Archive for School Visits

Cookies & Conversation & School Visits

Here’s a snap of a display from a recent school visit in Tulsa, OK:

 

While I doubt this is an original idea, I want to take credit for it anyway. It’s become one of my favorite parts of any school visit when the schedule allows. 

For an elementary school, K-5, I typically do 3 1/2 presentations. I like to add a short one (25 minutes) with PreK/K-only, where we keep things simple and age-appropriate; works better for everyone. Then I do full presentations for grades 1-2, 3-4, and 5-only (45-50 minutes). 

There’s time for me to sign books, always alone. 

And then, ta-da, “Cookies & Conversation.”

Kids love cookies.

And some of them like chatting with a real, live author.

Essentially it’s a cozy group of 10-15 young people — the ones who would rather sit in the library with an author than go outside for recess. 

It’s always a loose Q & A format that tends to go deeper on writing, if that’s where the group takes me.

I’m often invited to eat lunch with students — and while I’m willing to do that, it’s a cherished tradition in some places, I much prefer to eat in silence and do a 30-minute Q & A with a small group. 

Anyway: Did I invent the Cookies & Conversation format? 

Um . . . maybe? 

Okay. Probably not. 

 

 

School Visits: A Week In Tulsa!

I’m looking forward to a week visiting schools in Tulsa, OK. Leaving on Sunday, a day after my birthday. I’ve prepared unique presentations for PreK-K. Grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. The full monty! Wait, no, not that. Anyway. I’ll go from Two Birds and a Moose for the youngest up to Shaken and Upstander for the oldest.

   

Curiously, it’s been the “Big Idea Gang” series that’s been getting me invited to places lately, schools buying these books for every student, reading them in multiple classrooms. I recently got invited to CT for the same reason.

   

I am grateful to be asked into a school to speak to young readers. I try to inspire them, encourage literacy, share my enthusiasm for books, and aspire to leave the room just a tiny bit better than when I first arrived.

School Visits, Reminder

School visits for the Spring have picked up, March and May are filling up, but visits are still not at pre-pandemic levels. A host of factors, I’m sure. Please keep me in mind. Happy to answer questions. Write to me at jamespreller@aol.com and we can get the conversation rolling.

I am fairly unique as an author, since I have a wide range of age-appropriate titles, K-8, most of them at paperback prices. 

And I also Zoom with smaller groups, typically in a half-hour Q & A format (cheap!). 

Come to the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival: 9/28/24

It’s that time of year again . . . 

 

If you love children’s books, this is the event for you. This Saturday in Chappaqua, NY — more than 150 children’s book authors and illustrators gathered together under several tents, happy to chat, sign books, make connections, and most of all, celebrate literacy.

I’m thrilled to be invited once again. Lucky me. Please say hello if you can make it.

Thanks!

Ask Me About School Visits

I’ll be doing a number of book festivals in October and early November, so I thought I’d create a banner/poster/thing to display on my table. This was created by my daughter Maggie, who knows how to do these things. Then I go to Staples and they’ll print it up on poster board. Not expensive.

Nice, right? 

I already have visits lined up for Nebraska and Oklahoma, but very little in my local area (NY, NJ, CT). We start school a bit later around these parts. But now is the time to start thinking about it. 

Please consider me. I have four new books out in 2024, three of them available in paperback, in addition to an extensive backlist. My work ranges from PreK to Middle School and I’m comfortable speaking to all age groups. 

Send a query to jamespreller@aol.com. We can email back and forth, or set up a phone conversation, or even Zoom. I find it is warmer and more effective when we can connect (and team up) to explore how best to make my visit most impactful for your particular school.

Thanks!