I would be delighted to come to your school and share my love of children’s books with your students. My goal is to inspire students to get excited about reading and writing. I like to compare how I write to how students write. We are all working hard to create an interesting story for our readers. I usually talk about my life as a writer, how I got started, the writing process, how ideas are generated, and tips to improve writing.
I often use a Powerpoint presentation along with visual items, such as rough drafts, illustrators’ sketches, galleys, and lots of editors’ rejection letters. My rejection letters let students know that real writers experience failures and frustrations but keep on working and rewriting until they 
get it right. I might share a newspaper I wrote at age 10 which later inspired The Best Bet Gazette, or my first handwritten, cloth bound book titled The Strange Land.
It is always a good idea for students to become familiar with at least one book before I arrive. This way the presentation will have more meaning for them and they will come better prepared with questions. Either students should have a chance to read a book themselves, or they should have one read to them by teacher or librarian.
GRADES
Kindergarten – 6th Grade
AUDIENCE SIZE
Students should be grouped by grade level. Since I use a Powerpoint presentation for most of my programs, it is best to limit the audience to 90 students or less at a time. This also allows for better group interaction.
LENGTH
40 – 50 minutes, depending upon grade level. Time for questions and answers is included. I will give up to 4 presentations per day. (One session could be split into two 20 minute sessions to accommodate 2 groups of kindergartners.)
SCHOOL PROVIDES
* A microphone if size of room and audience requires one
* A large screen or white wall
* A table for books and visual materials
* A cart with hookup for projector and laptop
SPEAKING FEES 
$500 per day, plus traveling expenses (hotel, meals, and mileage). If traveling beyond the Greater Cincinnati area, there is an additional charge of $30 for each additional travel hour. For example, Indianapolis (2 hours away) would be $560. I live in Hebron, KY, on the southern edge of Cincinnati. If you are outside of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky tri-state area, e-mail me to negotiate fee.
The following programs are available, most with Powerpoint, book readings, author talk, and Q & A time:
4th - 6th grade
How Did Tea and Taxes Spark a Revolution? And Other Questions About the Boston Tea Party
What exciting events led to the American Revolution? How do writers research a nonfiction book or report?3rd – 6th grade
THE PROCESS OF WRITING Camp Kickapoo, FROM IDEA TO FINISHED BOOK
How does a book evolve through stages of thinking, planning, writing, revising, and editing? How does an author work with an editor and illustrator?
2nd – 4th grade
WHERE DOES A WRITER FIND IDEAS FOR STORIES?
How did I get ideas for my books? How can student writers get ideas for their stories?3rd – 5th grade
PLOT, CHARACTERS, AND SETTING: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF FICTION WRITING
What does every writer need to build a good story? How did I develop the plot, conflict, characters and setting of Camp Kickapoo or Brutus the Wonder Poodle?
1st – 2nd grade
MY LIFE AS A WRITER – HOW I GOT STARTED – WRITING TIPS FOR YOUNG WRITERS
Why did I become a writer? How do writers work? How can students become better writers?Kindergarten
INTRODUCTION TO AUTHORS AND BOOK WRITING
Including a Reading From the Picture Book, The Strawberryland Choo-Choo
SIGNING BOOKS
I would be happy to sign books on the day of my visit, either before school, between sessions, or after school. I prefer to meet and greet each student as I sign his/her book, but time does not always allow for this. It is a great help to have a slip of paper in each book with instructions on what to inscribe. Parents should clearly print on paper the first name of the child who is buying the book.
Three books are available for sale. One is Camp Kickapoo (out-of-print hardcover), which I can provide at a 14% discount. The others are How Did Tea and Taxes Spark a Revolution? And Other Questions about the Boston Tea Party and Where Did Sacagawea Join the Corps of Discovery? And Other Questions about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, available through the publisher and book stores.
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Three books which will prove helpful as you plan your Author Day are the following:
- Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers by Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz (Libraries Unlimited, 1999)
- ABCs of an Author Illustrator Visit by Sharron L. McElmeel (Linworth Publishing, 2001)
- Author Day Adventures: Bringing Literacy to Life with an Author Visit by Helen Foster James (Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003)
I would love to hear your comments or questions.
CONTACT ME at Linda@LindaGondosch.com