30-45 minutes / Recommended Grade Levels: Pre-K-2

I will read my picture book SPOOKY SCOUTS, and share a brief book talk about my process, how picture books are made, and how an author visit in 2nd grade led to my career today. I’ll also lead the class in creating their very own Spooky Scouts-inspired merit badges, which will be mounted onto buttons for students to take home!

45-60 minutes / Recommended Grade Levels: 2-4

In this workshop, students will create their very own story to share around a classroom campfire! Beginning with a reading of my picture book SPOOKY SCOUTS, students will learn the elements of storytelling, and use those as a guide to craft their own creepy campfire tale. To kickstart inspiration, students will be randomly assigned key words to include, such as s’mores, sasquatch, ghost, etc. Stories can be created individually or in a group, depending on the teacher’s preference. At the end of the workshop, students will be invited to share their stories around a campfire... complete with flashlights!

Worried things could get a little TOO spooky for some students? As an alternative, we can create a story centering around a SPOOKY SCOUTS character detailing their camping trip “side quest.”

45-60 minutes / Recommended Grade Levels: K-5

In this workshop, I will lead students in the development of their very own picture book or graphic novel characters. I’ll discuss what goes into making a character memorable, both in words and art, and how I creates characters for her stories. I’ll guide students through this process as they conceptualize and illustrate their own unique characters. At the end of the workshop, students will be invited to share their creations with their classmates!

30-45 minutes / Recommended Grade Levels: K-5

Want students in non-workshop classrooms in join in on the fun? In this interactive assembly, I will share how my childhood love of writing and drawing, (as well as a serendipitous author visit to my 2nd grade class), led to my current career. I will also detail how picture books are made, showing the steps from idea to final page, and demonstrate my illustration process with a collaborative live drawing session. I’ll end the event with a brief Q&A with students.

Standard Honorarium: $1,500; books not included

Pre-Sale Rate: $1,152 (72 x $16); includes signed books for 72 students

Total Savings: $348 + cost of books

Standard Honorarium: $2,000; books not included

Pre-Sale Rate: $1,152 (72 x $16**); includes signed books for 72 students

Total Savings: $848 + cost of books

Standard Honorarium: $2,000 total/$1000 per school; books not included

Total Pre-Sale Rate: $768 total (48 x $16**)/ $384 per school; includes signed books for 48 students

Total Savings: $1,232 total/$616 per school + cost of books

Oh, I’m so glad you asked! Here are just a few of the many benefits of bringing an author-illustrator into the classroom:

• Reinforce and enrich your work with reading, writing and language;

• Strengthen students’ understanding of the elements of storytelling;

• Give students an insider look into the world of publishing;

• Inspire students to envision a future where they, too, could become an author and/or illustrator… which is exactly what happened to me!

One of the best ways to receive funding for an author visit is via a grant. Many public school districts have foundations that provide teachers with grants to make their classroom dreams a reality. But grant applications can take time that most teachers simply don’t have. 

To make the application process easier, I have created a Grant Application Cheat Sheet in a copy-and-paste-able format, available here. It includes answers to commonly asked questions on a grant application, including detailed descriptions of the workshops, benefits of author visits, and how each workshop specifically aligns with grade-level Common Core standards.

If your school district does not have a foundation, another option for funding is DonorsChoose.org. With DonorsChoose, public school teachers can post requests for classroom resources and invite people to donate. DonorsChoose is not able to fund in-person author visits, but they can fund books for students and classroom libraries. If you are opting for the Pre-Sale Special Rate, you can use DonorsChoose to fund the purchase of 40 or more books, and I will waive the honorarium fee.

When the project is fully funded, DonorsChoose will place the order for the books and ship them directly to you. If this is your first project, DonorsChoose will match every donation, making it even easier to reach your goal. Learn more here. 

Yes! I can visit 2 schools in one day provided they are 1) both in the same school district and 2) within 30 minutes driving distance of one another. The visits must be booked together to receive split-day pricing.

Each workshop includes the recommended age range, but in general, my workshops are for grades K through 5th. Because the workshops are done on a classroom-by-classroom basis, they will be tailored to the appropriate age group.

They sure do! Specific grade-level standards addressed in each workshop are noted by their Common Core code below.

Interactive Storytime & Badge Making

• Kindergarten: RL.K.1; RL.K.3; RL.K.6; RL.K.7; RL.K.10; SL.K.1; SL.K.2

• 1st Grade: RL.1.1; RL.1.3; RL.1.4; .RL.1.7; RL.1.10; SL.1.1; SL.1.2

• 2nd Grade: RL.2.1; RL.2.3; RL.2.4; .RL.2.7; SL.2.1; SL.2.2

Write a Spooky Story Workshop

• 2nd Grade: W.2.3; SL.2.1; SL.2.4.; SL.2.6; L.2.5.B

• 3rd Grade: W.3.3; SL.3.1; SL.3.4; SL.3.6; L.3.5

• 4th Grade: W.4.3; SL.4.1; SL.4.4; L.4.5

Create a Character Workshop

• All grade levels: National Core Art Anchor Standards 1-4

Storytime and Create a Character Workshops can have a maximum of 50 students per session; the Write a Spooky Story Workshop can have a maximum of 30 students per session. You can combine classrooms for one session, but they should be the same grade level for best results.

Let’s start with what I will bring! For all workshops, I will bring the necessary project supplies, along with a laptop and HDMI cable to plug into the projector. For assemblies, I will also bring my iPad and an additional HDMI hook-up to conduct a live, collaborative drawing session.

For classroom workshops, I will need access to a projector or smart TV. For assemblies, I will need access to a projector, as well as a microphone.

I will provide specific seating and table requirements based on the selected workshops.

With the Pre-Sale Pricing Rate, I will waive the honorarium fees for any school that purchases books for their Fall 2026 visit during the Spooky Scouts pre-sale window. That’s a pretty big discount! Here’s how it works:

• Schedule me for an author visit in Fall 2026 (September-November).

• Purchase copies of Spooky Scouts for workshop participants between February 20 and August 16, 2026. A minimum of 40 books is required. I know this is early, but don’t worry - no matter when you buy them, they won’t be delivered until August 25, 2026.

• Provide Kim with proof of purchase and she will waive the honorarium fees for the scheduled school visit.

• When Kim arrives for the author visit, she will sign all the books and distribute to workshop participants.

Spooky Scouts will be available for pre-order at all major booksellers starting February 20, 2026. Because you will be purchasing several copies, I recommend asking your local independent bookstore about a special rate. Use the Indie Bookstore Finder at IndieBound.org to find a seller in your community.

If there is not an independent bookstore near you, Barnes & Noble offers 20% off books for schools ordered through their &Classwork platform.