MARFE FERGUSON DELANO
| Author: 1225 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria, VA 22308; 703-768-0776; E-mail: marfe@marfebooks.com Website: www.marfebooks.com |
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| Books: | Author of more than a dozen nonfiction books for National Geographic, including: Earth in the Hot Seat: Bulletins from a Warming World; Helen’s Eyes: A Photobiography of Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s Teacher; Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein; American Heroes: Fifty Profiles of Great Americans; Inventing the Future: A Photobiography of Thomas Alva Edison; Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure; Exploring Caves: Journeys into the Earth. |
| Fee: | $400 for one presentation, $600 for two presentations, and $1000 for four on the same day. Fee negotiable for workshops and multi-school bookings. Travel expenses added for out-of-town engagements. |
| Availability: | Grades 3 to 8. Presentations can be adapted for younger audiences. Presentations generally run 30 to 40 minutes long, with 10 to 15 minutes for questions. |
| Features: | 1. Breathing life into biographies I talk about researching and writing biographies. Using examples from my biographies of Annie Sullivan, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison, I discuss ways writers can make a subject come alive for readers. This presentation can be tailored to focus primarily on one of the three individuals above. 2. Meet the miracle workerThis presentation introduces kids to two of the most extraordinary women in American history: teacher Annie Sullivan, known as the “miracle worker,” and her famous student, Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf. Annie didn't even start school until she was 14. Just six years later she took a job teaching six-year-old Helen. Annie’s innovative methods unlocked the world of language for Helen, and together they showed the world what a person with severe physical challenges can accomplish. 3. Exploring climate changeBased on my 2009 book Earth in the Hot Seat. In this serious but upbeat presentation I discuss the basic science behind climate change, how climate change is affecting our planet and its inhabitants, and ways that each of us can help keep global warming from tumbling out of control. 4. Looking for heroes?Based on my book American Heroes. Through fun facts and stories, this program introduces kids to American heroes both famous and less well known. Together, the audience and I explore what it means to be a hero, and how our values determine who we see as heroes. I also talk about how I researched and wrote this book and how the 50 heroes in the book were selected. |
| Awards: |
Helen’s Eyes: Best Books 2008 (School Library Journal), Choices 2009 (Cooperative Children’s Book Center). Genius: American Library Association Notable Book, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, Outstanding Science Trade Book for Young People , New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Notable Children’s Book of Jewish Content, ALA/Book Links Best New Books for Classroom. Inventing the Future: American Library Association Notable Book, James Madison Book Award Honor Book, Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, National Parenting Publications Silver Honor Award. |
