Consider the following lengths:
Grade 2 and up: 60-75 minutes
Grade 1: 40 to 60 minutes
Kindergarten: 40 minutes
Preschool: 40 minutes

- When scheduling presentation time, please account for the time it takes
for students to arrive in the room and be seated.
- When presenting to older and younger kids in one sitting, I aim for the middle
and try to keep things moving quickly so nobody has time to get bored.
(I've done K-8 in one setting, several times. Worked just fine)
- Please alert the art teacher and any other staff who might have a special interest
in attending parts of my presentation.
- Start time: If time's flexible, mid-morning start time is best so we can get
our daughter to school first.
- Audience size: no limits.
- Best room: If there's a choice, the Media Center (usually there's no bouncing sound).
If you can't fit all your students in the Media Center, the gym, cafeteria or special
presentations room are all fine.

- We'll need a table, 2 chairs, an electrical outlet near the table (or extension cord), and a
screen or blank wall to project onto.

For the Story Creation Workshop:
- During the presentation we use classroom groups to brainstorm parts of the story.
- Teachers play the role of editors.
- I must have a full hour of presentation time. I realize most authors present for 40-50 minutes,
so this is an unusual request.
The Story Creation workshop is riveting for students (and adults) but it takes time.
After talking with media and reading specialists who saw my program (and who had been
apprehensive about giving their students a full hour for the presentation), we agreed:
This presentation needs a full hour.
If you only have 45/50 minutes, I can substitute my 2009 presentation instead.
It's a good, solid presentation.
But this Story Creation Workshop will knock your socks off. It's seriously good.
And, new in 2011: Character Workshop. It's fun, creative, academic stuff kids will love.
FOR YOUNGER KIDS: I take out some of the other academic stuff (path to publication,
the editor's role, revisions, perseverance) in order to include the Story Creation Workshop.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE adapted from a successful school visit in 2010:

9:05-9:10 Announcements in the student news room

9:10-9:20 Grade 4 & 5 arrive and are seated
9:20-10:30 Grade 4 & 5 PRESENTATION

10:35-10:45 AM Kindergarten & PreK arrive and are seated
10:45-11:25 AM Kindergarten & PreK PRESENTATION

11:30-1:30 LUNCH IN LIBRARY / Book signings

1:10-1:20 Grade 2 & 3 & Special Education arrive and are seated.
1:20-2:20 Grade 2 & 3 & Special Education PRESENTATION

2:25-2:35 Grade 1, PM Kindergarten and PreK arrive and are seated.
2:35-3:35 Grade 1, PM Kindergarten and PreK PRESENTATION

I thought it was brilliant for the media specialist to include arrival/seating time.
At some schools I've had to cut parts out of my presentation as groups arrive
and get seated during the presentation time instead of before it.

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