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Michelle Houts

Michelle Houts is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young readers, ranging from colorful, engaging picture books to adventurous middle-grade novels. She loves to talk to young readers and writers about not only her work and process, but their own ideas and creations.

WINTERFROST Book Talk
Have you ever finished a book and thought, "Oh, I'd love to meet the author and ask her __________?" This program is for individuals or families who have finished reading WINTERFROST, a magical, wintry tale rooted in Scandinavian lore. Meet Michelle Houts, hear about how Klakke and Gammel and the Pedersen family came to be, and -- most importantly…

Michelle Houts

30 Minute Program

Nuts About Science: Inspiration, Investigation, Imagination
While Michelle Houts was writing the STEM-based chapter book series LUCY'S LAB, something hit her like an acorn falling from an oak tree: Writers and scientists use the same process! They both need ideas (inspiration), they have to do their research (investigation) and from there, the sky's the limit (imagination). Get ready for some…

Michelle Houts

45 Minute Program

How to Tell a Life - Writing About Real People
Author Michelle Houts remembers making a beeline to B section in her elementary and middle school libraries. B for Biographies. For the reader who loves to devour stories of real people and/or the young writer whose favorite assignments are reports about world-changers and the fascinatingly famous, this visit will be a fun look into what it's like…

Michelle Houts

45 Minute Program

Give a HOOT! The Story of Coal and SILENT SWOOP
Learn the true story of Coal, great-horned owl whose mother made in her nest in a most unusual place - a coal yard at a power plant! Using a realistic owl puppet (with blinking eyes!) and the book SILENT SWOOP, author Michelle Houts shares a most wonderful animal rescue tale that will inspire even the youngest readers and writers.

Michelle Houts

30 Minute Program

A most unusual great-horned owl rescue? The true story of a failed (and then successful) attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail? A wintry adventure to recover a lost baby in the magical world of the Scandinavian nisse? Michelle Houts jumps enthusiastically into her stories, some fiction and nonfiction. She loves telling about interesting lives, like a woman who played professional baseball in a skirt (KAMMIE ON FIRST), a midcentury modern artist (COUNT THE WINGS: THE LIFE AND ART OF CHARLEY HARPER), the first woman to solo hike the Appalachian Trail (WHEN GRANDMA GATEWOOD TOOK A HIKE) and a great-horned owl (SILENT SWOOP). She also exploring the imagination to see what's possible. SEA GLASS SUMMER dives into the mysteries of the ocean with a multi-generational tale and a surprise ending and WINTERFROST is a great family read-aloud. Houts brings the mysteries of science to life in her STEM-based chapter book series, LUCY’S LAB, which encourages young readers to be curious about the world around us. Houts is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences. She is the creator of The Mark Boney Promise, an anti-bullying campaign, and the 52 Letter Challenge, which is bringing back the art of writing real, actual letters.

Michelle does most of her presenting from a restored 1894 one-room schoolhouse-turned-writing-studio.

Check out Michelle online:

Silent Swoop: An Owl, an Egg, and a Warm Shirt Pocket

Silent Swoop: An Owl, an Egg, and a Warm Shirt Pocket - Hard Cover

Sea Glass Summer

Solids, Liquids, Guess Who's Got Gas?

The Beef Princess of Practical County

Winterfrost

Count the Wings

Nuts About Science

Kammie on First

The Colossal Fossil Fiasco

When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike

Winterfrost - Hardcover