Award-winning Author,
Lisa Funari-Willever
2010-2011
School Author Visits
& Writing Workshops
Each year, author Lisa Funari Willever visits 60-70 schools across the United States and abroad inspiring and motivating students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. These visits are informative, entertaining, and interactive and because Lisa is a former teacher who once booked authors, they are extremely easy to plan. Once a date is selected, a School Author Visit packet will be sent and a full set of books will be donated to the school.
Once everything
is planned,
enjoy the day.
Lisa is a professional speaker
and wants you to
enjoy the day, too!
From Author Lisa Funari Willever:
"As a former teacher who once booked author visits, I understand how difficult it is to be the person responsible for planning a School Author Visit. Selecting an
author than can connect with students and staff, while working with a school's complex schedule is no easy task. While an individual may be an amazing author, it is
difficult to know what kind of presenter he or she may be. I have hundreds of references and encourage schools to check out the program via the reference list. I
also invite prospective schools to give me a call to discuss the program and answer any questions. I understand your concerns and I'm always happy to speak with
teachers, administrators, and parents. I am proud to note that most of my schools are referred by other schools I have visited and my visits are an annual event in
many districts."
Fees
For the upcoming school year, the fee will remain the same, $995.00. For many schools located in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, there are no additional travel expenses. Minimal travel expenses are incurred for day trips out of the immediate area. Travel expenses apply for out-of-town visits and include hotel and gas/milage or airfare. If three or more days are scheduled in one area, travel expenses are reduced. Smaller schools within the same area may split the day and share expenses.
Equipment Needed
Visits can be held in an auditorium, gym, all-purpose room, or library. Schools should have a screen, a table, a chair, extension cord and a microphone available on that day. Lisa brings her own laptop and power point projector.
Locations Available
A NJ author, Lisa visits schools all over the United States and has traveled to NY, PA, DE, VA, CT, OH, NV, SD, WV, SC, FL, AL, LA, IA, NE, and Japan and is always happy to visit new places. International visits are also available.
School Visit Itinerary
I believe it is important to provide students and staff with an idea of how the publishing world works, share personal stories, divulge the real story behind some of my titles, and share bits of my life. To accomplish these goals, I share the story of the making of the Easter Chicken and the unusual manner in which my mother and I wrote this book. I then use a role play with four students to demonstrate how a book is published. In this activity, the editor tells the author and illustrator to, "Go back and fix it!" several times. This lets the students see that revising and editing is something everyone does, not just something their teachers have invented! Next, I share the real story behind Everybody Moos At Cows, my picture book that was featured on the Rosie O'Donnell Show. After they hear the story, I show a power point presentation with pictures from my childhood and pictures of my life now, including my firefighter husband and three children. Then with the book on the big screen, I read the story so they can see how my childhood Sunday rides turned into a book and how easy it is for them to write about their own experiences. Time permitting, there is a question and answer session at the end.
Due to scheduling of lunches and specials and the energy level of the performances, most schools book 1-3 performances.
For repeat schools, I do presentations that focus on some of my other titles, including Chumpkin, picked as a favorite by Laura Bush and displayed at the White House and my chapter books, including Garden State Adventure and 32 Dandelion Court, both selected as New Jersey Battle of the Books.
Book Sale
Don't worry about hunting down titles and ordering the right amount of books. Lisa handles all book sales and provides schools with an order form for all titles and offers a 20% discount to all staff and students. A pre-visit sale and post-visit sale ensures that everyone has the titles they would like.
Additional References
Available Upon Request
About Lisa Funari-Willever
A native of Trenton, New Jersey, currently residing in Mansfield, New Jersey and Lisa is a former teacher in the Trenton Public Schools. She is a graduate of Trenton State College and the author of
There's A Kid Under My Bed
A Glove of Their Own
Chumpkin
Everybody Moos At Cows
The Easter Chicken
You Can't Walk A Fish
Where Do Snowmen Go
Maximilian The Great
32 Dandelion Court
Garden State Adventure
Nicky Fifth For Hire
Exciting Writing
On Your Mark, Get Set, Teach
The Culprit Was A Fly (out-of-print)
Miracle On Theodore's Street (out-of-print)
NEW! Nicky Fifth's Passport to the Garden State
Her books have been honored by Rosie O'Donnell, First Lady Laura Bush, and the NJ Battle of the Books in both 2005-2006 and 2007-2008. She is married to Trenton Fire Department Captain, Todd Willever and the mother of 10 year old, Jessica, 9 year old Patrick, and 3 year old Timothy.
If you are looking for a specific date, reserve a date for your school early.
Dates are reserved on a first-come
basis. Lisa makes every attempt to accommodate requests but peak
times of the year fill up almost two
years in advance.
Tips For Planning
A Memorable Event
Once a date is selected, share some
of Lisa's books with students. Share information about the Guest Young
Author and Illustrator Contest.
When planning the day's schedule,
keep in mind that the
presentation is very energetic. Most schools have 1-3 presentations to accommodate lunches and specials,
and to ensure the last presentation
is as lively as the first!
To build excitement, have
students re-illustrate some of the stories to decorate the halls. Have some children change endings or add characters
to Lisa's stories.
Distribute book order forms
approximately 3 weeks prior to the visit. One week before the visit, simply mail all order slips to Lisa Funari Willever. Books will arrive on the day of the visit, signed and grouped by teacher. After the visit make order forms available for 1 more week for all staff and students who forgot to order or need additional books. Follow the same mailing procedure and books will be shipped to the school, FREE SHIPPING.
Have students
prepare some
questions on
index cards.
Dates are being reserved for the 2010-11 school year.
Reserve your school's date now!
Lwill0517@aol.com
School Author Visits
and Writing Workshops
will remain the same
for the 2010-2011 school year!
