children's author James M. Deem   

Cost and Availability

My rates are reasonable, and travel expenses can be kept to a minimum with enough lead time. Whenever possible, I try to schedule multiple days in the same area so that schools can share travel expenses. (If you have special financial concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know.)

For information about available dates and my rates, please contact me by e-mail.

Number of Presentations

A full day visit includes up to four presentations. Each presentation can be different depending upon your needs. I am also happy to give an extra presentation to teachers or parents, before or after school. 

And I am always willing to eat lunch (or share a snack) with students (sometimes this is a select group of student writers or simply students who are interested in meeting an author and sometimes students who have won some type of contest). Use your imagination and dream up an activity; I have done "Donuts with Deem," pizza parties...whatever it takes to give kids a memorable day.

I  schedule half day visits (one or two presentations) only in my local area (Tucson, Arizona). 

A classroom or library are preferable to a cafeteria.

As a former college professor who taught reading, writing, and study skills, I am comfortable speaking to any size group.  However, smaller groups will probably benefit a little more from a presentation. 

Preparation

Children who know about me or my books ahead of time will get much more out of the presentation. Students who have read one of my books will benefit the most. 

To help prepare students for a visit, I have posted two scavenger hunts. One is a website hunt; the other is a catalog hunt. Both may be used as is, or revised to better suit your purposes.  At Lounsberry Hollow, students who had the most correct answers were given an autographed copy of one of my books.

Study guides to help teachers introduce my nonfiction books are available. A teacher's guide for 3 NBs of Julian Drew is also available. I'm happy to provide any other information that will help teachers or students get to know me in advance; just let me know what you need.

At the end of my presentation, I share my website address with children and ask them to visit it and, if they wish, write me. 

As you can see, my website has many things for children to read and think about, to reinforce my message about reading and writing. I also take a camera to my presentations. If possible, I post a few photos to my website (hopefully by the next day) as well as a letter to the children. This, I hope, keeps the experience fresh in children's minds.

I am always happy to autograph books when I make a school visit. My publisher (Houghton Mifflin) offers discounts for my books when I make an appearance. E-mail me for more information.