Presentations
School visits, library talks, and writers’ workshops
Heidi offers the following programs and presentations to students, library patrons, writers, and fellow booklovers of all ages!
Teddy Bears and Books!
For children 9 mo to 5 years
Heidi will read and present her newest picture book, Peekity Boo! What YOU Can Do! Her early education presentation focuses on the concept of predicting events in a sequence and having a great “I can do it!” attitude. Children will engage in a simple craft or coloring page. Children are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal. Event ends with a Teddy Bear Parade! Milk and teddy bear cookies optional. Heidi will be available to sign books and take photos.
Putting the POW in Poetry!
For grades 1-5 (45 -60 minutes as requested)
Heidi offers several lively and interactive poetry-writing workshops. Students will be exposed to a variety of poems and learn how to craft a mask poem, apostrophe poem, rhyming riddle and/or shape poem. Choose either a one, two, three, or four-day visit. Each visit provides students with a new poetry-writing lesson.
Birds, Trees, Nests, Seeds and POETRY!
For grades K-5 (40 -60 minutes as requested)
Join Heidi as she shares rhyming riddles, fun nature facts, and a “show-and-tell” featuring various animal nests and fascinating seeds, based on her books, Whose Nest is This? and What Kinds of Seeds are These? Students will learn how seeds are dispersed by air, water, and other means. Volunteers will roll a coconut, toss “helicopter seeds” in the air, and use a tape measure to compare the size of a hummingbird’s tiniest-of-all nest to the alligator’s 10-foot nest. For schools: A poetry-writing lesson is included. Students will write their own rhyming riddles!
An Author’s Story
All grades (45 -60 minutes as requested)
Where do ideas come from? How do writers become authors? How is a book made? Heidi candidly shares how her journey as a writer began. Topics in this visual presentation include brainstorming, writing, revision, rejections, how a book is made, and why it sometimes takes years to get it published. The underlying message is “never give up!”
ABC’s of Writing Children’s Poetry
Adults, four-day workshop
Beginner and intermediate poets will learn poetry terms, tips, techniques, meter, and voice. Many former students have published poems written as assignments for this class. 64-page workbooks included.
Critique Workshop
Adults
Has your fiction hit a snag? Does your poetry fizzle instead of sizzle? Do your humorous essays need more oomph? A critique group can help! Joining a writer’s group is one of the best things a serious writer can do to stay motivated, keep focused, get feedback, and find encouragement. Writers will learn “critique etiquette,” the revision process, and how to find (or start) a local writers’ group. Workbook included.
For information about fees or to schedule a school visit, library talk, or writers’ workshops, please contact: