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Emily Chetkowski
Author Website: www.emilychetkowski.com
Author Address Stone Gait Farm, North Central MA:
Genres: realistic fiction, historical non-fiction, newspaper columnist(see list on Directions for Authors page)
Presentations:
Published since 1995, I have presented at more schools than I can remember, on a variety of topics, but mostly based on the true stories I draw my inspiration from.
For the young, and the young at heart, my dog Mabel, the star of 3 of my books, appears with me to entertain the audience. Just as Mabel did to me when she took the ferry unexpectedly and alone off of a Maine island, and ended up at a Lobster restaurant necessitating a midnight rescue by sailboat, I encourage kids and adults alike to look at the stories in their own lives. They are filled with them, everywhere. And everyday we open our eyes is a new chapter. Bert, my adorable talking bird, appears live on Skype, as well as in my latest Mabel book, Mabel Takes a Paddle. Sometimes he reads along, or at least attempts to, especially when we come to his cameo speaking part in the book.
Actually seeing where I draw my inspiration from, the real deal, inspires kids to look at their own lives differently, be they budding writers or not.
Though I don't happen to be one who seeks accolades for my stories other than seeing smiles on children's faces, Mabel Takes the Ferry was selected as one of 27 books that best represent Maine children's literature, and is included in a granite bench and book sculpture in the Camden Library children's garden in Maine, overlooking the harbor, dedicated by Barbara Bush.
I offer an Early American presentation for grades 3 - 5, around my Amasa Walker's Splendid Garment book, historical non-fiction set in rural Massachusetts in 1811. I demonstrate wool preparation and spinning and cover the steps required to get a new coat back then, a long arduous process compared to the ease of shopping for one today. I show a replica of Amasa's coat, made much in same fashion as the original.
Sister Sluggers is one of but a few sports books for girls. Woven around tales of family dynamics, it highlights a summer of growing up for two close sisters who unexpectedly end up rivals on opposing teams. My presentation talks about finding stories ideas from our own lives, family, tolerance, and facing challenges, all with a humorous twist.
On a limited basis, I also offer a very special presentation around Just A Kid, a Guard at the Nuremberg Trials. Best for older audiences due to its WWII focus, the book chronicles my father's time in 1945, spent as a 19 year old Sergeant of the American Courtroom Guard at the first Nuremberg trials, the trial of Hitlers top officers. From where he stood, guarding the witness stand, my dad was privvy to all testimony and evidence. Part of America's greatest generation, my 83 year old Dad is alive and well and able to skype with me occasionally. In May of 2009, he was made an honorary member of the Office of Special Investigations in Washington DC, and received a great honor at the Virginia Holocaust Museum where they made a replica of him to stand guard at their Nuremberg trial room replica, with the likenesses of Herman Goering, Baldur Von Schirach, Keitel, Doenitz, Chief Justice Jackson and others too numerous to list here. This May, he is an invited guest to the American premier of the movie "Nuremberg, Its Lessons for Today," at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, as one of the few remaining who appear in the original trial footage. My father is a wonderful yet humble speaker, and WWII buffs enjoy the opportunity to ask questions of someone "who was there".
My programs include live presentation but also video feed, pertainent to the talk. I live on a farm on the edge of a city, with an interesting assortment of amusing animals besides the ones I write about. Its wonderful to be able to show the actual culprits who keep me busy, such as my mini-donkey whose infamous escapes and subsequent escapades are often fodder for my newspaper column, a monthly feel good column, that appears in 3 papers. I am of course more than willing to speak about that column and writing for a newspaper, besides writing books. You can access archives of my column via my website.
However, if you are looking for something special, custom made for your school's needs, I am open to suggestion. The possibilities are endless...
Audiences: Pre-k through 12th, and beyond. Teachers, parents, adults in general.
Available Times: Flexible, just ask.
No recording of Skype Sessions without permission from the author.
No Cost Meet the Author Visit: 5 - 10 minutes, depending on my availability.
In-Depth Visit Length: 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on age and attention span.
I offer fundraising book sales, with a portion of each book sold given back to the school. All books can be autographed and personalized.
In-Depth Visit Cost: Most of my programs are reasonable and negotiable. The Nuremberg presentation with my father however, is more difficult to arrange with very limited availability, therefore more costly.
Prerequisites: we can discuss, depends on the program.
Contact Information: Email is best. Access my email link via my website or write to mabelsmailbox@aol.com
Affiliations: The school of life.
sachauncey |
Latest page update: made by sachauncey
, Feb 3 2011, 4:18 PM EST
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Moved from: Virtual Author Visits in Your Library or Classroom
- sachauncey
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