Carol Peterson’s theme in writing for kids is “make learning fun.” Carol has four resource books for teachers and librarians to supplement curriculum standards in grades 4-6, to engage children in library programs and to encourage learning through activities, games, crafts and lively readers’ theatre scripts.
Her books cover history and world culture (Around the World Through Holidays and Jump Back in Time), science (Jump Into Science: Themed Science Fairs) and mathematics (Fun with Finance). All books take a cross-curricular approach to the subject matter, incorporating literacy, math, science, geography, history, art and music whenever possible to make the most of the learning. And the fun.

Carol can lead kids in a classroom, school, library or other group setting, can create professional development workshops for teachers, or can help budding children’s writers explore the world of non-fiction writing for kids. Find out about her presentations and how she can help you at www.carolpetersonauthor.com and click on “Author Visits.”
Elementary level, available for in person or Skype visits and teacher professional development.

Mira Reisberg, PhD in Education, is the award-winning illustrator of six children's picture books including Baby Rattlesnake, Uncle Nacho's Hat, and Just Like Home, and co-author of the award-winning anthologies Just Like Me, and Honoring our Ancestors. Mira has wowed children and teachers across the U.S.A., and locally with her power-packed fun presentations connecting writing, art making, and life skill lessons about the value of creativity, education, paying attention, and having compassion for new immigrants. Her "painting of shame" is not to be missed as an hilarious example of what happens when you don't want to revise. She also shares a little about her history as the daughter of holocaust survivors and the importance of multicultural appreciation.

Mira loves demystifying the picture book making process and empowering children to make their own books. She also loves doing professional development workshops with teachers, teaching how to integrate art and literacy into curriculum content areas such as math, science, history, and geography in fun and meaningful ways. Don’t miss http://www.mirareisberg.com/kidsbooks.html for Mira’s books and related teaching resources,http://www.mirareisberg.com/visit.html for school visits information and http://www.mirareisberg.com/consulting.html for testimonials about her teacher in-services. For even more Mira info, visit www.mirareisberg.blogspot.com or sign up at http://tinyurl.com/3v5dgcl for her fun newsletter.
Elementary and middle school levels, available for in person or SKYPE visits and teacher professional development.

Lynn E. Hazen writes books filled with humor, heart and hope. Her young adult novel, Shifty, was selected for VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction, as a CCBC Choice, and a Smithsonian Notable. Kirkus Reviews praised Shifty as "a realistic story that resonates."

Shifty was chosen in 2010 by Napa County Reads, a literacy program co-partnered by the Napa Valley Office of Education, the Napa Library and the Arts Council. Middle school and high school students across Napa County read Shifty. Lynn then visited ten schools including a group home and youth at the community court, sharing her passion for reading, writing and the transformative power of story.

Lynn enjoys giving presentations to elementary school students, too. Her younger books include Mermaid Mary Margaret, Cinder Rabbit, The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail, and Buzz Bumble to the Rescue.  She teaches writing for children and young adults at Stanford Continuing Studies. With an MA in education and an MFA in writing, Ms. Hazen loves doing school visits for students of all ages and grade levels, as well as presenting professional development workshops for educators. For more info please visit www.LynnHazen.com, www.ShiftyTheBook.com & www.LynnHazenImaginaryBlog.blogspot.com
Pre-School, Elementary, Middle School, High School, in person or SKYPE visits, Professional Development

Linda Joy Singleton is the author of over 35 books for kids, including YALSA honored YA series THE SEER and DEAD GIRL WALKING. Linda also authored the STRANGE ENCOUNTERS chapter book series, OH, NO! UFO, SHAMROCKED, and SEA SWITCH among others.

She submitted short stories to magazines when she was 14 and finished her first 200 page book during a 2-week holiday. She saved stories she wrote as a kid and loves to share them when in her school presentations, including a cat story she wrote at age 8 then rewrote a year later. She kept both versions, and showing them gives a fun lesson on rewriting. With books for ages 8 to teen, she enjoys speaking to 4th grade to high school.

 For more details see:www.LindaJoySingleton.com
Age levels: Elementary, Middle School, and High School levels, in person or SKYPE visits.

Jeri Chase Ferris is the award-winning author of eleven biographies for children and young adults. She specializes in biographies of women and minorities - people who have done great and important deeds for America from 1776 to 1936, but have been overlooked in history. Jeri retired from a 30-year teaching career in order to write full time and travels all over the world to research her subjects. One of the most exciting parts of gathering facts on historic people is meeting their family members. It’s like touching history itself to speak to, for example, the great-great-great-grandson of Noah Webster!

Jeri is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences, bringing history to life through the lives of these remarkable men and women.

Her twelfth biography, NOAH WEBSTER & HIS WORDS, will be out in 2012 from HoughtonMifflin/Harcourt.  Her current novel, SURROUNDED, is a survival story set in WWII Russia (Siege of Leningrad). SURROUNDED comes from her passion for Russia and its history, culture, and people, and her desire to convey the unimaginable experiences of the people and youth of 1941 Leningrad to American young people and adults.

For more on Jeri, her books, and her school visits please go to www.jerichaseferris.com.
Elementary and Middle School levels, in person or SKYPE visits, Professional Development

Tekla White is the author of The Flight of the Union,  Missions of the San Francisco Bay Area and San Francisco Bay Area Missions published by the Lerner Publishing Group. She is the author and co-author of multi-cultural, reading, language arts, logic, and math workbooks. Her stories are in Evan-Moor, DC Heath, Scott Foresman, and Celebration Press. She received the 2002 Lighthouse for Literacy Award from the Sacramento Area Reading Association.

Tekla is a member of the California Reading Association, the California Teachers Association, the National Education Association, and The Author’s Guild. She has served as Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Tekla is a credentialed California teacher who has worked in Fremont and Davis California.

She has a B.A. in English writing from the University of Washington and her Spanish Literature M.A. is from Holy Names University in Oakland, California. She has studied anthropology and archaeology in Mexico. Visit Tekla’s websites for information about her school presentations and storytelling sessions.http://www.teklawhite.com and http://members.authorsguild.net/teklawhite/
Elementary and Middle School Levels

Shirley Parenteau enjoys sharing with preschool and early grades how an idea becomes a picture book, using examples of each stage. These include original text pages marked up for revision by editors who, Shirley assures the children, are not being mean, but are helping to make the story the best it can be. After reading her picture books, Shirley welcomes children's comments and questions.

A native of the Northern Oregon Coast where her father was a logger and her mother, a feature writer for newspapers, Shirley first wrote travel and outdoor articles for magazines. When her husband's work brought her to California, she began a humorous newspaper column on pitfalls discovered while restoring a hundred-year-old farmhouse and raising pigs and goats (briefly) and chickens in the midst of burgeoning suburbs south of Sacramento. A week-long writing class taught by author Eve Bunting led to eight children's books, from a picture book to YA science-fiction.
  
When her own three children grew older, Shirley turned to women's fiction, publishing five novels. Now with six grandchildren--all girls--she is again writing for children, talking with young audiences and loving every minute. Shirley's books include, ONE FROG SANG, BEARS ON CHAIRS, and BEARS IN BEDS coming Fall, 2012. For more details see: www.shirleyparenteau.com
Preschool and Primary grades

Janet Ann Collins wants to help kids understand and accept people who are different from themselves and appreciate their own uniqueness.

She has taught Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade, and worked as a substitute teacher for all ages in public and private schools. She also worked in the dormitories at California School for the Deaf, raised foster children with special needs, read to children at library storytimes, and has taught after school classes on writing and other topics. She enjoys public speaking at conferences and for various organizations besides doing school visits.

While she enjoys working with elementary children and her current book, Signs of Trouble, is designed for that age group, she’s willing to speak to older kids about special needs and the writing profession. In addition to writing books Collins has been a columnist and feature writer for newspapers.
For more information please visit www.janetanncollins.com

Marsha Sylvester is a librarian and teacher with extensive experience promoting early literacy.

She knows the importance of step-by-step planning for story-time whether for libraries, school and/or home settings before activities actually take place and is available for consultation to make your literacy needs meaningful.

She is also available for school visits to read either her own children’s book works-in-progress or to custom select age-appropriate books for spirited readings. Her hound dogs, cats and the many squirrels scampering around her yard are the inspiration for many of her story characters.

Marsha’s goal is for children to have fun listening to stories and eventually enjoy reading stories silently. They then can pass on their enjoyment by reading aloud to younger children.
For more information contact Marsha at MarshaSylvester@hotmail.com  MarshaSylvester@hotmail.com
Preschool and Primary grades