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VISITING AUTHORINFORMATION PACKET
"AN INCREDIBLY EDUCATIONAL AND ENGAGING PRESENTATION"
HONORARIUM AND FEES
Local (within the Chicago metropolitan area and 40 miles of Liesl's home): $1,450/day (3 presentations + signing + lunch with select students.)
A full day may be shared between 2 coordinating schools if timing and logistics allow. In this case Liesl will do one large assembly, optional "snack & chat" with up to 12 students, and signing at each school.
Out-of-area: $1,850/day + travel and accommodations.
A full day may be shared between 2 coordinating schools if timing and logistics allow. In this case Liesl will do one large assembly, optional "snack & chat", and signing at each school.
Travel Expenses
WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BOOK THE MOST AFFORDABLE FLIGHTS AND HOTELS IN THE AREA IN ORDER TO KEEP TRAVEL COSTS LOW.
A 30% deposit is required at the time of booking and will be applied to the total invoice due on the day of the visit. This allows us to book travel.
Unless your school is within 40 miles of Liesl's home, the school will be responsible for:
Round-trip airfare or 72¢ per mile if within a drivable distance.
Hotel room- A hotel may be booked if your school is more than a two hour drive from Liesl's home.
Car rental and/or ground transportation as needed. (i.e. taxis to/from airport)
If multiple schools in the area schedule Liesl at the same time, these expenses will be shared.
We will work closely with you to work out all the details and any special circumstances to make this an amazing visit.
LARGE GROUPS & ASSEMBLIES
50-60 MINUTES INCLUDING Q&A
Fairly True Series | Rump, Jack, Red, and Grump
Tales Behind Fairytales: An engaging and interactive presentation all about fairytales, where they come from, what they mean, and how Liesl uses them to spin her own unique tales. The whole audience will get to participate in a reader's theatre of Grimm's Rumpelstiltskin, complete with costumes and sure to give the kids a laugh. Great for fairytale units!
Note: Appropriate for all ages. K-2 groups will have a slightly shortened/modified presentation (about 30 minutes) unless they are combined with older grades.
Time Castaways Trilogy | The Mona Lisa Key, The Obsidian Compass, & The Forbidden Lock
Mind Benders: If you could time travel, where and when would you go? What would you do? What could you do? If you kill your grandmother (accidentally, of course!) will you still be born? In this presentation, using a super fun game-show format, Liesl will share fun facts about science, history, and her process of writing her adventurous time-travel trilogy, Time Castaways. She'll talk about how to research, source, fact check, and how young readers can use these skills in their own schoolwork and everyday lives, as well as how to take real history and weave it with fiction while still keeping important facts intact.
Appropriate for grades 4-7
MORE PRESENTATION INFO...
Material and A/V requirements
A screen, projector, microphone, and a gaggle of children are all that is needed.
Location/Space
Liesl loves presenting in libraries with kids sitting on the floor. Libraries are magical! If your group simply will not fit in the library without causing great discomfort, an auditorium or gym can still be magical!
Schedule
Please allow for at least 10 minutes between each presentation for transitions. Back to back scheduling always takes away from the presentation time.
For full day visits, Liesl loves to have lunch with students and teachers, but we ask that Liesl also have a free lunch period to herself.
Lunch with Students
Lunch with Liesl is best with a small group of students (up to 12). We highly recommend holding some kind of contest or assignment to reward kids who truly want this experience. Ideas include: essays, stories, bookmark design, or artwork. Liesl loves to see the winning results!
PREPARATIONS FOR THE BIG DAY!
This is key! Getting the kids excited for the visit and preparing them really does make a big difference in the success of the visit. Here are a few things you can do to prepare:
Have classrooms read a chapter or two of at least one of Liesl's books prior to the visit. (We won't complain if they've read more!)
Share Liesl's website www.lieslshurtliff.com with your students. Watch the book trailers! Kids love them! Read Liesl's bio and FAQs. Have students brainstorm new questions to ask Liesl on the day of her visit.
Media/Publicity: We suggest that the school contact the local news/newspaper in anticipation of the event. They love to spotlight exciting educational events like this in their local schools. This makes your school look good!
Let us know if you're having a themed day for Liesl's visit, e.g. Pajama Day, Dress as your favorite fairytale character, etc. Liesl loves to join the fun!
BOOK SALES: PRE-ORDERS AND POST-ORDERS
We require that all schools make Liesl's books available for sale to students both before and after her visit.
Pre-Orders: We will provide an order form and ordering instructions for the books to arrive in plenty of time for Liesl's visit. Liesl will sign and personalize all pre-ordered books on the day of the school visit.
Post-Orders: Many kids decide they want Liesl’s books AFTER her visit. We will send a link that will allow students to order books for up to one week after the scheduled visit. Liesl will sign and personalize all orders and ship to the school for distribution to students.
Book suppliers: We strongly encourage schools to order through a local independent bookstore. (We love indies!) However, we understand that circumstances may necessitate the need to order through a big retailer, Amazon, or directly through the publisher.
Liesl Shurtliff is the New York Times bestselling author of The (Fairly) True Tales series, including Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin, which won over kids and critics alike, earning an ILA Award, nominated for several state awards, and Kirkus declaring it "as good as gold" in a starred review. Liesl is also the author of the Time Castaways trilogy, a time-travel adventure featuring "memorable characters, an enticing plot, and some cool steampunklike magic." (School Library Journal) Liesl was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the mountains for her playground. Before she became a writer, Liesl graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music, dance, and theater. She now lives in Chicago with her family, where she writes full time.
Get ready
A few fun ideas to help get your students and school community excited for Liesl's visit!
