What others have to say:
“Recently I was fortunate enough to watch Lesléa Newman give a program on writing to third and fourth graders at R.K. Finn Ryan Road School. Throughout the hour, Ms. Newman captivated her young audience and teachers alike. As a parent representative on the school council, I was happy to note that her program was directly tied to the required educational standards for language arts. It was fun and educational too.
“Wow! So many wonderful things happened in that entertaining hour that taught us the importance of everyday life in the writing of books. Ms. Newman made writing accessible to us all by sharing her process with us. She demystified writing and made writing an activity that was attainable for each of us. She left time for the children’s questions and answered each enthusiastically. By the end of the hour, we all knew where to look for great book ideas: books, and the people, animals and circumstances of our lives. The children had each taken ten giant steps forward toward writing their own unique, funny of serious story.
“I’m left with the image of a third grade boy who stood in line waiting for Lesléa to autograph his book. He sat next to me and kept repeating, ‘This is so exciting, this is so exciting!’ Hire this woman; she is an educational gem for our children!”
“Our class loved your visit! You kept my first graders engaged with your stories and photographs, drawing them into the writing process (and the mind of you, the writer) in a way in which they could relate. There was a nice correlation between your published work, with which they had some familiarity, and you as presenter—in person you are as lively and funny as in your books! Cats, Cats, Cats! and Pigs, Pigs, Pigs! have been a big hit in our classroom. I am thrilled to add your books to my teaching repertoire! Thank you so much for sharing your craft and your life with our children!”
“Lesléa’s presentations were well prepared, beautifully presented, interesting, and insightful. We received only positive feedback from all of her audiences. We have never had a visiting author that was capable of presenting so many different programs to so many different groups within our community. Whether addressing adults, high school students, or nursery school students, Lesléa was able to capture her audience and hold their attention: answering questions with grace and candor. She was a pleasure to work with—very warm, personable, professional, flexible, and generous with her time. And, during the course of her visit, we sold over 200 copies of her books, which was a wonderful fundraiser for our institution.”
“As Children’s Department Manager at Beyond Words Bookshop in Northampton, MA, I had the pleasure of working with Lesléa Newman on two different occassions. Both were events at the bookstore designed to promote Lesléa’s wonderful children’s books. These events were attended by families of all ages. Lesléa’s graciousness and light-hearted banter kept all entertained. Her work is delightful and accessible to children. The lyrical quality of the prose engages even the most finicky of listeners. Lesléa will inspire any persons fortunate enough to work with her.”
“Lesléa Newman is a terrific advocate for children and reading. She’s direct, funny, full of information, and a wonderful writer, too. If I had a school, I’d invite her. And make her stay for dinner as well!”
“We had the honor of having Lesléa Newman facilitate our retreat in July 2003. Some of the comments we received on our evaluations included: ‘Exceeded my expectations,’ ‘Absolutely great,’ ‘I’m amazed at how much writing I accomplished.’ I would highly recommend Lesléa to any group who wants to grow in their creativity. Because she is equally gifted at facilitating hands-on workshops or giving talks, she would enrich any type of workshop or conference on children’s books and writing for children.”
“In the course of my three years at Lee College, University of Judaism, we have had many invited speakers in the Department of English and Literature. But in my experience, few have had the kind of creative impact on our students that you did in your reading in March. Your warm and engaging presentation encouraged them to see their own life experience as a well of resources upon which to draw in their work, perhaps the finest gift a poet can share with young people.”
“Lesléa’s presentation, ‘He Continues to Make a Difference: The Story of Matthew Shepard,’ is not to be missed. If you wish to expose your students or your community to poetry of the finest quality, a message of depth and kindness, and an experience that will remain with them forever, book Lesléa today.”
Read an article about Lesléa visiting Schreiber High School on Long Island.
For more information about bringing Lesléa Newman to your area, send her email.