TURN YOUR STUDENTS INTO AUTHORS AND POETS!

CREATE AN ALPHABET BOOK ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL WITH BRAD HERZOG

I am a writer of many interests. As a children’s author, I have written more than two-dozen books – fiction and nonfiction, serious and humorous, poetry and prose, picture books for kindergarteners and novels for intermediate students, 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.

As an author of travel narratives (for adults) about small-town America, I also have received critical and commercial acclaim. My first travel memoir, States of Mind, was named one of the ten outstanding books of 1999 by Independent Publisher and reached as high as #2 on the Amazon.com best-seller list. Following publication of my next book, Small World, the San Jose Mercury News called me a “modern-day Steinbeck” and the Orlando Sentinel described me as a “Picasso of the Winnebago.” Indeed, my wife and young sons and I travel in a 39-foot RV for two months each summer on a cross-country publicity-and-play tour.

As a freelance magazine writer, I have written hundreds of articles for many national publications, including Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated For Kids, Reader’s Digest and Writer’s Digest. I have been honored several times by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), including a Grand Gold Medal for best article of the year.

SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS

The goal of my school visits is to GET STUDENTS INVOLVED – capturing their attention by discussing subjects that pique their interest (i.e. sports, humor, my own childhood) and allowing them to participate in the actual creation of a book. I can offer two choices for full-day visits:

1. TELLING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A WRITER

This visit consists of four 30-to-45-minute presentations, usually two in the morning and two in the afternoon, covering as much of the school population as possible. I talk about the events that sparked my writing career – i.e. reading The Hobbit and writing about my experience as a Chicago White Sox batboy. I discuss the sports I covered during my early career as a newspaper sports reporter – from football to figure skating. I point out the fun and quirky magazine articles I’ve written – i.e. about driving the Weinermobile, being a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and competing in the Masters of Miniature Golf (I finished last). Finally, for grades 3-6, I discuss the book creation process – from the proposal to the poems to the promotion.

2. SHOWING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A WRITER

This visit includes one or two general presentations, followed by workshops with a handful of classes in which we brainstorm an alphabet about your school (L is for library, P is for principal…) and then divide into groups to write poems for each letter. At the end of the day, I can read the finished product to the students. After I’ve left, schools have been known to turn the poems into illustrated books, which is GREAT – as long as I get one copy!

Obviously, the more prepared the students are – discussing the books ahead of time, pondering questions for me, etc. – the better the event will be. I am happy to provide personalized autographed books for any students, parents or teachers who wish to pre-order them. My fee is simple and straightforward -- $1100 for a full day, $600 for a half-day (two presentations), plus travel expenses.

EVENING SESSIONS

I am also available to give talks to any teacher or parent groups at night. My discussion for adults – “Hemingway Started as 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. My fee for this 60- to 90-minute presentation is $400.
 

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