Author Erin Dionne
Words • Ideas • Inspiration
School Visits
My presentations are interactive and make students laugh as they learn. Check out my offerings below, then fill out this form so we can get started.
Kindergarten
Fiction/Nonfiction Faces & Feelings
A 30-minute interactive presentation where we learn about the true-life stories behind CAPTAIN'S LOG (Shackleton's expedition and the winter of 2015), and examine how the illustrations in the book reveal how the characters are feeling. Classrooms must have read the book before the visit. Teachers must be present.
Grades 1-3
Fiction, Nonfiction Words & Pictures
We will learn about the true-life stories behind CAPTAIN'S LOG (Ernest Shackleton's expeditions and the winter of 2015), and discuss how the text and illustrations work together to tell the story.
Grades 3-5
Creating Character: A Writing Workshop
This interactive workshop shows how I create some of my characters and set up their problems in a story. Students will write and respond to prompts. Suitable for smaller groups, teachers must be present.
Grades 3-5
From Idea to Book: The Writing Process (Presentation)
Using my notebooks, drafts, and cover comps, we'll go through the process of creating a novel from start to finish. We will talk about how all writers, from students to published authors, follow the same steps. We'll discuss writing as a process (brainstorming, drafting, editing) and the value in revision. Suitable for most group sizes, teachers must be present.
Grades 6-8
From Idea to Book:
The Writing Process (presentation)
Using my notebooks, drafts, and cover comps, we'll go through the process of creating a novel from start to finish. We will talk about how all writers, from students to published authors, follow the same steps. We'll discuss writing as a process (brainstorming, drafting, editing) and the value in revision. Suitable for most group sizes, teachers must be present.
Grades 6-8
Making a Mystery
This interactive discussion and writing workshop details the ingredients and steps involved in writing a mystery novel. We'll talk about detectives, villains, clues, red herrings, and solving the crime. I'll explain the real-life mysteries that inspired my 14 DAY MYSTERY series, what drew me to these puzzles and how I created the Moxie, Ollie and their adventures. Together, we'll start writing our own mysteries. Suitable for small-to-midsize groups. Teachers must be present.
Grades 6-8
Best. Job. Ever. Or, How I Became an Author
From the time I was six years old, I wanted to be a writer--but I had no idea what they did. This talk is about my journey to getting published--the wrong turns, the right teachers, and finding my voice. Suitable for large groups. Teachers must be present
Grades 6-8
Writing Workshop: In Media Res
In this interactive workshop we talk about what makes a strong beginning to a story, how to hook your reader, and then we craft our own beginnings. Suitable for small groups. Teachers must be present