School and Library Presentations by Katherine Kirkpatrick
Length: 40–45 minutes$200/ one presentation; $500–$600/day
Special discounts available to schools in the Seattle area!
For more information, email Katherine or her publisher.
Mysterious Bones
Meet some of the archaeologists and other real-life personalities featured in Mysterious Bones. Journey to eastern Washington State where Kennewick Man was discovered, and to the Burke Museum in Seattle where the skeleton is housed today. This PowerPoint presentation/open discussion also explores strategies for presenting controversial material: the importance of listening, of keeping an open mind, the willingness to change one’s point of view, and the techniques involved in interviewing, gathering original research, writing, revising, and fact checking. Grades 4-12 and general audiences.
The Making of The Snow Baby
In my new PowerPoint presentation, participants glimpse at the fascinating world of early 20th century exploration in Arctic Greenland. I show how I used both secondary and original research, such as letters, diaries, and unpublished photos, to create The Snow Baby. I present many interesting photos that didn’t make it into the final design of the book. Through examples of my work in various stages of corrections, I discuss the writing and editing process. The audience will also come with me on a photo tour of the Peary family’s house on Eagle Island in Maine. For small groups, I’ll bring along my own collection of seafaring and Inuit artifacts. Grades 3-8.
Writing Historical Fiction
Students are often surprised that each of my novels took me three years to research and write. While play–acting and introducing historical documents, I show students how enjoyable researching can be. I tell them that a story does not have to be perfect the first time. Revision is an important part of writing. Writing can be hard work, but it’s also a lot of fun! Grades 4–8.
How a Picture Book is Created
In this companion slide show program to Redcoats and Petticoats, I take students on a journey by boat to see the story’s real–life settings. While talking about the history behind the story, I show pictures of the characters’ grave stones. Students compare illustrator Ronald Himler’s sketches to his finished art. They see my own marked–up drafts (complete with spelling mistakes), and visit an editor at a New York City publishing company. Grades 3–8.