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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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Here are some fun ideas
to prime the students for my visit:
* Place advance orders for my books,
ready for me to autograph.
* Have your students and teachers
dress in the jersey of their
favorite sports team.
* Decorate the gym or library with sports posters or
memorabilia.
* Print up bookmarks featuring some of my book titles.
* Have your students visit my website and help put together an
alphabet list about me.
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WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING ABOUT BRAD’S
VISITS
"I asked teachers for feedback and got nothing
but POSITIVE!! One teacher said, 'The best
author we've ever had!' |
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Renee Beaufore
Glencairn Elementary
East Lansing, MI |
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“I have never gotten such a positive response to
an author visit. The students and staff adored
you.” |
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Kelley Auringer,
Greens Farms School
Westport, CT |
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“The teaching staff was highly
impressed with his excitement of writing and his
encouragement of students to “pursue what you
love.” As a teacher/librarian of 30 years
experience, I found Brad to be one of the best
authors we have ever had visit our school.” |
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Jan Volz Schefcik
Devinny Elementary
Lakewood, Colorado |
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“His humor shines through, yet his
message about perseverance in writing – indeed,
in life – comes through loud and clear, as well.” |
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Hadassah Contreras
Forest Grove Elementary
Pacific Grove, CA |
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“Brad is not only a talented
writer, but also a gifted teacher.” |
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Barbara Feldman
West School
Glencoe, Illinois |
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"Brad's visit to our school was a
tremendous success. He related well and
effectively presented to all of the children
grades K-5. Immediately following the
presentations, students wanted to start
newspapers, keep notebooks and do interviews." |
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Freddi Faye Salden
Jefferson Elementary
Franklin, Massachusetts |
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