Programs

101 Ways to Bug Your Characters – Creatively!

The hardest part about writing is thinking of something to write, right? Wrong! You might brainstorm batches 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 stories? By ‘bugging’ their characters, of course! Join Lee for a fun and funny…

Lee Wardlaw

45 Minute Program

$375

View Program Details

8 Things I Learned from My Cats about Writing Haiku – A Writing Workshop

Haiku is not just the world’s shortest poetry...or a unique part of Japanese culture...or even a school lesson about syllables. Haiku is also cat-like (compact, elegant, speaking volumes in a few choice ‘meows’)...and learning to write it will help you spy, pounce, and capture the ordinary moments of your day and turn them into something…

Lee Wardlaw

45 Minute Program

$375

View Program Details

Draw with Me!

Spend time drawing with a professional illustrator! Get tips and tricks on drawing animals, people or whatever you like. Grab your favorite art supplies and let's have fun creating together.

Stephanie Roth Sisson

45 Minute Program

$140

View Program Details

Storytime and Drawing Demo!

You can choose one of my books to read, and then I’ll draw the character of your choice. A laughing truck perhaps? A smelly sock? A lost mitten? An Extremely Cute Animal operating some heavy machinery? Anything you want!

David Gordon

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Picturing the Wind

Wind is invisible--but can you make it blow across the page so that other people see and feel it? Let's make some collage art together and I'll show you how!

Ruth Goring

45 Minute Program

$150

View Program Details

A Fun Passover Story & Dance Event with Author Susan Chodakiewitz

Meet the characters from Mr. Snoozle's Exquisite Eggs humorous passover story with author Susan Chodakiewitz and Learn the Let My People Go Dance

Susan Chodakiewitz

45 Minute Program

$180

View Program Details

The Magic Tea House- Exploring the Senses Through the Power of Story

A sensory exploration into the world of tea through the legend of the Blue Tiger and the Magic Tea House. Children will learn about the culture of TEA, and explore sound, rhythm, smell and taste

Susan Chodakiewitz

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

Learn the Friendship Dance and GET MOVING!

Meet author Susan Chodakiewitz and Learn The Friendship Dance from the Picture Book Wobegon and Mildred. Kids will learn about the process of writing a picture book, discuss the important social emotional lessons from the book and learn the dance steps to the My Best Friend Dance, from the musical version of the book Wobegon and Mildred.

Susan Chodakiewitz

45 Minute Program

$180

View Program Details

Write a SONG Together!

Compose a song together on a topic of your choice!

Kevin Fleming

45 Minute Program

$150

View Program Details

Too Many Visitors for One Little House -- Music Enrichment

Sometimes including someone in your event can turn someone crabby, angry or mean into someone nice. Too Many Visitors for One Little House picture book explores the them of being included with Songs, Dance and Theater. In this presentation kids will read the story together, understand the themes of the power of inclusion and learn a song from the…

Susan Chodakiewitz

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

STEAM BUILDING: Using Recycled Materials to Design and Invent

Can we use the junk we see everyday to create amazing things? Using STEAM thinking, engineering, and problem solving we'll create an interactive hands-on Arts project together made entirely from recycled materials you already have around your home. Learn to be a maker! Reference Book: Junk Re-Thunk

Brian Yanish

45 Minute Program

$225

View Program Details

Dynamic Characters for Comics

Learn to create dynamic characters for comics! What makes a character stand out? We'll explore the details that bring a character to life, talk through different techniques we can use in comics and visual storytelling and try our hand at creating a mini comic using our invented character.

Brian Yanish

45 Minute Program

$225

View Program Details

Once Upon a Time, YOU Wrote a BOOK!

Doing something BIG like writing a book can be daunting, but it’s totally doable when you break it up into fun little pieces. We’ll collect story elements and then talk about how to bring them all together to make a page-turning, shelf-worthy book!

Sarah Giles

45 Minute Program

$200

View Program Details

Adventure Calls!

Join me for a reading of A Spectacular Birdie, Q & A, an action-packed exploration of story circles, and a bookmaking project.

Sarah Warren

45 Minute Program

$200

View Program Details

Everyday Heroes Series-Beyoncé!

Join me for a reading, Q & A, and an art project. Can you shine your light like Beyoncé? Let’s find out!

Sarah Warren

30 Minute Program

$150

View Program Details

Creative adventure with a plain piece of paper

We’ll get creative with papers: Crumple, fold, cut, tear, paint and glue. Our imagination will lead us on this fun journey all the way to a surprising artwork

Miri Leshem-Pelly

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

Perform Your Poem!

Whether you already love writing and reciting poetry or just want to try it out, this workshop will make it easy and fun. We'll practice both composing and performing an evocative poem. Participants should have a notebook and writing utensil. Family members are welcome to participate together.

Joy Jones

45 Minute Program

$299

View Program Details

Play Well, Write Well!

My book, JAYLA JUMPS IN, came as the result of me playing a childhood game! With PLAY WELL, we talk about the story behind some toys, sports and games. Bring paper and pen.

Joy Jones

45 Minute Program

$299

View Program Details

Pro tips for Drawing and/or writing

This one can be catered to the specific needs or wants of the audience - but, basically, Kevin will try to give more of a master class in how he writes and draws and what YOU can steal from him to make your own art better.

Kevin Sylvester

45 Minute Program

$350

View Program Details

Mistakes and Success - plus some laughs and cartoons

Kevin shares stories from his middle grade books, including MINRs, the Neil Flambé Capers, The Hockey Super-Six and more. AND he shares some tips to help kids find their own style for drawing cartoons.

Kevin Sylvester

45 Minute Program

$250

View Program Details

Laughs and surprises (and cartoons!) for little readers

Kevin reads two of his interactive pictures books - Gargantua Jr: Defender of Earth and Super-Duper Monster Viewer - then leads the kids in a simple cartooning 'class'.

Kevin Sylvester

30 Minute Program

$125

View Program Details

Wild Card Q&A!

Ask Sofiya whatever burning questions you can come up with!

Sofiya Pasternack

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Magic

What's the most fun part of writing a fantasy book? Why, the magic, of course! Come learn about the different types of magic in your favorite fantasy stories, and all the things you need to think about when you're getting ready to make your own!

Sofiya Pasternack

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

How to Plot a Story (Without Totally Losing It!)

Do you want to write a story, but then you look at the GIGANTIC task of plotting out that whole thing, and you say, "Never mind!" Well, fear no more! Learn how plotting can be fun!

Sofiya Pasternack

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Turning History Into Fantasy

Have you ever heard that there are two sides to every story? Well, that's not true. There are, in fact, THREE sides to every story! Learn about the three sides of history, and how to use this triangle of facts and fancy to write stellar historical fiction and fantasy!

Sofiya Pasternack

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

Find Your Voice!

For serious authors working on the intangible and sought-after voice! What is voice, and how do we develop one? (Hint: lots of practice!)

Sofiya Pasternack

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

All Writing Is Good Writing!

What ways can writing fiction help you with writing for school, for work, and beyond? Um IN EVERY WAY! Learn about how your brain can't tell the difference between dragons and dissertations!

Sofiya Pasternack

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Let's Make Stories So Much Neater! Write a Book in Rhyme and Meter!

A session about not just rhyming, but structuring the words so that they flow in rhythm!

Adam Ford

45 Minute Program

$135

View Program Details

I Can’t Draw! Can You?

Let’s draw simple smiley-faces!

Adam Ford

45 Minute Program

$135

View Program Details

Springtime Dance - Books with Music!

An engaging musical introduction to Books with Music, ventriloquism, puppetry, and songwriting.

Valerie Smalkin

30 Minute Program

$250

View Program Details

You can create and design characters!

I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to draw and design your own characters. It’s easy and fun, everyone can succeed!

Miri Leshem-Pelly

45 Minute Program

$149

View Program Details

Struttin' With Some Barbecue: Make a rhythmic poem with the author

With the author, students will write a poem using a familiar rhythmic poem as a model. We'll explore rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, repetition, and more; after hearing a brief lively reading of an early jazz poem. The students will go away with a fun assignment to listen to their favorite music, absorb the rhythm, and write along those lines.

Patricia Hruby Powell

45 Minute Program

$150

View Program Details

Struttin' With Some Barbecue: Write a rhythmic poem

Patricia will do a lively reading of a syncopated rhythmic poem, describe how she wrote it--with Power Point visuals--then with the group write an original rhythmic poem (with an anapest or triple rhythm)--using rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration. She'll encourage the students to (later) listen to their favorite music and write a poem in the…

Patricia Hruby Powell

30 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Cut and Glue! Storytime with Paper Collage Workshop

We’ll use several types of paper, cut and glue them to design our collage. Simple, fun art activity with impressive results! Includes reading of the picture book Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper. You'll need different types of paper, scissors, glue and a bit of imagination!

Miri Leshem-Pelly

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Time to get creative! Storytime with drawing workshop

Storytime: Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper followed by easy step-by-step drawing lesson and presentation about the book’s creative process. Bring some papers and colors and join the fun!

Miri Leshem-Pelly

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Fracture a Fairytale

I'll read one of my fractured fairy tales and together we'll brainstorm possibilities for new stories.

Rebecca Gomez

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

Lift As You Climb: Be an Activist, Write a Poem

Patricia will introduce herself as a dancer/storyteller-turned writer; guide students to write their own simple poems about themselves, using the poetry of Lift As You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker and Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker as models. We will discuss the question: What do you hope to accomplish? (for 1st – 5th grades;…

Patricia Hruby Powell

45 Minute Program

$300

View Program Details

Meet the Author, Hear the Story, Draw the ROBOT!

All you need is pencil and paper for drawing.

Shanda McCloskey

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

Meet the Illustrator, Hear the Story, Draw the FIRE TRUCK!

All you need is pencil and paper for drawing.

Shanda McCloskey

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

Meet the Illustrator, Hear the Story, Draw the DRAGON!

All you need is pencil and paper for drawing.

Shanda McCloskey

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

"A Storytelling of Ravens"

For animal and word lovers!

Kyle Lukoff

30 Minute Program

$99

View Program Details

"Explosion at the Poem Factory"

For poets and writers.

Kyle Lukoff

45 Minute Program

$129

View Program Details

FROM STEM TO STEAM TO STREAM!

Add the "A" for Art (Dance) and the "R" for Reading to playfully explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects. Connie will create a fun and enriching learning experience tailored to your child's STEM interest. We will explore a STEM topic of your choice from Connie's book ONE, TWO, WHAT CAN I DO? DANCE AND MUSIC FOR THE WHOLE…

Connie Bergstein Dow

30 Minute Program

$100

View Program Details

Poetry Workshop

Poetry is often feared, but it’s a wonderful way to be creative and fun with words. Join Camilla in this interactive workshop to create fun, imaginative poems you’ll want to cherish.

Camilla Chester

45 Minute Program

$150

View Program Details

Let's Make a Dance Story About FROM A TO Z WITH ENERGY!

This session will be designed around my picture book FROM A TO Z WITH ENERGY! During the thirty minutes, l will read the book aloud, then give a series of playful movement prompts as we retell the story through dance and music. This program requires the child/children to have a small, unobstructed space for dancing. If there are two or more…

Connie Bergstein Dow

30 Minute Program

$100

View Program Details

Interactive Picture Book Reading and Activity

Author will share picture book, YOU KNOW WHAT? as an interactive read aloud and do a follow-up thinking activity as well as talk about writing and being an author as time allows.

Carol Ekster

30 Minute Program

$100

View Program Details

Gratitude Poems

The picture book, BEFORE I SLEEP:I SAY THANK YOU, will be shared along with writing tips and then the audience will write gratitude poems.

Carol Ekster

45 Minute Program

$150

View Program Details

DANCE THE ALPHABET!

Children will move and groove from A to Z while learning and having fun! I will read my picture book FROM A TO Z WITH ENERGY! and we will do playful movement together that corresponds with each letter of the alphabet. The only requirement for this program would be a space, inside or outside, that allows children to move freely. It can be small or…

Connie Bergstein Dow

30 Minute Program

$100

View Program Details

History Kids Care About

How do you go to the bathroom in a suit of armor? Were there dogs on the Mayflower? What's a fast-acting poison that can't be traced? What insect has caused the most misery in human history? When was underwear invented? A lively, interactive discussion about the history that kids really want to know about.

Sarah Albee

45 Minute Program

$300

View Program Details

Princess Tea Party!

The only things you need to bring to this party is a smile...but it will be much more fun if you have some "tea" of your own and at least one stuffed animal friend!

Alethea Kontis

45 Minute Program

$149

View Program Details

Quick Draw! Anyone Can Draw Cartoons

To participate, all you need is paper, pen or pencil, and imagination.

Bruce Hale

45 Minute Program

$300

View Program Details