AUTHOR VISITS

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Brianna loves to do school visits

and other fun events!

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Brianna was a classroom teacher (K, 2 & 3)

for many years before she was an author,

and she prides herself on creating engaging

programs that meet the learning and

developmental needs of her audience. Please read the descriptions below to learn about Brianna’s many school visit possibilities:

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• Bedtime Blastoff-- Taking Off for Mars (Pre-K & Elementary)

• Goodnight, Trucks (Pre-K - 1st)

• The Truck Stop Guide to Writing a Picture Book (1st grade and up)

• It's Rhyme Crime Time! (1st grade and up)

• Once Upon a Dinosaur (All Ages)

• Diggers & Dinos & Steam Trains, Oh My!  How Writers Come up with Ideas. (All Ages)

 

Programs of Jewish Interest

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• Intergalactic Passover Voyage (Preschool through 4th Grade)

• People of the (Children's) Book: The Art and Craft of Writing Jewish Books for Kids (Adults)

• Use Your Jewish Creativity! (3rd Grade and Up)

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Program Descriptions & Logistics

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Bedtime Blastoff-- Taking off for Mars (Pre-K - 2nd)

Get ready to blast off for Mars. In Brianna's newest picture book, NIGHT NIGHT CURIOSITY, a young girl imagines she is with Curiosity as she gets ready for bed. We will pretend to get ready for bed and blast of for Mars too. Along the way, we will learn the incredible true story of how the Mars rover, Curiosity, landed on Mars.

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Goodnight, Trucks (Pre-K - 1st)

You and your students are invited to a truck slumber party! During this visit, I will read my picture book, WHERE DO DIGGERS SLEEP AT NIGHT? After the reading, I will invite the children to put their trucks to bed.  Children may provide their own toy trucks and blankets for this presentation or I can provide paper trucks for the activity.     
--this program can fit well with pajama days, truck days and transportation themes--

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The Truck Stop Guide to Writing a Picture Book (1st grade and up)

This program connects trucks and writing! From a digger to dig up an idea to a “Slow Down-- Revision Ahead” sign, I will use trucks and truck language to guide your students through the writing process and how it works. This introduction to how to write a picture book is a truckload of fun!     
--perfect for classes who have written (or will be writing) books of their own--

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It's Rhyme Crime Time! (1st grade and up)

Ask your students to write a poem and most will probably write in rhyme. Most beginning picture book writers do the same thing. But writing in rhyme is more challenging than it looks! In this session for primary and upper elementary school students, we will investigate what makes good rhyme work-- and what makes bad rhyme a crime! 
--fun reinforcement of phonological awareness & the writing process--

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Once Upon a Dinosaur (All Ages) 

In this program, Brianna uses dinosaurs to explore the process of how an author writes a picture book. She and the students will discuss questions including: How can an unusual setting liven up a story? and How can we use the dinosaurs traits to make them believable characters?

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Diggers & Dinos & Steam Trains, Oh My!  How Writers Come up with Ideas. (All Ages)

Staring at a blank page is one of the hardest parts of writing. For writers of any age. Brianna wil explore the writing process, starting with that most critical of all parts -- coming up with something to write about!

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PROGRAMS OF JEWISH INTEREST

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Intergalactic Passover Voyage (Preschool through 3rd Grade)

What would a Passover seder look like in space? We're going to imagine what it might be like by celebrating a space seder of our own. We will ask our own Intergalactic Four Questions, go on an Intergalactic Afikoman search and more. As we celebrate our space seder, I will read the students my new picture book, ASTEROID GOLDBERG: PASSOVER IN OUTER SPACE and we will look at the creative ways in which mighty young Asteroid Goldberg reimagined ritual as we have fun celebrating creative Jewish rituals of our own.

 

-- In addition to working for Passover, this program can also work particularly well for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, as we discuss: How do you celebrate a holiday in a spaceship? How can we celebrate our holidays in a time when we cannot leave our homes or do our celebrations and rituals in the usual ways?--

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People of the (Children's) Book: The Art & Craft of Writing Jewish Books for Kids (Adults)

Have you ever dreamed of writing a Jewish children’s book? What kind of book do you picture yourself writing? And, perhaps most importantly, how will your book meet the needs of today’s Jewish kids? As a fellow author of children’s books, Brianna will share tips, resources and practical guidance. This class will be helpful for those who are considering writing a Jewish children’s book and for those who have already written one and are seeking information about possible paths to publication.

 

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Use Your Jewish Creativity! (3rd Grade and Up)

As the editor of Barbara Bietz's exciting upcoming middle grade nonfiction book, DIJ-- DO IT JEWISH: USE YOUR JEWISH CREATIVITY!, Brianna worked closely with Barbara to reach out to and interview the many Jewishly creative experts who are profiled within the book's pages. Brianna looks forward to sharing inspiring stories of Jewish creativity from the books seven chapters ranging from Jewish songwriting to Jewish cooking and more. She looks forward to inviting your students to explore the many ways in which they can be (and perhaps already are) Jewishly creative!

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Logistics:

 

Please note-- For the 2020-2021 school year, Brianna will be doing online visits only until it is safe to travel. Brianna's standard fee for an online visit is $75 per program. She is happy to do a single program for your school or several. Please contact Brianna regarding her availability. She would love to do a Zoom visit with you and your students!