Quote from a day of school visits
"Ruth McNally Barshaw truly understands how to inspire children and adults of all ages.
Ruth's blend of actively sketching and showing her drawings while telling her "history"
keeps the audience engaged at all times. Her real life examples of her hard work and
perseverance toward following her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator helped
the children see how dreams can come true. The students loved drawing along with
her while she showed how to use basic shapes to start with and then add the details
to have the picture transform into the animal that they wanted it to become.
Ruth even taught the students the basic elements of story writing and used their input
to jointly produce that story before their very eyes! This all happened in a highly
energetic fun-filled hour. The children were still buzzing with their own story ideas
when returning to the classroom and couldn't wait to get their story down on paper.
Midway Elementary will certainly remember our friend, Ruth McNally Barshaw!"
-- Linda Carmer, 2nd Grade Teacher, Midway Elementary, Holt, Michigan. Nov., 2010

Bring me to your library!
See this page for details: Library visits

For fun stuff for students, go here:  Freebies page

Bring me to your school!
I’m an energetic speaker, happy to educate and entertain audiences of all ages
with on-the-spot sketching. Session content depends on the audience.

What to expect:
Academic, practical, fun, audience-targeted presentations, always.
I take seriously what each age group wants or needs from my visit.
Most kids leave my sessions excited about creativity and journalling.
Would you like more details? see this page: Detailed description
--> Know that I am happy to tailor the presentation to your specific needs.
Please give me as much time as possible with your students.

--> My writer-husband Charlie will accompany me. He's great for setting up, taking
down, helping the Story Creation part work, and keeping me on task, on time.
Charlie also handles scheduling and the paperwork for events. cjbarshaw523@aol.com

Prepare before we come:
Please make the students familiar with my books.
Introduce my work before I arrive, so students know what I do.
    If they know my books we can make better connections and speak on
    a higher level. Students will get more out of the presentation.
    And I won't have to waste time telling them about myself.
    NOTE: I don't spend much time talking about my books in my events.
    I talk instead about the process to produce them, the author path,
    rejection, revisions, perseverance, and the author inside each of them.
I have teacher guides for the books and a guide for 6 Traits Writing with
Ellie McDoodle, (lots of other stuff too)
They are all on the freebies page:
Click here to see the freebies page. 
Email Charlie cjbarshaw523@aol.com if you need anything.

What to provide, the day of the event, please:
-Water.
-Teachers in attendance -- we'll use them as editors.
-Projection screen.
    NOTE: New in Fall 2010: We'll bring our document camera and projector.
    Please have available an old-fashioned overhead transparency projector
    (or document camera & projector) in the unlikely case of trouble with
    our equipment.
-access to electrical outlet. (we have an extension cord and power strip)
-Table for my projector, document camera, pictures & props.
-2 Chairs.
-Microphone for ANY presentation to more than 25 students. Please! (clip-on is best)
-Lunch for Charlie and me if we're there all day.
-Pencil and plain paper(s) in each student's hand as they come into the room
  (Teachers usually enjoy drawing/taking notes along with us, too)
-Book sales if possible. I'm happy to personalize books.

What you'll get:
- my best work with your students.
- a sheet of signed bookmarks you can print for your students
- all the art generated from each session -- usually 10-20 pages per session
   (8.5'x11" paper), to copy for the students and teachers as desired, for
   educational purposes, to help them finish the story or remember the visit.

Book sales: See this page for all of the information you'll need.

Scheduling: Best is 3 or 4 hour-long sessions during the school day with
minimal moving/lugging equipment between sites.
See this page for a note on scheduling and how to make it easy.
Query Charlie (my hard-working husband and partner) for what days are open.
His email: cjbarshaw523@aol.com
See note below about scheduling on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Best presentation room: The media center (no bouncing sound).

My rate:
One session: $275 plus travel.
Two sessions: $550 plus travel.
Three or four sessions for a full day: $900 plus travel.
Parent night: We love doing nighttime events for families! We charge $150 for
nighttime events added to a daytime visit, plus dinner.
New in Fall 2011: We play a game with families which they can repeat at home,
encouraging writing, creative brainstorming, and storymaking. And we'll bring
handouts for families to take home, showing how to play the game.
My rates will go up in July 2012.
A special note about Tuesday and Thursday scheduling: Charlie and I are
enrolled in classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening throughout the year.
Please schedule nighttime events on other nights where possible.
Daytime events: We're open to scheduling on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and if
we can get to Eaton Rapids, Michigan, by 5:30pm those days, we can still
make it to class on time.
Of course we know we won't make it to every single class. There will be scheduling
conflicts. There will be trips out of state (which we welcome!). But we'd like to
minimize Tuesday and Thursday nighttime schedule conflicts where possible.

Travel:
      Gas: 50 cents/mile (IRS 2010 rate) from my home.
I live in south Lansing, Michigan, zip code 48911.
      Hotel: Please provide overnight accommodations if
      you're more than an hour from my house and start time is before 9am.
      We might not need a hotel room if
      you're more than an hour from my house but start time is later in the day.
I am not good at super-early morning stuff (conversely, Charlie IS).
We try to arrive 20 - 30 minutes early. If you need us sooner, let us know.

If you need pictures, book cover art, etc., click here, the media page.
You can download anything there, or contact usif you need more.
Feel free to use art from the books to advertise my appearance, also.

Contracts: Need a contract? A W-9 form? Contact me.

Email us: cjbarshaw523@aol.com (you'll get a quicker response)
and ruthexpress@aol.com (I'm often on deadline and take longer to respond)

Budget constraints? Let me know.
Advance book sales can help pay for the visit.
I do a limited number of lower-cost events for needy schools each year.
If I have a writer conference to attend in your area,
or friends or relatives living near your school,
maybe we can work out a deal on travel or lodging.

Publicizing the event: Download this edit-able form, add your info, and print!

(this page last updated Oct. 12, 2011)