Deborah loves to spend time with children at schools, libraries, and museums in Southern New England and the Tri-State Area.* Her programs are flexible, and can vary depending on the age, size, and needs of your group. Presentations last anywhere from 20 - 30 minutes for the youngest children, to 45 - 60 minutes for older elementary students. She is also happy to speak with teens and adults; please inquire.
"Idea to Book" Presentation
Where do Deborah's ideas come from and how does she turn them into a story? How do her writing and pictures work together to tell a story, and how is the art created? What does KETCHUP have to do with writing? In this fun, informative, and interactive presentation, Deborah shares anecdotes and and uses constant visuals to show her process: writing and rewriting, sketching and illustrating, and working with others to publish a picture book. This program is adaptable for kindergarten and up.
Read and Scribble
For small groups, preK and up. After talking about and reading her books Scribble and Blue Chicken, Deborah and students "color outside the lines" together.
News and photos from past appearances are here.
NUTS & BOLTS:
Fees:
Deborah believes that a well-planned author visit can be an inspiring and important experience for students and teachers! Fees vary depending upon the program and group sizes; visits outside of Connecticut are slightly more and would include travel expenses. Please contact Deborah to inquire.
Book Signing:
A personalized, autographed book is a wonderful souvenir of the day. Books can be ordered through your local bookseller, or purchased directly (at a discount) from the publisher. More information about ordering copies of Scribble from Random House is here. Blue Chicken can be ordered from Penguin Young Readers Group here.
More Information:
Please contact Deborah with questions about author visits, or to arrange a visit.
For general information about school and library visits, visit How to Plan an Author or Illustrator Appearance.
Visit SCBWI to learn about The ABC's of a Successful Author/Illustrator Visit.
*If you do not live near Deborah and would like some ideas for authors in your area, try these resources:
"The children could not stop talking about you and your work after you left. Your thoughts/struggles/and joys spoke so directly to their experiences... Your passion fueled their work throughout the rest of the week... Thank you for providing that for our writers, and for being so warm and open to them."
-Katy Botta, Kindergarten Teacher, New Haven