroic life. I conclude that if one person considers you a hero, then you’re a hero. So I enjoy visiting schools to try to spark the imagination of students the way my fourth grade teacher inspired me.

SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS

The goal of my visits is to GET STUDENTS INVOLVED – capturing their attention by discussing subjects that pique their interest and using humor to relate profound lessons. My PowerPoint presentations have been very well-received, in part because I appeal to reluctant readers who might otherwise only read the sports pages. Plus, I try to make it fun for the teachers, too, which is an often overlooked part of the process.

I have presented to students ranging from pre-K to high school. My message is simple: Writing can take many forms and open doors to adventure. I discuss some of those adventures – tales about serving as a batboy for a major league baseball team (my first published article), competing in the Masters of Miniature Golf (my favorite story about developing a story idea), and being a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” in front of 25 million viewers (a lesson in the power of learning through writing).

But I focus mostly on various facets of the writing life -- how I became a writer, the importance of reading and research, how I get my ideas, and the book creation process. For my youngest audiences, I recently developed a presentation (also PowerPoint with fun images) in which the students and I create a story together, illustrating how creativity is simply about making choices with your imagination

I offer three school visit options:

HALF-DAY VISIT ($800 plus travel expenses): This generally consists of two presentations (45 to 60 minutes each), as well as 15-20 minute visits to kindergarten classes.

FULL-DAY VISIT ($1400 plus travel expenses): I can do up to four presentations (45 to 60 minutes each), as well as the kindergarten visits.

THE ABCs OF YOUR SCHOOL ($2100 plus travel expenses): This consists of a full-day of presentations, followed by a half-day of workshops. In that half-day, the oldest students and I create an alphabet book – 26 poems from A to Z – about your school. Usually, 3-5 classes participate with me in this process. Schools have turned these into illustrated books, raising money for their PTA or library or even a village in Africa. It’s an opportunity for hands-on authorship by your students.

EVENING PRESENTATION (an additional $600): I am also available to give one-hour talks to any teacher or parent groups at night. My discussion for adults – “Hemingway was a Sportswriter” – is a personal, anecdotal and historical discussion about how kids’ passion for athletics can translate into enthusiasm for reading and writing. I examine the world of sports as it relates to literature, society, the classroom and my own evolution as a writer.

 

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CONTACT BRAD HERZOG
E-mail: brad@bradherzog.com
Phone: (831) 373-6210
Hometown: Pacific Grove, CA