Workshops and School Visits

Free 15-Minute Q&As

Each month I set aside a limited amount of time for short Virtual Q&As. These are designed for groups who have read one or more of my books. It’s a really great way to connect with the author and ask questions about the writing process and the book your students have just read. I schedule these on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Please note: because I get so many requests for Q&As, I only offer one free session per school per year. This allows me to offer this opportunity to more students. Additional sessions may be scheduled as paid visits. If you have multiple classrooms reading my book, you may combine for the Q&A, as you would for an assembly.

For Elementary and Middle School Students

In Response to COVID-19 and the need for Distance Learning

I now offer Zoom writing workshops. Appropriate for students in 4th through 7th grades, Let’s Get Specific, Let’s Get Creative encourages students through a variety of fun activities to use more vivid and descriptive verbs and nouns in their writing. In the second half of the workshop, we will create a verbal add-on story to learn about plotting, and then students will write and share creative stories of their own. The workshop runs about an hour and is most effective with 22 participants or less.

Here is a recent endorsement for my virtual teaching:

“Polly held several virtual writing workshops with our 5th and 6th grade students and exceeded our expectations in every way! She inspired and motivated our students, and they clearly felt engaged and interested during her program. We are eager to schedule her for a live event in the Fall of 2020.”
—Cathy Arvizu, MA, MLS, Middle School Librarian, 6th grade Advisor, The Episcopal School of Dallas

In this upbeat and interactive assembly presentation, I talk about what students need to do to become better writers. My advice is simple: they need to read, write and “unplug” from their electronics to leave time to daydream. I share stories of my own publication journey, from daydreaming and writing stories in my childhood to researching and writing Skyriders and The Neptune Project. I show students pictures of my manuscript at various stages in the revision process, I stress the importance of asking, “what if” when plotting a story, and I dress four volunteers in my scuba gear to help give a fun review and quiz.

Let’s Get Creative and Let’s Get Specific

Many students get stumped when it’s time to write. After creating verbal add-on stories, we will discuss some of the most vital elements of a story or novel. We will also talk about how important it is to be specific when writing. Students will revise and improve several very general sentences by using more descriptive verbs and nouns. Then students will have a chance to write and share colorful, specific paragraphs from their own stories. Please note: this workshop helps students work on skills they need to succeed on state writing assessments.

From Ideas to Scribbles to Published Novel: How My Story Became a Book

In this workshop, I share with students how I researched, plotted and wrote The Neptune Project and Skyriders. I also talk about different steps in the editorial process including the twelve page revision letter I received from my editor and share pictures of my manuscript at various stages in its production. Students will look at cover art and discuss the fact that they, as book buyers, have to judge books by their covers. Finally, I explore the basic elements of a novel, create verbal add-on stories with the students, and help them start a story of their own.

Please note: this presentation is geared for students interested in the publishing business, and they will need to bring writing materials for the second portion of the program.

Specifically for Grades K-2

All About Dolphins

In this presentation for younger students, I talk briefly about how I went about creating and writing The Neptune Project and how much I learned about dolphins while researching the book. I show colorful slides that help me to explain these marine mammals’ unique characteristics and behaviors. After discussing dolphins’ habitat, their place on the food chain, and their role as a predator in the ocean, we will also talk about why dolphins are classified as mammals. At the end, we will play an echolocation game with my dolphin and fish puppets to help students understand how dolphins use this amazing ability to find their prey.

Details about School Visits

I give presentations for students from kindergarten through eighth grades. If you are interested in booking me for a school visit, please contact Sarah DeVore at How Now Booking. Educators, if you are planning to sell books during my visit, you can purchase copies of Skyriders through Andrea Cruise (email: penguinauthorvisits@gmail.com) for a 40% discount. If you wish to order copies of The Neptune Project and The Neptune Challenge, you can contact the Hachette Book Group. If you are a new customer with Hachette, you can call their customer service at 1-800-759-0190 or email: order.desk.@hbgusa.com.

Virtual Visits: I enjoy doing virtual visits with students as well and charge $100.00 for an hour. I do find these visits are much more productive if the students are prepared in advance with specific questions they would like to ask me about my book and my writing. If you could like to set up a virtual visit, please contact me at: NeptuneProject1@aol.com. (Download any of the following documents as PDFs)

• Suggestions on how to host a GREAT school visit: School Visits FAQ
  
• Suggestions on how to run book sales: Book Sales FAQ
  
• Skyriders Discussion questions
• The Neptune Project Discussion questions
  
• The Neptune Challenge Discussion questions
  
• The Neptune Promise Discussion questions
  
• Skyriders Educators guide
  
• The Neptune Challenge Teacher’s guide
  
• The Neptune Project Common Core teacher guide
  
• The Neptune Project Teacher’s guide
  
• The Neptune Project Teacher’s guide handouts
  
• Resources and STEM ideas for using The Neptune Project in schools
  
• The Marine Life Internet Scavenger Hunt
  
• Book order form without The Neptune Promise
  
• Book order form with The Neptune Promise

For School Family Nights and Environmental Clubs

STEM Talks

In the process of researching The Neptune Project, I learned a great deal about climate change, marine biology, genetics, and issues threatening our oceans today. I can talk in depth about the STEM aspects of The Neptune Project, and I also offer a program that is more focused on marine issues like coral bleaching and acidification.

For Junior High Students

Great Beginnings: How to Hook Readers from Page One

Working with individual classes, I talk about dynamic openings. Students discuss great first lines and incredible opening scenes in books and movies. But what is the right place in a novel to begin the story? I know from personal experience that’s not always easy to determine. After exploring the concept of the “inciting incident,” students will have a chance to create their own first lines and opening paragraphs and share them.

Developing Real and Unforgettable Characters

Working with individual classes, I talk about the challenge of creating believable and memorable characters. I encourage students to discuss strong protagonists in recent young adult fiction and classic novels. Although writers need to know their characters’ backstory, we’ll discuss the perils of loading too much of that information into a short story or book. Using character questionnaires, students will then write and share at least one paragraph about an intriguing character they’ve imagined.

World-building Workshop for Young Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers

How do you create real and believable new worlds for your reader? What kinds of details do you need to weave into your story? Whether you want to write fantasy or science fiction, you have to get the simplest details right, from characters’ names to the food they eat. In this fun, practical workshop, I’ll share hints and writing exercises which will help teen authors create vivid new worlds for their readers.

Here’s me signing a few copies of The Neptune Project between writing workshops at Hunt Elementary School.

Girl Scout Workshops

Greetings to all you Girl Scout Leaders out there! I was actually a Girl Scout leader for my daughters’ troops for ten years, and I love Girl Scouts and everything this organization does for girls. I was thrilled when I heard they had re-written their program materials to focus on three major themes, including storytelling and water. I’m still developing some water/preserving-our-seas workshops, but I do have two writing workshops that can help Senior and Junior Girl Scouts fulfill specific badge requirements.

So You Want to Be a Novelist?
In this workshop Seniors complete the first three steps toward earning their Novelist badge. I discuss the joys and challenges of a professional writing career, how to query agents and publishers, and places teens truly can sell their work today. Please bring a spiral notebook or writing pad.

The Joys of Scribbling and Scribing
In this workshop Juniors complete four of the five steps towards earning their Scribe badge. I talk about my own career and the different ways authors can make a living, from writing nonfiction articles for newspapers to writing imaginative stories for major publishers. Please bring a spiral notebook or writing pad.

Afternoon with an Author
I also can work with several troops at a Service Unit event. I can give a Power Point presentation which includes information on how I became an author and the various careers available in publishing. Then I will conduct writing exercises with the girls. This is a two hour program with a five minute break, appropriate for Junior, Cadette or Senior Girl Scouts. Participants should bring writing materials. I will sign my books for any girls who bring their copies to the event.