That’s right. I will come to you. Whether it be a half day school visit, whole day, conference, library presentation, panel—-I’ll be there.
To order bulk copies of my titles for your event at a beautifully discounted rate, click here.
My school presentations are simply an introduction to who I am as a father, husband and a writer. I usually present for grade levels K-8, but I also have experience speaking to high school students as a mentor.
My 35-45 minute presentation (length depends on the age of the audience. Little folks, K-1, don’t want to sit that long, and I more than understand). The presentation consist of a brief introduction of my background; where I come from, how I became interested in reading and writing, my family life,etc.), a PowerPoint presentation that follows my path as a kid to becoming a published author. That is followed by a reading. The reading is centered around the interest of the hosting group or determined by age group/class level. That’s followed by a lively Q& A or brief discussion on the themes of the book section where students and teachers can ask about the writing process, editing, particular characters, personal questions,etc. Nothing is off limits…well…almost nothing. The Q &A is my favorite part of the presentation. After that, I will conduct a quick trivia game and ask questions to the students to see if they were paying attention. I have posters and sometimes bookmarks. We’ll finish up with a book signing for students who have ordered books and of course pictures. I love taking pictures with students, librarian, teachers, lunch ladies, whoever.
I am not a diva, picky author/guest. The only things I’ll need are:
- Computer/laptop projector set up
- Room with good acoustics. If you think I’ll need a mic, that will work as well.
- A basic music stand to sit my book on for the reading.
- A bottle of water, Diet Mountain Dew, maybe some fruit.
- Sharpies and a nice table for signing afterwards
Please discuss the books with students and order books at least 3-5 weeks before my appearance. Below are phone numbers for Scholastic and Just Us Books if you choose to order through the publishers. They offer discounts for bulk orders. Or you can use a local vendor/bookstore.
Travel and lodging is the responsibility of the hosting school or organization. I’m usually an American Airlines or Southwest kind of guy. Also, if you can get me in early enough and get me out around evening time we can avoid the lodging altogether. If the school is within a 150 miles radius, I will drive to you (rental car and gas stipend will be added to honorarium fee).
Please fill out the contact form below and/or contact Mr. Patrick Oliver for bookings (schools, libraries, conferences, festivals, summer programs, etc.):
Patrick Oliver PatrickOliver@speakloudly.com (312) 287-0415
My honorarium/fees is very reasonable. We can discuss those details as well. I can’t wait to visit you and your AWESOME students!
Derrick Barnes 