Books, Books, Books!

Lesléa Newman’s enthusiasm for reading and writing is contagious! Using her most recent picture books about animals as examples, she shows students how a book is created from start to finish. Her presentation uses many “show and tells,” including early handwritten drafts with plenty of words scratched out (even adults don’t always get it right the first time!), artist’s sketches, book dummies, press sheets and more. With photographs from her childhood, she shows students where her ideas come from, and how her friends and pets appear in her books. The idea that everyone can be a writer—all you need is a pen, a piece of paper, words and your imagination—is repeated over and over so that by the end of the presentation, children are eager to rush back to their classrooms and write. The message of this interactive presentation is that reading and writing is fun, fun, fun!

Audience: grades 1- 5
Length: 45 minutes, including Q&A
Books featured: Remember That, The Best Cat In The World, Cats, Cats, Cats!, Dogs, Dogs, Dogs!, and Pigs, Pigs, Pigs!

Wan Wan Means Woof Woof: The Story of Hachiko Waits

Lesléa Newman’s novel, Hachiko Waits, is based on the true story of the famous Akita who lived in Japan from 1923 until 1935 and spent the last ten years of his life waiting at the Shibuya train station for his master’s return. Lesléa Newman has always been an animal lover, and as soon as she heard Hachiko’s story, she knew she wanted to write about it. In this presentation, she shares how she traveled back in time and across the ocean without leaving home (well, she did spend a lot of time at the library). Using photographs, artifacts and early drafts of the book, Lesléa Newman will discuss how she went about her research, what she discovered along the way, and how she rewrote (and rewrote and rewrote!).

Audience: grade 3 to adults
Length: 45 minutes (including Q&A)

Dreidels, Maidels and Ladles!

Lesléa Newman’s enthusiasm for reading and writing is contagious! Using her most recent picture books about Jewish families and holidays as examples, she shows students how a book is created from start to finish. Her presentation uses many “show and tells,” including early handwritten drafts with plenty of words scratched out (even adults don’t always get it right the first time!), artist’s sketches, book dummies, press sheets and more. With photographs from her childhood, she shows students where her ideas come from, and how the people in her family, especially her beloved grandmother, appear in her books. The idea that everyone can be a writer—all you need is a pen, a piece of paper, words and your imagination—is repeated over and over so that by the end of the presentation, children are eager to rush back to their classrooms and write their own stories about their own families. This presentation reinforces the author’s pride in her Jewish identity, and shows how the strong Jewish values she learned as a child carry over into her adult life and writing.

Audience: Grades 1- 5
Length: 45 minutes, including Q&A
Books featured: Remember That, Runaway Dreidel!, Matzo Ball Moon

You’re the Poetry Lady!

In this experiential workshop, Lesléa Newman releases the natural poet that lives in every child. After explaining that we already have what we need to be poets (something to write with, something to write on, words and imagination) Lesléa Newman will guide students to work as a “poetry team” and write a group poem. Then each student will write an individual poem. Poems will be read aloud (anonymously if the poets wish) and enjoyed by all. The goal of this workshop is for every child to have a positive experience with writing.

Audience: Grades 2-5
Length: 45 minutes (works best with 25 students or fewer; Lesléa Newman is happy to visit up to four classes in one day)