I love to visit schools and talk with students,
urging them to share their writing experiences with me, and to ask questions. We
talk about how a novel grows from an idea—a "grain of truth"—to a finished book.
Sometimes, the grain of truth doesn't even show up in the book, but in The
Victory Garden, it did. It
was a secret way in which my father once raised his tomatoes.
I am always pleasantly surprised by the preparations young students and their teachers make for author visits. I have arrived to find huge, colorful posters like those shown below, gracing all-purpose room walls. Classes publish their own newspapers with news of my visit and their own research into World War II. Some have pieced together my biography, using their internet skills. Best of all, many have written their own stories to share.
Click on pictures to enlarge
Presentations for schools and conferences; partial list:
St Petersburg and Tampa, Florida Elementary Schools
Mountain View Elementary School, Riverside, California
Emporia, Kansas
Elementary Schools and Faculties
Tonganoxie, Kansas Schools
Imagine
That Children's Book Store, Riverside, California
Calistoga, California Elementary
School
The Frugal Frigate Children's Book Store, Redllands, California
Sugar Hill Elementary School, Moreno Valley, California
Beloit, Kansas
Elementary School
Lincold, Kansas Elementary School
Tescott, Kansas
Elementary School
Minneapolis, Kansas Elementary School
Ohio State University
Children's Literature Conference, Columbus, Ohio
Charlotte S. Huck
Children's Literature Festival, Redlands, California
To schedule an author visit, please contact: Lee.Kochenderfer@cox.net