I have been a writer since elementary school, but how did I "grow up" to publish a real book? What kinds of things did I read as a kid? Where do I get my ideas and how do I turn them into stories? What does my writer's desk look like, and what do I do when I'm not writing?

In this lively presentation, Shelley shares her life as a writer from age 6 on up! Time is allowed for questions at the end.

Grades: 1st to 3rd
Max. Group Size: 150
Length: 45 minutes
Format: Presentation

How does a book get published? In a fast-paced presentation, Shelley guides students along the journey of a book, starting with the idea and ending with the finished novel.

Students will see the writing process in action and learn that a real author follows the same steps they use in the classroom. Along the way, she shares her research, rough drafts (lots and lots of rough drafts!), rejection letters, cover designs, and much more. Getting from A to B can feature Trouble Don't Last, Crooked River, or All Of The Above.

Grades: 3rd to 8th
Max. Group Size: 120
Length: 45 minutes
Format: Presentation

Writing historical fiction requires research, time, and a lot of imagination. In this unique workshop, students have the chance to explore special primary source documents from the 1800s such as cookbooks, newspapers, sheet music, and photographs.

During the second half of the workshop, students will begin writing their own Underground Railroad short story. A very popular workshop for older students!

Grades: 5th to 8th
Max. Group Size: 48
Length: 90 minutes (two 45-minute sessions)
Format: Workshop

Editing and revising is the key to good writing. Revising is not "correcting"--it is looking at writing in a new way. Find out why this is one of Shelley's favorite parts of the writing process. In this workshop, Shelley discusses what she looks for when she "re-visions." As part of the session, students also will look at revisions made by E.B. White while he was working on Charlotte's Web. At the end, students will have a chance to revise a page from Trouble Don't Last in this hands-on workshop.

Grades: 4th to 8th
Max. Group Size: 48
Length: 45 minutes
Format: Workshop

In this workshop, students create their own poems based on the prose poems found in Crooked River. During the first half of the session, students explore and study five objects related to Ojibwe life and culture such as porcupine quills, wild rice and glass beads. In the second half of the session, they will use the objects and other information to develop a unique poem featuring Ojibwe traditions and language. This workshop is best suited for classes that have read Crooked River prior to the visit.

Grades: 5th to 8th
Max. Group Size: 48
Length: 90 minutes (Two 45 minute sessions)
Format: Workshop

This session provides an up-close, informal discussion with a children's book author. Students should bring questions with them, and Shelley will read a few passages from Trouble Don't Last, Crooked River, or All Of The Above if desired.

The unstructured format allows classes to explore a wide range of topics which may include specific questions related to Shelley's books, writing in general, the life of an author, or other creative questions.

Grades: 3rd and up
Max. Group Size: 120
Length: 45 minutes
Format: Question and answer