School Visits
Now booking visits for 2024! I’d love to come talk to your students.
in-person: Recipe for a Story
What are the ingredients that come together when I write my books? We’ll talk about things like ideas, questions, research, and imagination, as well as story elements like plot, character, setting, and motivation, using excerpts from my books as examples. Then, we’ll put the recipe into action with a creative exercise that transforms students into storytellers and invites them to start imagining, writing, and/or drawing a tale of their own.
Kindergarten through 3rd grade: For these young readers, I focus on my Class Critters chapter books. I ask students, what if you turned into an animal for a day?! They’ll leave the visit having begun to brainstorm a story about their animal day that they can finish later.
4th-8th grade: For middle-grade readers, I focus my presentation on The Thirteenth Circle. For the creative exercise, I often ask that students bring pencil and paper to start brainstorming their original speculative story.
Duration: generally 30-40 minutes before Q&A time
Courtesy Sam Houston Elementary School, Maryville, TN
“We had a great experience hosting Kathryn Holmes in the library. Our 2nd and 3rd graders were captivated hearing her read from Tally Tuttle Turns into a Turtle. They also thoroughly enjoyed learning about her recipe for a story. The students were left feeling very excited about reading and writing. We look forward to future visits to our school!”
~Lelia Fain, Library Media Specialist, Prospect Elementary School, Seymour, TN
Courtesy Pine Crest School, Boca Raton, FL
virtual visits:
Recipe for a Story can be adjusted for a virtual format for any age group! (30-40 minutes before Q&A)
My Thirteenth Circle coauthor MarcyKate Connolly and I offer a joint virtual school visit about our book. Learn how we wrote together, what research we did, and more! (30-40 minutes before Q&A)
I am happy to offer FREE “Meet the Author” Zoom visits that include a brief read-aloud from one of the Class Critters books (grades K-3) or The Thirteenth Circle (grades 4-8), followed by a short Q&A with students.
(approx 20 minutes total)MarcyKate and I have also launched an “e-visit” (aka a prerecorded virtual school visit)—a series of videos you can watch with your students on your own time. Includes discussion questions, writing prompts, and other classroom activities related to The Thirteenth Circle!
Contact me at kathrynholmesbooks@gmail.com to learn more about any of these school visit options!
Courtesy PS10, Brooklyn, NY
Courtesy PS321, Brooklyn, NY
Courtesy Prospect Elementary School, Seymour, TN
Courtesy St. Joseph Hill Academy, Staten Island, NY