Author Visit Facts

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Out of This World

You Are My Little Cupcake

The Duck Who Played the Kazoo

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Where Do Chicks Come From?

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Poetry Writing

Out of Th.Wrld Activities

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COMING UP

Young readers are an inspiration!

It is a privilege to interact with young readers face-to-face at an author visit or through a videoconference or Skype.  I enjoy speaking to students of all ages, and I offer several different types of programs.  I am happy to customize my program to fit the needs of your school and the age of a particular audience.  The sale of my books in conjunction with my visit is strongly encouraged.
"Cooking a Book" Program

FEES

Fees are based on the number of presentations per day.  Ordinarily, my full-day visit consists of four programs, and my half-day visit is two programs.  I do give a slight discount for a full-day visit.  Lunch can be with staff, a small group of interested students, on my own in the library, etc.

Most of my in-person author visits are within a 2-hour driving radius of St. Louis, Missouri.  If significant travel is required, the fee may also include travel or lodging expenses.  If I am already traveling to a location for personal or business travel, I am sometimes able to add a school visit to my schedule so feel free to inquire.  Of course, I can Skype or videoconference anywhere!   

For current information regarding fees or other inquiries, please don't hesitate to 
e-mail me at sklanskys@att.net.
Map of Author Visits and Videoconferences

View Amy Sklansky's Map of Author Visits and Videoconferences in a larger map

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

        "From Inspiration to Bookstore Shelf" Program
        Large or small groups.  Grades 3 and up.  45 minutes.  
       
Using examples from all six of my books, I answer the question: 
Where does an author get her ideas and how do they become a book?
With PowerPoint slides, original artwork, and other props, I touch on
many aspects of the creative process -- sources of inspiration; generating
        ideas; structuring a story; revising; the roles of the artist, publishing
        staff; etc.  I conclude with Q&A. 
Also offered via Skype.  Skype audience is limited to 35 students.
        

       "Cooking a Book" Program 
        150 students max.  Grades K - 3.  45 minutes. 
       
Wearing a chef's hat and coat, I "cook" a book for students.  Into my large
        pot go inspiration, rough drafts, revisions, pencil sketches and more as I
explain how an author's idea becomes a published book.  I use my seventh
book, Out of This World, as my primary example, though I also read from
        some of my other books.  I incorporate props, such as a piece of original
        art and a printing press sheet.  During the program, students should gain
        an appreciation for the creative process and the publishing process.  I
        conclude with Q&A.   

Also offered via Skype or via videoconference. 
Skype/videoconference audience is limited to 35 students.  


      "Inside a Poet's Mind"  Program  
      30 students max.  Grades 3 and up.  60 minutes.   

We begin by discussing what a poem is (and isn't).  Next, students
get a peek inside a poet's mind as I introduce several poetic
forms, talk about inspiration/ideas, and model a process for writing
a poem.  Then, I encourage students to use this same process to 
write a poem on their own as I circulate, providing feedback and support.  
Most students will have time to finish brainstorming and begin a rough draft
of their poem.  Finally, I use examples from my own writing to show how a
poet may revise her work -- emphasizing concepts such as word choice, line
breaks, action verbs, and punctuation. Student volunteers are invited to 
share their work aloud.  The main objective of this workshop is for students 
to gain a greater appreciation for and understanding of poetry. 

This program is also offered to 2nd graders, minus the student writing 
component and with a program time of 45 minutes.

Also offered via Skype or via videoconference.  
Skype/videoconference audience is limited to 30 students.  


        "Where Do Chicks Come From?" Program plus "Eggs-periments" 
        35 students max.  Grades K - 3.  45 minutes.  

Where Do Chicks Come From? is part of the well-respected Let's-Read-and-
Find-Out Science series.  In this book, I explain what happens inside an egg
from fertilization through hatching.  Using visuals, including PowerPoint slides
and original art, I outline the various stages of writing this nonfiction book -- 
research, revisions, artist's sketches, etc.  

        The second part of the program consists of several hands-on eggs-periments
exploring the properties of eggs, such as identifying the inside parts of an
egg testing the strength of the shell, and learning about its shape.  Scientific
method terms, such as hypothesis, prediction, and experiment are
introduced. I conclude with "10 Surprising Facts about Chickens" in an 
interactive true/false format.  Student questions are encouraged.

 Also offered via Skype or via videoconference.  
Skype/videoconference audience is limited to 35 students.  
 Note: The eggs-periments portion of this program is not possible over Skype so that program
   length would be shortened to 30 minutes with the fee adjusted accordingly.


For Skype inquiries, please e-mail me at sklanskys@att.net.  

For videoconference inquiries, please visit either of the websites below for information about cost, booking, and state and national standards: 

         http://www.cilc.org  (Search keyword:  "sklansky")

http://csdtechpd.wordpress.com/?s=sklansky&searchbutton=go!



Videoconference Highlights, photo credit: Rebecca Morrison

SCHOOL VISIT DETAILS 

I will bring my laptop (and PowerPoint slides) with me.  What I will need from the school/library are the following:


       projector (and a perhaps bit of help connecting my laptop)
       large screen or wall
       semi-darkened room
       microphone (of any sort) for large group programs only
       bottle of water
       lunch (for full-day visits)

BOOK ORDERS

There are two options for pre-ordering my books.  The easiest is ordering through a local bookstore.  I would be happy to help you find one in your area if you do not already have a favorite.  Sometimes bookstores offer a discount off list price and no sales tax for school visit purchases.  The other option is ordering directly from my publishers.  The publishers give schools about a 40% discount off list price in conjunction with an author visit.  Some schools choose to pass the full discount on to students while others use part or all of the difference as a fundraiser.  I will happily provide you with the contact information for my publishers.  For either option, I have created a book order form that you are welcome to customize and send home to parents.  

I will always happily autograph books.  A quiet place is best for signing, e.g., a corner of the library, the teacher's lounge.  I am happy to personalize my autograph if notes are affixed to books; otherwise, I will sign them with a general autograph.  In the case of books purchased in conjunction with a videoconference or Skype, I am happy to send autograph stickers.


References are provided, upon request.

If you'd like to inquire about an Author Visit or Skype/Videoconference, please e-mail me at sklanskys@att.net. 


I am committed to making each Author Visit a success! 



Please visit my
Photo Gallery 
for more fun photos of my visits!

Comments on Videoconferences

"We actually performed some of the other experiments that you showed us and the kids went wild for them. We had a contest between the three kindergarten classrooms here and our class was able to stack 13 picture books and one full lunchbox on top our eggs. Thank you for the opportunity and we would definitely recommend you to other districts." 

                               -- a Kindergarten teacher


"Mrs. Sklansky was engaging and really helped the students get excited about writing not just poetry, but all kinds of writing. . . .  She kept the attention of all the students the entire time. She permitted students the opportunity to participate by asking questions throughout the presentation and working their answers into the poems she was presenting. This was a very good program."

                              -- a school technology coordinator, 3rd and 4th grades

"All of our students (two 1st grade and 2 K classes) enjoyed Amy's videoconference very much. They all seemed so attentive. Our first grade students, especially, loved the kazoo playing!  Thank you very much for providing our students with this opportunity."

      -- a school technology coordinator


"The kids were very excited about what they saw and even more excited when we told them we will be hatching eggs and conducting the experiments we saw demonstrated in our own class. . . . 

This also connected well with our writing unit since we just finished revising our pieces and making them into published pieces to share with others. Also the discussion of poetry/nonfiction/fiction was perfect. This is also a large part of our study of books of writing. It was great to have a 'Real Author' read their book to us. That so very rarely occurs."


    

                              -- a 1st grade teacher


"As we write poems now in class, many of the students will make comments and show connections to the videoconference from Amy. . . .  They loved how she stated one should edit and revise 7 - 10 times.  It made them realize that they need to slow down and more can be added to their poems.  They also realized it takes time in creating a poem.  They also loved how she wrote poems about her interests.  I had one student go online and order one of her books.  She is now reading it in class every day.  She is going to memorize many of Amy's poems for her presentation."



                                  -- a 2nd grade teacher





"Eggs-periments" videoconference, photo credit: Rebecca Morrison