My Author Visits

Depending on the age of the group, I have several different presentations:

Snuggling With Little Ones — For ages 3-5, Ms. Lane reads Snuggle Mountain, complete with songs, games and coloring activities. (30-45 mins)

Climbing Snuggle Mountain — For ages 6-8, Ms. Lane reads Snuggle Mountain and shares the process of making a book from the first idea to the finished product. (45 minutes)

The Mountain Called Writing — For grades 3-6, Ms. Lane will take her students on the wild adventure of plot twists and adventure turns as they trek into the wild world of “what would happen if.” (45-60 minutes)

More Mountains, More Writing — For middle and high school students, Ms. Lane tailors her writing workshops to help students create fantastic stories with vivid descriptions, wacky dialogue, lovable characters, and plausible plots. (One Hour)

I am also available to speak to teachers, parents and writers’ groups about a range of topics: from getting kids to love reading and writing to critiquing a manuscript. I’d love to design a session that would best suit your organization’s desires.

Things to consider when scheduling a visit:

Generally, a full day’s school visit includes 3 or 4 programs. Fees are negotiable. Please contact me to make an inquiry or to arrange a possible visit. Choose “Author Visit” for the subject line.

Organizations may order books from the publisher or a local bookseller (don’t forget to ask for a discount) in advance of my presentation. I am happy to autograph the books while I am there.

If you would like to book me at your school but you are low on funds, The Writers League of Texas sponsors Project Wise, an initiative that sends children’s authors into Austin-area schools at no cost to the school. Contact the Writers’ League, 512-499-8914

I travel regularly to Houston, Dallas and San Antonio as well as Southern New England (Massachustts, Connecticut and Rhode Island). Please contact me about coordinating an event with a prescheduled trip to those areas.

2008 SCHEDULE:

January 10

Young Author’s Conference
Baranoff Elementary School
Austin, TX

February 21

Young Writer’s Workshop,
Travis Heights Elementary School
Austin, TX

March 6

Young Author’s Day
Zilker Elementary School
Austin, TX

April 10

Author visit
Walnut Creek Elementary School
Austin, TX

May 1

Author Visit
Matthews Elementary School,
Austin, TX

May 16

Author Visit
Casey Elementary School,
Austin, TX

May 22

Author Visit
Sunset Valley Elementary School
Austin, TX

July 8-18

Vermont College Residency
Montpelier, VT

November 1-2

Texas Book Festival,
Austin, TX

Curriculum Suggestions:

Snuggle Mountain is all about trying something for the very first time. And succeeding!

For young ones (3-6), start a success chart. Every time a student does something for the very first time--Counts to ten; Writes their name; Writes their numbers--put it on their success chart. These are the little mountains that they climb every day.

For the slightly older students (6-8), help them choose something they really want to accomplish during the year or a grading period. The sky’s the limit. Help them write it down and make a plan to make it come true. It will.

Snuggle Mountain is a great tool for teaching your young writers about plot.

Using Snuggle Mountain as the template, help your students (3rd grade and up) uncover its very simple plot (Emma wants pancake). Then chart the obstacles. (cat, dog, snoring, climbing into the cave). Help them create a character with a goal as well as the obstacles that get in the way of the goal. See what happens.

Writing Resources:

A writer without resources is like this sentence without a simile. Here are some resources that I use regularly to help me figure out stuff about writing and the kid lit world:

Online:
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Planet Esme
Jacketflap
Verla Kay
The Purple Crayon
Write4Kids

Books:
If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland
Bird by Bird by Anne LaMott
Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

Here’s what a few folks have to say about my visits:

From Katy Dailey, 2nd grade teacher, Zilker Elementary, Austin, TX
“Lindsey Lane gives a down-to-earth reading of Snuggle Mountain. She explains her writing process on the level of the students and patiently answers the myriad of questions posed. My second graders were so excited about writing after spending time with Ms. Lane.”

From Meredith Davis, Parent, The Regents School, Austin, TX
“Lindsey Lane was a wonderful addition to our children’s school day. She captured their attention from the very beginning, and kept them engaged while she read and interacted with them. What a treat to hear from a writer who is as talented at writing as she is at presenting.”

From Maisie, Student, Travis Heights Elementary School, Austin, TX
“Thank you for coming. I loved your class! I have never written so much in a 50-minute period! ...I wrote about a girl named Joy who tossed and turned during the night when it was raining. Then she went to the store with her little brother and the little brother was taken hostage by a monsterous banana.”

From December, Student, Baranoff Elementary School, Austin, TX
“Here's a little about my story: Fish, a two year old cat, wanted some fish to eat. It's the middle of the night. He needs to go to Fish Land. He can't find his map to Fish Land. When he looks for the map, a tower of books fall. He can hear his mother open the door and walk towards his room. He jumps into bed and pretends to be asleep.”

From Libby Wood, Principal, Brentwood Christian School, Austin, TX
“Your reading of Snuggle Mountain to Ms. Pierson's Kindergarten class was delightful. Your reading is always enjoyable, and the children always fall in love with the book, the song and the game, and the idea that underlies the story.”