A professional organization of authors, illustrators and children's literature specialists
promoting high standards in children's literature since 1945

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Newbery – When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Caldecott – The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Printz – Going Bovine by Libba Bray

YALSA Nonfiction – Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman

Sibert – Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone

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BRUCE ADELSON

Author: 301-762-7996 E-mail: badelson1@comcast.net
Books:	Author of 14 children's and adult nonfiction multi-cultural, history and sports books, including: the nationally acclaimed, Brushing Back Jim Crow - The Integration of Minor League Baseball in the American South; Grand Slam Trivia; Touchdown Trivia; and biographies of Baron von Steuben and David Farragut, titles in the Famous Fighters of the Civil Ward Era and Revolutionary War Leaders series. Upcoming book - a young adult biography of President Benjamin Harrison.
Fee:	$250 for a one hour presentation. $700 for a full school day presentation, including assemblies and small group discussions. $400 for a half-day presentation. For a mock trial, courtroom presentation or a writing workshop lasting more than one full school period, please contact me for details. I prefer schools in the greater Baltimore-Washington area but will travel outside the area. Mileage charged for schools outside the Washington Beltway and reasonable travel expenses charged for any overnight stays.
Availability:	Grades 1-7; Teacher, librarian and other school groups as well as professional organizations
Features:	While an Arlington County (VA) Elementary School Substitute Teacher for seven years, I developed numerous writer's workshops and mock courtroom presentations at Zachary Taylor Elementary School in Arlington. I am an experienced classroom, Author's Day, and large group presenter. My presentations focus on multi-cultural themes, sports, American history and writing techniques. I have been a Black History Month presenter at, for example, the Birmingham (Alabama) Civil Rights Institute and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary Schools Black History Celebration in Flint, Michigan. I have also been an NPR and CBS Radio commentator.

JENNIFER ALLISON

Author: Kensington, MD Tel (301) 530 1190 E-mail: Jennifer@gildajoyce.com Website: http://www.gildajoyce.com
Books:	The popular Gilda Joyce mystery series for young readers features a teenage novelist and sleuth who travels to fascinating settings to investigate the unknown. Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop is set in Washington, DC’s International Spy Museum.
Fee:	Negotiable; please contact me to discuss.
Availability:	School assemblies, awards ceremonies, and writing workshops for K-12 students. Also available to speak at book clubs and for groups of homeschoolers.
Features:	Sources of inspiration – How do authors come up with ideas for stories? I’ll explore the process of generating ideas, revising manuscripts, working with a literary agent and editor, and creating illustrations and cover art. Students leave the presentation excited to read and with a feeling of confidence and enthusiasm about their potential as writers. How do authors write mysteries? A highly visual and interactive presentation introducing students to the secrets of the mystery writer’s craft: What makes a story a “mystery”? How real-life settings in their own neighborhoods can become inspirations for a mystery. How familiar objects can help the writer develop an intriguing fictional character. The writer’s craft – new ideas and helpful tips for writing and revision. Creating cover art and other secrets of publishing children’s books. Spy fiction workshop: "What writers and spies have in common” -- The answer: plenty! An eye for detail and an ability to build character from the inside out are two of the skills intelligence officers and fiction writers share. Combining some fun spy “tradecraft” skills with the writing process, we’ll take an adventurous approach to the creation of setting and character. I’ll also discuss the research process and sources of inspiration for my spy novel Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop, which is set in Washington, DC’s International Spy Museum. Writing workshops: Young writers will see that writing a short story or novel is a process that happens through smaller, manageable (and even fun) steps. I will lead them through a series of prompts to create vibrant fictional characters and intriguing settings. If time allows, we’ll work on dialogue, conflict, and the completion of a short story. Presentations -- Using PowerPoint slides, drafts of real manuscripts, and other props, I’ll give students a highly visual tour of the world of publishing and the writer’s craft. Presentations can be offered as assemblies for your whole school or grade level or combined with writing workshops for smaller groups.
Awards:	Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator: A School Library Journal 2005 Best Book of the Year, Featured in Booklist’s “Top Ten Mysteries of 2005,” Sunshine State Young Readers Award Selection 2006-2007. Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake: 2006 VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Selection for Middle School Readers, 2007 Edgar Award Nominee.

PAIGE BILLIN-FRYE

Author: 216 Walnut St. NW Washington, DC 20012 202/352-6225 E-mail: paige@paigebillinfrye.com Website: www.paigebillinfrye.com
Books:	The Halloween Book of Facts and Fun, What Columbus Found, It Was Orange, It Was Round, The Man Who Named the Clouds, The House in the Meadow, The Way We Do it in Japan, The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun.
Fee:	$275 for one or two 50-minute sessions back-to-back, $75 for each additional session, up to 4 in one day. Travel expenses charged for visits outside the Washington metropolitan area.
Availability:	Grades 2 and up
Features:	I talk about the process of illustrating a book, including how the pictures complement and add to the text as well as how I do research and how important research skills are for picture-making. For older kids I'll also talk about the training of artists and the possibilities of careers in the arts. I love to take questions and answers from the kids.

MARGARET BLAIR

Author: 2319 Pinneberg Ave., Rockville, MD 20851; 301-424-4452 E-mail: 4blairshere2@comcast.net
Books:	Fiction, grades 5 and up, Brothers At War (Battle of Antietam), House of Spies (Civil War espionage),The Sand Castle (blockade running, Battle of Fort Fisher). Nonfiction, ages 10 and up: The Roaring 20: The First Cross-Country Air Race for Women (National Geographic), first women aviators' cross-country air race; Coming out in fall, 2008: a National Geographic book on the runaway slaves who fought for the British in the American Revolutionary War.
Fee:	$200 for a one-hour presentation in metropolitan Washington DC area; $300 for two back-to-back presentations.
Availability:	Grades 5-12; teacher, historical, and other adult groups.
Features:	Lecturer and teacher specializing in Writing Historical Novels for: Smithsonian Associates, The Writer's Center of Bethesda; Writing the Memoir/Personal Essay for Evergreen Society at Johns Hopkins University. Former host and co-producer of cable TV/history interview program, Out of the Past; journalist; Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand; teacher of English in Osaka, Japan. I can speak on the following subjects: The writing process, especially research, plotting and character development Using history as a basis for creative writing Writing personal essays -- brainstorming, outlining, revising Living and teaching in Asian cultures My talks involve lots of Q and A, and lively discussion. When I discuss my books, I bring in different versions of my cover art, and the Civil War photographs that inspired me. I emphasize the role my now-teenaged sons played in giving me ideas for children's books, and the importance of the pre-writing stage -- the ways in which I brainstorm, research, and outline my plots before I begin writing.

FRED BOWEN

Author E-mail: sportstory@aol.com Website: www.fredbowen.com
Books:	Winner Takes All, On the Line, The Final Cut, Full Court Fever, Off the Rim, Playoff Dreams, Kid Coach, Golden Glove, and T.J.'s Secret Pitch. Sports fiction for grades 2-5; each story weaves in a little sports history and includes a bonus history section at the back.
Fee:	School presentation: $800 for full day. Fee for adult groups varies.
Availability:	Children in grades 2-5, and adult groups (librarians, reading specialists and parents)
Features:	It's not often that a sports-loving guy comes to school to talk about reading and writing. I want kids to look at me and say, "Hey, I can do what he does." I show them my original (messy) notebook for T.J.'s Secret Pitch so they can see that I start out writing just as they do: with pen, paper, and imagination. Nothing else. I talk about the whole writing process and then I get the group to do some writing with me. It's a very lively and interactive talk. With adult groups, I talk about how to get sports-crazy kids to love reading. I challenge the perception that sports is a narrow interest and talk about the great dramas found in sports, and the power of good sports writing (fiction and nonfiction) to capture young readers.

MARY BOWMAN-KRUHM

Author/Educator: 1028 Lindfield Drive, Frederick, MD 21702, Cell phone: 301-712-6828 E-mail: writer@marybk.com Web site: www.marybk.com Blog: http://marybk.blogspot.com
Books:	Author of over 30 books (mostly nonfiction) for children and young adults. Books for middle schoolers and YAs include Coping with Discrimination & Prejudice; Careers in Child Care; Are You My Type? Or Why Aren't You More Like Me?; Money: Save It, Manage It, Spend It; Margaret Mead: A Biography (2003). Books for young children include a series of nine beginning readers on community helpers, and Busy Toes, a multiethnic picture book for ages 3-7 written with Claudine Wirths and Wendie Old under pen name C. W. Bowie. Busy Fingers is in press.
Fee:	Metro MD-DC-VA: Single presentation, $300. Negotiable, depending on book sales. Willing to travel outside local area.
Availability:	All ages, especially teachers, librarians and other adult groups.
Features:	Topics include: For older adults, "Connecting with Your Grandchild through Books"; for teachers, "Quick and Dirty Ideas for Using Trade Books in Any Classroom"; and, for high school students, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors, "Temperament Type: Understanding Yourself, Understanding Others." Anticipating publication of Margaret Mead: A Biography, I am eagerly preparing talks on researching and writing about the fascinating life of the 20th century's most famous female anthropologist. Specialize in interactive sessions (for example, Readers Theatre) and provide handouts, including follow-up curriculum ideas, as appropriate to topic.
Awards and Experience:	Faculty member, Department of Special Education, Johns Hopkins University, School of Professional Studies in Business and Education. Doctorate in Education. Selected as one of "Distinguished Alumni" by College of Education, University of Maryland. I Hate School (Harper): Named by American Library Association on its lists "Best Books for Young Adults-1986" and "Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers-1987" and by National Council of Teachers of English in Books for You (recommended under "Self-Help" and "Easy Reading" categories).

ELLEN R. BUTTS

4523 Dorset Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815; 301-652-2454; E-mail:ellenbutts@gmail.com
Books:	Biographies written for grades 3 and up: Fidel Castro, Eugenie Clark: Adventures of a Shark Scientist; Carl Sagan, May Chinn: The Best Medicine.
Other Published Works:	Several articles, on subjects such as glaciers and forensic science, for Odyssey a science magazine for grades 4 to 9.
Fee:	$300 for one session; fee negotiable for multiple sessions on a single day. For visits outside the Washington, DC metropolitan area, $600 per day plus expenses. (Fee will be shared with co-author Joyce Schwartz.)
Availability:	Programs for grades 3 and up, arranged at least 2 weeks in advance.
Features:	Joint program with co-author Joyce Schwartz: How does a biography evolve? Joyce and I talk about how we choose and research a subject, then craft the information into a finished manuscript. We use our notes, audio recordings, outlines and drafts to illustrate the writing process. Throughout the presentation, we encourage students to participate and ask questions. An interview is one of the best ways to get information about the subject of a biography. During the second part of our presentation we challenge students to come up with probing interview questions. Then we pair them off and allow time for them to practice interviewing one another. Afterward, volunteers demonstrate their interviewing skills for the group. If time allows, we discuss possible ways to begin a biography (for example, with an anecdote). Afterward, we encourage the students to practice writing an opening paragraph and to read their work aloud. If requested, we will consult with teachers to adapt our presentation to their curriculum needs.

PRISCILLA CUMMINGS

Author: 3026 Aberdeen Road, Annapolis, Md. 21403; 410-269-7591 E-mail: priscummings@comcast.net
Books:	Chadwick the Crab; Chadwick and the Garplegrungen; Chadwick's Wedding; Chadwick Forever; The Chadwick Coloring Book; Oswald and the Timberdoodles; Sid and Sal's Famous Channel Marker Diner; Toulouse: The Story of a Canada Goose; Chesapeake ABC'S; Chesapeake 1-2-3;Chesapeake Rainbow; Meet Chadwick and his Chesapeake Friends. Also, five novels for ages 9 and up: Autumn Journey: A Face First; Saving Grace; Red Kayak; and What Mr. Mattero Did.
Fee:	Elementary Schools: Fees start at $600 for one, or two back to back, 45-minute book talks; $800 for three talks; $1,000 for four talks, a full day at school. Middle Schools: Fees start at $600 for a one-hour book talk; $800 for two; $1,000 for three talks, all day at school. Please contact the author for out-of-state visits and rates.
Availability:	Pre-K and K through Grade 5 or 6: the Chadwick talk on how a book is made, with discussion on coming up with the idea, naming characters, writing and rewriting, submitting for publication and book-making steps. Middle School and High School: How I became a writer and how I research reality and write my novels. Can focus on one particular novel or a more general talk on all.
Features:	The Chadwick the Crab series and three other books weave together fact and fiction and take place in and around the Chesapeake Bay. In The Chadwick Talk, the author takes her audience through the process of bookmaking - from the inception of an idea to the writing (and rewriting) to the finished product. The author can do a different talk for older children on researching, writing and creating characters for her novels.

KALLI DAKOS

Author: 812 Proctor Ave., Ogdensburg, NY 13669; 800-310-9495
Books:	Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig; If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand, Poems About School; Don't Read This Book, Whatever You Do! More Poems About School; Mrs. Cole on an Onion Roll; Poems About School; The Goof Who Invented Homework, Poems About School; Get Out of the Alphabet, Number 2, Wacky Wednesday Poems; The Bug in Teacher's Coffee; The Greatest Magic, Poems for Teachers.
Fee:	Negotiable
Availability:	K-6, large-group presentations (250 maximum), and writing workshops (two classroom maximum per session), teacher workshops and speeches at Conferences. Will travel.
Features:	Dynamic, interactive presentations that brings the poetry of the elementary school world to life, and encourages both students and teachers to write, dramatize, and celebrate the special stories they live in their own classrooms. Amusing props and toys bring the poems to life and encourage teachers and students to enter the world of childhood where children literally play their way to a love of literacy.

SALLY J.K. DAVIES

Illustrator/Author: 8517 - 60th Avenue, Berwyn Heights, MD 20740; 301-441-1645; E-mail: sallyjkdavies@hotmail.com
Books:	Anthills and Apartments, Making a House a Home; Why Did We Have to Move Here?; When William Went Away; The Block Party; People Say Hello; Stan Packs; Bubsy; Jeremy and the Aunties; Jeremy and the Air Pirates; Folk Rhymes from Around the World; The Big Carrot Cookbook; The Lucy Waverman Cookbook; Ezzie's Emerald; Inside-Out; Wheniwasalittlegirl; and Corey's Story
Fee:	Writing and Illustrating a Picture Book (program for children K-6): $350 for one talk, plus $100 for each additional back to back classroom presentations, up to a day of five presentations at the same school. I donate autographed copies of my latest books to your school, library, or organization when I visit. For programs outside the Baltimore/Washington, DC area, an additional travel allowance may be charged. This program works best with a group of 30-50 students, a maximum of 90.
Availability:	All ages, anywhere; (children or adult programs).
Features:	I always tell students that ideas for my stories are based on personal experience and that I use my imagination to shape and mold the story. After reading my picture book, Why Did We Have to Move Here?, I ask the students to think about which events in the story might have happened to me. They usually guess correctly that many of the humorous and awkward situations experienced by the child in the story, actually happened to me each time my family moved when I was young. Then I talk about the editorial process and share some of the changes that were made to the story. I explain some of the concepts behind successful book design and show the students the "thumbnail sketches" on my page layouts. I show the students how I prepare the paper and apply the pencil, ink, and finally the watercolor layers to each illustrations. I have the original color proofs with the color separations on individual transparencies. This clearly and dramatically shows the students the concept of full color printing. Finally, I display the printer's signature, unfolded, just as it would come off the press. I welcome any questions from students throughout my program and conclude by allowing them to have a close-up look at the original sketches and illustrations.
Awards and Experience:	For the picture book, Why Did We Have To Move Here? (Carolrhoda Books, 1997) Selected for the Children's Literature Choice List for 1998 and awarded the American Booksellers Association Pick of the List for Fall 1997; honored with the Early Literacy and Reading Award in 2002 from ACEI (Association of Childhood Education International)

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