Lee Wardlaw’s
School Visit Presentations

Lee Wardlaw is the award-winning author of 25 books for young readers, ranging from picture books to teen novels.  Lee is a vivacious speaker with 20+ years experience presenting at schools, libraries, conferences and bookstores.  A former elementary school teacher, Lee has a genuine rapport with students of all ages, and is able to change the complexity and style of her programs to best suit the needs of each audience.  

Recipe for a Book
In this lively, interactive presentation, student volunteers help Lee combine writing “ingredients” (ideas, plot, characters, revisions) in a gigantic bowl to “bake” a tasty book. Original sketches and finished artwork are also used to demonstrate how publishers complete the “baking” process.  Put on your aprons and get your measuring spoons to help Lee mix up the recipe for Bow-Wow Birthday or Dinosaur Pizza!    

101 Ways to Bug Your Characters
The hardest part about writing is thinking of something to write, right?  Wrong!  Your students may come up with piles of ideas, only to get stuck in the miserable middles – or even on that dreaded first line.  So how do authors do it?  How do they turn great ideas into great books and stories?  By bugging their characters – creatively, that is! – with six crucial questions:  Who are these people? (characterization);  What is bugging them? (conflict); Why is it bugging them? (motivation); How will they swat those bugs? (plot); When will they swat ‘em? (suspense/resolution); Why is it so important to swat ‘em? (theme)  A lively, educational and fun presentation – including a readers’ theatre performance featuring wacky costumes and student volunteers – that will give young authors the tools they need to tell the writing blues to BUG OFF!                                                

Are We There Yet?!  How to Take a Book Trip
The road to writing a book isn't always a smooth one; there are potholes and pit stops, detours and deadlines. But the journey can be just as exciting and fun as the destination – a published book! – if you remember to pack the six most important ‘travel’ items.  So fuel up with inspiration and grab your keys to success. Then come ride along with Lee on her bumpy book trip as she takes you on a guided tour of writing 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher.  (Presentation includes a reader’s theatre performance, complete with costumes, using student volunteers from the audience.)     

Aloha, Hula and Humuhumunukunukuapua’a:
Storytelling of Old Hawaii
magine an evening without your computer, radio or television. Or worse – without a good book to read.  How would you entertain yourself?  If you lived in ancient Hawaii, you would ‘talk story’, of course!  In this interactive presentation, students will learn about the spoken literature of The Islands: from the audio and visual poetry of the hula to the genealogical history taught through mele (chants); from the tall tales of ghosts and gods to the folklore of heroic chiefs and clever commoners.  An interactive storytelling presentation with student volunteers (complete with traditional costumes) of Punia and the King of Sharks is featured. Children will learn a simple hula and how to pronounce Hawaii’s state fish: humuhumunukunukuapua’a. 

  
Stuck on Writing:  An Author’s Life
In this humorous, sometimes bittersweet, power point presentation, the author takes students on a tour through her childhood and writing life, demonstrating how to turn personal experiences into stories, poems or books that others will want to read. Highlights include: penning her first story at age 7; composing songs for her rock ‘n’ roll girl group at age 11; using writing as a way to cope with her parents’ divorce and the loss of the family home in a devastating fire during the teens years; creating a career as a children’s book writer as she learned to transform rejection letters into fan letters. Stresses the importance of the Four R's of non-fiction: Reading, Research, 'Riting & Revisions. A tour through a bubble gum factory from Bubblemania: The Chewy History of Bubble Gum is featured.                                 

	Grades:  3rd-8th Time: 50 minutes Audience size: 20-200+

A one-day visit to your school includes: Two large-group assemblies of your choice (a 3rd presentation may be added for schools with more than 500 students) Question & Answer session after each program One twenty-minute storytelling session for kindergarteners Autograph session To see a sample Author Day Schedule, click here         Cost:  $1500 a day in California; $2,000 a day, plus expenses, out-of-state.  (Expenses include airfare, meals, motel.)      Book Sale & Signing:  Want to inspire lifelong readers with a personalized, autographed book? Ask a local independent bookstore to order and sell Lee’s books at your school before and after her presentation.    Or, if you prefer, Lee will bring copies of her books to sell and sign – and will donate 20% of the proceeds (her author discount) to your school library or PTA program to help offset her fee. Prior to the Author Visit, the author will provide: Contract Book order form Curriculum guides Classroom activities Bio and photo Book covers for classroom/library display Sample books for the library                 The day of the Author Visit, the school will provide: Two large tables Microphone with a long cord Bottle of water Lunch for the author Author’s payment A volunteer (parent, teacher, librarian, older student) to help with book money and orders so that Lee may concentrate on chatting with the students while autographing their books For booking information, or if you have questions/comments/suggestions, please contact Lee at: