Appearances

School Visits

Kekla’s daily rate includes up to three 60-minute presentations to any combination of large and small groups:

  • Auditorium Presentation (any number of students)
  • Classroom Presentation (single classroom)
  • Writing Workshop (5 to 25 students)
  • Book Discussion (5 to 50 students who have all read one of Kekla’s books)

Kekla offers age-appropriate presentations for elementary, middle and high school students. Her titles are recommended for following age groups:

  • The Rock and the River and Fire in the Streets (Grades 6-12). Themes: 1968, the civil rights movement, the Black Panther Party, social change, difficult choices, empowering young people to contribute to their communities.
  • Camo Girl (Grades 4-10). Themes: Making friends, fitting in, self-acceptance, dealing with a bully.
  • 37 Things I Love (Grades 8-12). Themes: Friendship, illness/absence of a parent, peer pressure.

All presentations are interactive throughout, include Q&A time, and incorporate photo/video slideshows, if the host can provide a projector and screen.

Please contact author.appearances@simonandschuster.com for current school visit rates and availability.

Conference Speaking

Kekla speaks at book festivals, writing conferences and other events celebrating books for young readers. Past presentation topics geared toward writers, readers, educators and librarians include:

For Children’s Writers

  • WordPlay!: Writing exercises to find inspiration when facing the blank page.
  • Evasion of Privacy: Hiding the Truth in Fiction: Mining your memories and observations to create memorable fiction—without exposing too much of yourself in the process.
  • Grown-Ups Ruin Everything…Don’t They?: Strategies for using adult characters effectively as allies and antagonists in children’s fiction.
  • “I Know That Book”: A Debut Novelist’s Dream: Tips and resources for self-promoting your books for maximum exposure and sales.

For Teachers and Librarians

  • Readers’ Theater: A Gateway for Engaging Reluctant Readers
  • A Book’s Journey: From the Author’s Mind, to the Page, to the Reader and Beyond
  • Using Historical Fiction in the Classroom: Empathy as a Path to Engaged Learning
  • Seeking Self-Reflection: Strategies for Empowering Minority Youth with Diverse YA Literature
  • Author Visits 101: What Any School Needs to Know to Plan, Organize and Fund Successful Author Visits

Please contact keklamagoon@gmail.com for rates and availability.