FALLING LEAVES 2014: MASTER CLASS RETREAT

Nov 7-9, 2014 >>>
Come to Silver Bay on Lake George for a weekend of inspiration and craft. Our focus this year is on picture books. We have five wonderful editors: Grace Kendall (FSG); Grace Maccarone (Holiday House); Emma Ledbetter (Atheneam); Nancy Paulsen (Nancy Paulsen Books); and Beth Terrill (North South Books). Each participant will receive a one-on-one 25-minute critique from one of these editors. Each editor will also provide a hands-on workshop and writing exercises in the evenings.
» register by Aug 15

List of Available Speakers

Below is our official list of SCBWI PAL members with published books or other accolades who make themselves available for author or illustrator visits to schools, libraries, and other such locations. (Click here for more information about PAL membership.)

Educators are very excited at the prospect of having a central Web page to find speakers in their area, so if you are a PAL member of SCBWI within our chapter and are interested in being listed below, please send an e-mail to David Goldschmidt.

The list is in a random order! Click here to shuffle the order.

	NAME: Jessica Loy REGION: New York State, Vermont, CT, New England, and beyond EMAIL: loyj@strose.edu WEB: http://www.jessicaloy.net SPECIALITY: nonfiction books for children (ages 7-12) OFFERS: large presentations and class-sized workshops (see Web site) for elementary and middle school students (K-6) based on subjects explored in Jessica's books, including hiking, camping, outdoor education, environment, and careers
	NAME: Kyra Teis REGION: United States EMAIL: kyra@kyrateis.com WEB: http://www.kyrateis.com SPECIALITY: picture books OFFERS: Pre-K through 8 school visits and workshops; Kyra shares her idea notebook, discusses where her ideas come from and shows how she revises her writing and illustrations; all talks and hands-on creative workshops dovetail with The Writer's Workshop; every visit tailored to individual goals of the school; click here for descriptions and photos of talks and workshops
	NAME: Lyn Miller-Lachmann REGION: Albany and surrounding region, Hudson Valley, NYC, Connecticut EMAIL: lynml@mac.com WEB: http://web.mac.com/lynml SPECIALITY: young adult novels; Editor-in-Chief of MultiCultural Review OFFERS: school visits (7-12), including writing workshops for English and ESL classes and presentations for teens and adults about writing historical fiction, creating characters from diverse cultures, and exploring through fiction human rights, immigration, and Latin American history and culture; presentations suitable for English, social studies, and Spanish classes
	NAME: Karen Beil REGION: Upstate New York and New England EMAIL: karen@karenbeil.com WEB: http://www.karenbeil.com SPECIALITY: picture books, nonfiction, elementary, middle grade OFFERS: large presentations and class-sized workshops for elementary and middle school (K-8) students on the craft and process of writing fiction and nonfiction, revising, interviewing, research, and personal stories
	NAME: Alexandra Siy REGION: Northeast EMAIL: alex@alexandrasiy.com or siy.science@gmail.com WEB: http://www.alexandrasiy.com or http://www.instastem.com SPECIALITY: putting art into science (making STEM into STEAM); science nonfiction that uses storytelling, "science as art" photography and imagery, and creative literary structures to bring science nonfiction to life OFFERS: school visits for all grade levels that use scientific imagery and content (insects, spiders, Mars, space exploration, microscopic world) to get kids to think and write creatively; Alexandra works with large audiences as well as small groups in a workshop setting; she offers live interactive videoconferencing through iNK (http://www.inkthinktank.com) and InstaSTEM, a science based photography workshop (http://www.instastem.com); her keynote speech is "Got STEAM!"
	NAME: Peter Marino REGION: Albany and surrounding region EMAIL: pmarino300@yahoo.com WEB: http://www.petermarino.sunyacc.edu SPECIALITY: young adult novels OFFERS: writing workshops and book talks tailored to your curriculum (Peter has taught writing for 23 years); presentations on a variety of themes, including Everyone is a Writer, Writing Makes Sense Out of Chaos, and Boys and Books
	NAME: Steve Sheinkin REGION: Northeast EMAIL: ssheinkin@gmail.com WEB: http://www.stevesheinkin.com SPECIALITY: history books kids actually want to read (grades 5-9) OFFERS: school visits in which Steve confesses to having been a textbook writer for years, explains why those things are so terrible, tells kids some of the great stories he was never allowed to put into textbooks, and shares the books he writes these days
	NAME: Julie Chibbaro REGION: Eastern New York EMAIL: julie@juliechibbaro.com WEB: http://www.juliechibbaro.com SPECIALITY: young adult fiction OFFERS: teaching and speaking at schools, libraries, conferences, etc. (currently teaches fiction at the Gotham Writers Workshop)
	NAME: Nancy Castaldo REGION: Upstate New York and New England EMAIL: NTCastaldo@taconic.net WEB: http://www.nancycastaldo.com SPECIALITY: nonfiction, environment, middle grade, elementary, picture books OFFERS: school visits for elementary and middle school covering natural history topics, creating story, and the publishing process
	NAME: Kathy Ceceri REGION: Eastern New York and New England EMAIL: Kathy@CraftsForLearning.com WEB: http://www.craftsforlearning.com SPECIALITY: science and history activity books for elementary and middle school readers OFFERS: school visits on science and history topics, which can include hands-on activities or crafts; also presentations for teachers or parents looking for ideas, tips, and information on doing hands-on learning projects in the classroom or at home
	NAME: Donna M. McDine REGION: Tri-State Area (NY, NJ, and CT) EMAIL: donna@donnamcdine.com WEB: http://donnamcdine.com SPECIALITY: picture books, nonfiction, elementary and middle grade OFFERS: invite multi-award winning children's author, Donna M. McDine, to your school for a fun day of hands-on workshops based on the Educator Guides from The Golden Pathway, Hockey Agony, and Powder Monkey, or presentation "How a Book Comes to Be"; prior to Donna's school visit, she will meet with you in person or discuss via telephone your curriculum and how best to structure the workshops around your state guidelines
	NAME: Sandra Dutton REGION: Upstate NY, New England, Long Island EMAIL: sjsdutton@hotmail.com WEB: http://www.SandraDutton.com SPECIALITY: middle grade novel, picture books OFFERS: For grades 1 and up, I show how Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior, a picture book I wrote and illustrated, evolved, then help students create their own picture book; for grades 4 and up, I discuss how geological history informed my novel Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth, then help students begin stories of their own; I have taught both art and writing at the elementary, high school, and university levels
	NAME: Lisa Thiesing REGION: Mid-Hudson Valley EMAIL: contact@lisathiesing.com WEB: http://www.lisathiesing.com SPECIALITY: early readers and picture books OFFERS: school visits (K-3) covering the steps that go into making a book, from writing, to editing and drawing (click here for more information)
	NAME: Marlene Newman REGION: Upstate New York and surrounding regions EMAIL: marlenen@nycap.rr.com WEB: http://www.myronsmagiccow.net SPECIALITY: picture books, middle grade novels OFFERS: school visits for elementary and middle school classes to read and discuss Myron's Magic Cow; also available for fiction writing workshops that focus on setting, plot, theme, and characterization, as well as nonfiction writing workshops that focus on selecting a topic, developing questions, writing an outline, and performing research (click here for more information)
	NAME: Carol Parenzan Smalley REGION: Upstate New York, New England, Pennsylvania, and surrounding regions EMAIL: Carol@CarolSmalley.com WEB: http://www.CarolSmalley.com SPECIALITY: creative nonfiction for elementary and middle school ages, including special hands-on programs about explorers (Henry Hudson, Lewis and Clark), environmental topics, and state history (please see Web site for complete listing and current promotions) OFFERS: large assemblies, classroom workshops, teacher and librarian training, family workshops, and customized programs; all programs are interactive and hands-on; also teaches Writing for Children through 2,400 colleges and universities around the world
	NAME: Jennifer Roy REGION: Within one hour of Saratoga Springs EMAIL: jroy2@nycap.rr.com WEB: http://www.jenniferroy.com/ SPECIALITY: middle grade and young adult novels OFFERS: "Yellow Star" school visits (grades 6-10) covering World War II/Holocaust history, literary elements, writing process, and what it's like to be an author
	NAME: Peter De Witt REGION: Albany and surrounding region, Hudson Valley EMAIL: toasterpond@hotmail.com WEB: http://www.petermdewitt.com SPECIALITY: middle grade, young adult novels, and educational topics OFFERS: school visits (based on availability because Peter is an elementary school principal) about creating stories and the publishing process; also speaks at state and national levels on the topic of struggling learners, which covers literacy, building and district-level interventions, and information/resources for parents
	NAME: Eric Luper REGION: Albany and surrounding region EMAIL: eric.luper@gmail.com WEB: http://ericluper.com SPECIALITY: middle grade and young adult novels OFFERS: Eric Luper is the author of numerous books for young readers and teens. He enjoys speaking to groups of students (small or large), teachers and librarians about the writing process, revision, young adult fiction, writing humor or any other related topics that might be of interest. He also does single-day and multi-day writing workshops aimed at specific writing goals. Eric is available in person or via Skype.
	NAME: Kimberly Sabatini REGION: Upstate New York and New England EMAIL: kimmiepoppins@mac.com WEB: http://www.kimberlysabatini.com SPECIALITY: Young Adult Novels OFFERS: happy to speak at schools, libraries, conferences, book clubs, etc.
	NAME: Rose Kent REGION: Upstate NY, Long Island, CT, New England EMAIL: RosemarieKent@yahoo.com WEB: http://www.rosekent.com SPECIALITY: middle grade fiction OFFERS: "What's Your Message In A Bottle?" engaging school and library visits for elementary and middle school students that connect to curriculum, promote writing, celebrate multiculturalism, and give how-to tips for revising
	NAME: Timothy Tocher REGION: Hudson Valley, Albany and surrounding areas, CT, NJ EMAIL: To2im@aol.com WEB: http://sites.google.com/site/tochertales/ SPECIALITY: age appropriate, interactive programs for grades K-8, teacher and PTA presentations OFFERS: school visits feature presentations on poetry, parodies, fiction, nonfiction, sports
	NAME: Daniel J. Mahoney REGION: United States EMAIL: danjean@nycap.rr.com WEB: http://www.danieljmahoney.com/ SPECIALITY: the process of writing and illustrating, elementary, middle grade, picture books, and board books OFFERS: the nuts and bolts of picture book making, the publishing process, character development, story idea development, illustration demonstration, and writing and illustrating a story with the class
	NAME: Anita Sanchez REGION: Upstate New York and New England EMAIL: anasanchezh@aol.com WEB: http://www.anitasanchez.webs.com SPECIALITY: historical fiction and environmental science nonfiction for middle grade and young adult OFFERS: school visits for elementary and middle school classes; a fun and participatory program on document-based historical research

Please send corrections or additions to David Goldschmidt.