School and Library Visits

Ruth really enjoys visiting schools and libraries. For younger students, she engages the children using slides and props on the specific subjects of her picture books: beds, hairstyles, candy, and underwear. She describes how and where she discovered some of the more interesting facts, and answers questions.

For older students, there can be additional time spent on the areas of research and editing (yes, they can be fun!), the publishing process, how a writer really works, with a chance for questions.

Writing Workshops (for fiction and nonfiction)

Grades 3 to 5: There is almost nothing more fun than helping kids discover they can write creatively. Topics include: how to get ideas, the importance of asking questions, using great words, dialogue, and setting.

Grades 6 to 8: In addition to the topics above, time is spent on making characters come alive, clarity, point of view, and revision.

Fees

Fees are negotiated on the basis of time, group size, number of groups, and travel to and from the destination.

Creating a Successful Author Visit

Children will get much more out of an author’s visit if they have been prepared ahead of time. It helps if they are familiar with the author’s book and have had time to think about the subject and questions they would like to ask.

Any needed equipment discussed with Ruth ahead of time must be available (things like a white wall or screen, outlets, table for slide projector). There should be breaks in between groups of children. Ruth can talk for about three hours but then her voice gives out and she needs to give it a rest!

Ideas for activities using Ruth’s books

Bedtime! Look at the last page where the boy has his bed just the way he likes it. What would your perfect bed look like? What will beds look like in the future?

Hairdo! Illustration of boy with green spiked hair Hairdo! Hairstyles show a lot about who we are (or would like to be). Have the children bring in photographs of themselves. Using cut-out hairstyles from magazines or scanned images from history books, the children can try many different styles on their photographs and see how they would look.

Children can do their own research by asking older relatives and friends how they wore their hair.

How Sweet It Is (and Was) Candy is usually bought in a store today, but years ago it was made at home. There are three recipes at the back of the book.

Candy companies work hard to invent new types of candy. If children were candy designers, what would their brand new candy look like, taste like, feel like? Can they design a package to catch people’s eyes? Can they come up with advertising slogans?

Making gingerbread or graham cracker houses with icing and LOTS of kinds of candy is always fun, as is making sculptures from toothpicks and gummy candies.

Underwear Through your local library, you can usually find a reprint of a Montgomery Ward or Sears catalogue from the 19th or early 20th century. The underwear, and prices, are fascinating. Look at the pictures of corsets. Imagine women (and men) shaping their bodies this way. Why did they do it? How do we shape our bodies today?

Much of the story of underwear is about commodities: linen, cotton, wool, silk, whalebone, rubber, nylon, and spandex. Find out where each one comes from and the work involved in turning them into underwear.

Ask older family members what they wore for underwear when they were young. Local historical societies often have pieces of antique clothing and underwear. And take a look at the websites listed at the back of the book.

School and Library Visits

Writing Workshops (for fiction and nonfiction)

Fees

Creating a Successful Author Visit

Ideas for activities using Ruth’s books

Bookmarks to download and print