About Me
I live in Western Pennsylvania with my husband,
Dennis, in a restored 140 year old farmhouse
that has been in our family for over 75 years.
I have two daughters, Mollie and Elizabeth.
I enjoy painting and gardening. I own a
beautiful Arabian mare named Ariel and three
cats: Abby, Grace and Emma. Both my mother
and my grandfather were writers so I was
raised to love books. I have at least
one bookcase in every room in my house!
Ever since I was a little girl I have written stories constantly. I get some of my best ideas at night. I try to write them down without turning on the light and disturbing my husband - so most of my sheets have ink stains! I am a fulltime Youth Services Librarian. I have the best job in the world – working with kids and books! Through my position at the library, I was instrumental in establishing the annual Ellwood City Storytelling Festival, which is currently in its seventh year.
Abby and the Book Bunch and my Readers' Theater series are available through Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO (www.abdopublishing.com) or your educational wholesaler. I have reviewed young adult fantasy and nonfiction for VOYA magazine for the past twenty years specializing in Renaissance and medieval history. I am a member of SCBWI and PaLA, the Pennsylvania Library Association.
As a librarian and storyteller, I work with thousands of children in over 250 programs each year. I moderate four young adult book discussion groups monthly, as well as a teen Creative Writing Critique Group. Under my direction, an ongoing Puppetry Program has been established at the library for upper elementary and high school students. Many of my Readers' Theater plays originated with this group
School Visits
Preschool and kindergarten
A 45-60 minute presentation including books and interactive fingerplays, a reading of The Christmas Cats complete with pictures of the cats featured in the book, and a craft activity.
Elementary
A 60 minute presentation about books, reading, storytelling, or Readers' Theater production using your students and teachers.
Teen Creative Writing Workshops
Fees for Schools
$600 full day (4 – 1 hour presentations) $400 half day (2 1-hour presentations) $300 for a single presentation. I charge a minimum of $600 plus mileage, lodging and food reimbursement for events that require an overnight stay.
Adult Programming
Multi-District Workshops for Librarians including:
1.
Puppetry and Children’s Programming
Puppetry and Children’s Programming 2.Storytelling
Storytelling3.Incorporating Folktales and Fairytales into Story Time
Incorporating Folktales and Fairytales into Story Time Storytelling Workshops for adults, teachers, and Christian educators
Fee: $400 for a single 2 hour workshop; $600 for 2 workshops on the same day. I charge a minimum of $600 plus a mileage, lodging and food reimbursement for events requiring an overnight stay.
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