"Teachers, if you want Shakespeare introduced in an engaging way, this is your dude."
–Gene Luen Yang (author of American Born Chinese, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature)
Over the last ten years, I've had the honor to travel around the world, visiting hundreds of schools and talking to tens of thousands of children about my love of writing, reading, graphic novels, picture books, and of course, tacos.
I'm proud to say that in 2015, I was chosen by the Miami Book Fair to be part of their Generation Genius Authors Program later this year. I was a featured presenter at the festival and to schools in the Miami area.
My visits usually cover a variety of topics, which can be tailored to your school's needs:
Shakespeare
Using the Stratford Zoo series as a guide, along with historical images of old London, I can guide the kids through the world of Shakespeare– his era, his plays, and why he’s considered the greatest writer ever.
The Birth Of A Graphic Novel
Graphic novels are an increasingly popular medium in children’s literature. They’re gaining critical respect with librarians and award committees, but more importantly…kids like them! I can take your students through the entire process of creating a graphic novel from first notes to edits and re-edits (and re-re-re-edits!) to the artist’s thumbnail sketches and then final images. Trust me, nothing will inspire your students more than to see my terrible stick drawings that start it all off. They’ll know they can do better. And they usually go straight back to class and prove it.
Picturebooks
A lot of schools feel like their smaller kids (kindergarteners/1st graders) aren't ready for a full hour-long talk. As my kindergarten son would say, "That's not FAIR!" And I agree. So I am more than happy to read one of my picture books to your younger classes. How do I write them? Where do I get my ideas? What did I eat for breakfast that day? All of this will be revealed!
Workshops
Along with my lecture, I can also provide more direct workshops with smaller groups of kids. I have developed several different programs of 30-60 minutes that can inspire your students' love for writing and help them tell their stories through comics.
Want to know what I’m like in front of kids?
Here’s a few examples:
See me get a whole room of kids to pretend to throw-up!
If you’d like to contact me about your school’s needs or my rates or just to chat about the weather, click here.