Book Talks and School Visits

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I’ve been lucky enough to have students from ages seven to seventy-two and it’s been a thrill to talk to every one of them about books, stories, and writing. I’d love to meet your students virtually or in-person, and happy to tailor book talks or writing events around themes or topics of your choosing. To schedule a visit, please e-mail me at ContactDarlenePagan@gmail.com

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Free Virtual School Visit—30-minute discussion and Q&A: For a visit on virtually any platform, I can discuss characters or particular themes in Lucía and the Sombra Trees and/or offer a brief talk about myself and/or my path to publishing and answer questions.

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Free Book Club Visit—30-minute reading and Q&A: Much like a school visit, I’m happy to talk about any number of topics, including my writer’s journey enerally, the path to publishing specifically, the writing process, craft issues, finding critique groups, themes/topics, etc.

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Presentation on “Biodiversity" and Lucía and the Sombra Trees: (45-60 minutes) In this multi-media talk, I will share images and context for biodiversity in Puerto Rican tied to the parrot, Malo. Malo is a species of bird, Cotorra Puertorriqueñena, whose numbers went from tens of thousands to just thirteen in 1975—numbers that have bounced back after tremendous efforts. Activity and coloring sheets would encourage students to look at species where they live and the role that a single species takes in a particular ecological environment. This workshop could expand to include to a half-day talk and workshop.

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Writing Workshops—The Three C’s—Character, Conflict, Change: (Half-Day to Full-Day Workshop, depending on age) In this interactive workshop, I’ll share templates and tips to help students create compelling characters who endure conflicts/struggles, and transform as a result. The concepts are central to any form of storytelling, whether fiction or nonfiction, and the level of depth can be altered to suit various grade levels from 3-8. Older grades can work on a draft and revisions if time allots. One of the most rewarding aspects of the workshop is sharing the final stories.

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Power of Fairytales / Folktales Presentation and/or Workshop: (Varied). In this talk, I would share the power of folktales and fairytales across many cultural contexts for communicating life lessons, including the story that inspired, Lucía and the Sombra Trees. A longer workshop would entail students either a) researching their own ethnic backgrounds to find a folktale or fairytale to illustrate and discuss, or b) writing their own folktales or fairytales, rooted in place, and drawn from archetypal character worksheets and their own wonder and imagination.

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Prices:

$200 for a single class period and talk

$400 for a half day talk and/or workshop

$600 for a full day talk and workshops

 

Prices based on schools in the Pacific Northwest. For schools outside of that area, I coordinate readings with multiple schools so please let me know if you are interested in a talk at a particular time. I’m also excited to work to Title 1 schools, and flexible, so don’t hesitate to reach out!