Jim Whiting
Sample Presentations
Author visits are exciting for students, and have a demonstrated educational value. Meeting authors in person promotes an increased interest in reading. Understanding how professional authors work not only inspires students in their own writing but also demonstrates the necessity of constant revising and reworking to achieve superior results. The wide range of my experiences makes me an especially attractive candidate for an author visit. My primary area of expertise is children's non-fiction, which generally comprises the majority of titles in school and public libraries. I have written and edited well over 200 books. My subjects range from authors to zoologists and include classical musicians and contemporary pop icons, saints and scientists, emperors and explorers. For a complete list, please see books written. And my diverse, distinguished background allows me to offer advice, assistance, encouragement and interesting anecdotes in other areas of writing. I even advised a national award-winning high school newspaper. Sample Presentations (top) My presentations work best with grades 4-8. Here are some sample topics. All include lots of illustrated examples. By prior arrangement, I can craft exciting presentations custom-tailored to your curriculum. I welcome student participation, and there are always ample opportunities for questions and comments.
Off and Running - Grab immediate interest with strong first chapters. Grammarodeo - Lively look at commas, colons, clauses, common nouns and other compositional critters and how writers rope'em in. Printers' Magic - A favorite among all grade levels, this presentation makes an ideal finale for presentations of any kind. Youngsters are fascinated to learn how a seemingly chaotic jumble of pages comes out in perfect order. They're just as enchanted by a quick demonstration of color printing. The Story Behind the Story - How an author uses actual experiences to create fiction, non-fiction, even poetry. Not Quite Ready for Prime Time - How editing transforms dull, lifeless prose into exciting, engrossing accounts. Author, Author! - Several true-life stories illustrate the diverse ways in which people become established writers. Storytelling - History comes alive with interactive talks such as "The World's Worst Explorer - and Maybe the Best" and "Horrified by Handel? Does Liszt make you listless? Take another look!" Hey Buddy, Can You Spare a Word? - English is a shameless borrower from other languages. A brief look at its fascinating history and tips on painlessly increasing vocabulary by learning a few roots. YOUR Name in Print - A survey of publications that accept submissions from young people and ideas on how to approach them. What Professionals Say (top) "Having Jim Whiting speak to my students has been both enjoyable and worthwhile. Not only does Jim provide a wealth of information about all aspects of writing, from the creative process to the business of publishing, but he does it in a way that is interesting, motivating, and appropriate to whatever age group he is facing. Jim once spent a day with my 3rd graders, and later, after I moved to middle school, he visited with my Honors level 8th graders. I was amazed at how effortlessly and naturally he adapted to the very different interests and needs of both age groups. Jim has the rare gift of being able to walk into a room full of squirrelly little kids or terminally bored teens, talk about some pretty esoteric subjects, and leave with kids both little and big, seeing him as a source of information, an inspiration, and most significantly, as a personal friend." — Marietta Gruner, teacher
"Mr. Whiting has come into my sixth grade class numerous times over the past few years. Each time he provided a presentation that students found interesting and informative. Most importantly, Mr. Whiting was able to engage and involve the students, making the presentation a real learning experience." — Tom Leigh, teacher "Jim Whiting enthralled the young people who came to our library to hear him speak. The feats and foibles of early American explorers really came alive." — Sharon Snyder, librarian "The students in our middle school enjoyed having Jim Whiting as a visiting author. He met with students in a variety of settings including a one-on-one video interview by the VTV class which was later shown to the entire student body, a large discussion group (across grade levels) targeting aspiring writers who were interested in asking questions about the writing process, and an in-class working session with students involved in the editing of their own writing. Jim is knowledgeable, interesting and adept at addressing middle school students." — Susan Shira, middle school reading specialist What Students Say (top) "I loved to hear you talk about the things you do. It made me want to be a writer!" — Hanna
"Thanks for coming to our class and telling us about writing. It was very interesting. I hope you can come back." — Jesse "You are the best speaker I have ever seen. There wasn ' t one time where I ever got bored. Everything you said was fun and interesting." — Kyle "I loved how you made a boring story into an exciting one and draw the reader in!" — Savannah "I really learned a lot during your presentation, especially about Franz Liszt. I can't wait to read your biography about him." — Sam "It was fascinating to see all your books. It was a real learning experience." — Alex "You rock!!" — Kaylee Negotiable.
A proven method of enhancing an author's visit is for students to purchase books in advance. I am delighted to sign them with a personal message.
I also bring copies of my books for purchase on the day of my visit and will autograph those as well. Another way of adding to the excitement of my visit is to buy several books that will be awarded during random drawings. |
