I love connecting with kids! Keep scrolling to find free resources, my fees, and author visit info. Complete this form to schedule an author or school visit.

During this author visit, campers used No World Too Big to read, write, and draw big ideas about how to help heal the planet!

See more school visit photos and video here, here and here.

Writing workshop using my nonfiction books, OPENING THE ROAD and poetry anthology NO VOICE TOO SMALL at an international school visit in Mombasa, Kenya.

PRESENTATIONS & FREE RESOURCES:

• Complete this form to schedule an author or school visit.

• SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS:
  • Reading + Math + Gumbo = YUMBO!
    • Children will connect language and math concepts presented in YUMBO GUMBO and collect and interpret data by following the progression of the young protagonist’s mathematical thinking.
  • Making History: Youth Today and Plans for Tomorrow
    • Using examples of youth from NO VOICE TOO SMALL and NO WORLD TOO BIG, the students learn answers to questions they ask, such as What activism? Who is an activist? What do activists do? Why do they do what they do? How do they choose to do what they do?
  • The Power of Story: Who was Victor Hugo Green?
    • In this presentation, I share historical research and sources used to write this work of nonfiction, what ended up in the book, and how.
  • Writing Workshops: Reading and writing poetry.
    • Reading and writing poetry that lift youth voices.
    • Writing from the Outside-in and from the Inside-out.
  • Writing Fiction vs. Nonfiction Stories: Choosing a genre that fits with the story you want to tell.
  • Telling True Stories: How to research and write true stories about real people and historical events.
  • Write Your Own Fractured Fairy Tale Workshop: Using a familiar fairy tale, students will write their own fairy tale.

• FOR EDUCATORS & LIBRARIANS:
  • Writing Books that Inspire, Inform, and Entertain: Fiction and nonfiction picture books to motivate student readers.
  • Ready. Set. Read! How to expose readers to inclusivity by pairing picture books about underrepresented cultures with dominant culture narratives. Examples included.

YUMBO GUMBO

• Yumbo Gumbo Activity Guide downloadable
• Yumbo Gumbo Recipe downloadable
• Yumbo Gumbo Grocery list downloadable
• Gumbo instructional videos
• Using Storytelling to Teach Math in the Primary Classroom Activity (coming soon!)

NO WORLD TOO BIG: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change

• NO WORLD TOO BIG activity guide.
• Discover Composting with NO WORLD TOO BIG!
• “What’s in Your Trashcan?” Audit drawing worksheet
• “What’s in Your Trashcan?” Sort & Weigh worksheet

OPENING THE ROAD: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book

• OPENING THE ROAD activity guide.
• OPENING THE ROAD topics in the Discovery Library at Flip.
• OPENING THE ROAD topics in the Discovery Library at Flip.

NO VOICE TOO SMALL

• NO VOICE TOO SMALL presentations.
• NO VOICE TOO SMALL standards aligned (K-4) educational activity guide.
• NO VOICE TOO SMALL Flip Book Club to join, topics & YouTube Playlist
  • NO VOICE TOO SMALL Writing Workshops  
  • NO VOICE TOO SMALL Young Activists Speak  
  • NO VOICE TOO SMALL Poetry Readings  
  • NO VOICE TOO SMALL Distance Learning Links Google Classroom

THE KING CAKE BABY

• THE KING CAKE BABY study guide
• EASY PEASY KING CAKE RECIPE and PARTY
• 5 LITTLE KING CAKE BABIES Action song

• 12 DAYS OF CARNIVAL COLORING AND SONG BOOK
  • Click here for directions on how to print as individual coloring pages or as a booklet.

Testimonials and photos of my visits:

Keila Dawson’s author visit to my school was a bit hit! She visited the 1st grade and 3rd grade classrooms. Both her presentations were interactive, engaging, and informative. Keila read aloud Yumbo Gumbo to the 1st graders and talked to the students about the math problem-solving aspect of the story. In the 3rd grade, Keila spoke about how she researched and wrote Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and his Green Book. She taught the students about primary and secondary sources through a fun game. Keila’s joy in sharing her knowledge and interacting with the students was evident. We were so lucky to have her! – Lillie Pardo, Elementary School Teacher, Larchmont Charter School, Teacher, Los Angeles, California

“Thank you so much for joining us today. The kids loved it!! They were so excited about all of the background information as well as the story. I made them each a copy of the King Cake recipe to take home…. it was a truly amazing experience that we will all treasure.” -Bobbie Green Librarian / Media Clerk Carnelian Elementary, California

“The students and teachers have talked about this experience since the visit, and Opening the Road is a popular book in our school library media center that stays checked out. Students and teachers learned more about the book publishing process and how important quality research is when working on a nonfiction book.” Tracy Scaglione, Ed.S.Library Media Specialist, Dorsett Shoals Elementary, Douglas County, GA

“Thank you so much for the wonderful author visit! You were amazing, and the students were so engaged. I can’t thank you enough for giving my kindergartners a perfect first experience Skyping with an author! My teachers all came to me the following day to thank me for putting this all together. They had a great time as well.” – Mindy Perry, Librarian, Dawes Elementary School, Illinois

Cannot thank you enough for this wonderful event! Gordon School in East Providence, RI

“It was a pleasure to have Keila V. Dawson speak to my Kindergarten class about her book The King Cake Baby! She really connected with my kids and had them saying words in French by the end of her visit. She inspired us to write our own class book!” – Elizabeth Gates, Kindergarten Teacher, Rothenberg Academy, Cincinnati Public Schools

“I can’t thank Keila Dawson enough for the absolutely fantastic classroom visit today! My students LOVE her book and were so excited to meet a real author. Not only did she give them tons of information on the writing process and cultural information on Louisiana, she also taught them how to sing a precious song about Louisiana food, the “12 days of Carnival” and a song on how to spell Tchoupitoulas! It will be a visit they will never forget and neither will I!” – Catherine Donnow, Hammond Westside Montessori School Teacher 1/2/3 Combo, Louisiana.

IN-PERSON AUTHOR VISIT FEES: (minimum one hour visits)

Single one hour visit is $500.00 (Grade 2 and up, or two thirty minutes visits with Prek-1)

Half-day visit, up to three presentations is $1,200.00

Travel and or lodging is an additional fee if schools are located more than a thirty-minute drive for me.

Tips for a successful visit:

1. Read one or more of my books to students so they become familiar with my work.

2. Host a book sale. When in-person I will autograph books purchased to make the day much more memorable for your students.

3. Send notes home about my visit.  

4. Take photographs of the visit with permission and share on social media.

5. For each book ordered, please provide the correct spelling of the child’s name.

Tips for the Day of the Visit:  Mixed grades are fine. All groups should have a teacher or a teaching assistant present during the presentation. If possible, ample space should be allowed for kids to move about. A smart board to accommodate a PowerPoint presentation and microphone for large audiences.

VIRTUAL VISITS:

• A virtual visit includes a presentation, reading, and Q&A, is $300.00
• FREE virtual visits are questions-and-answers session with students offered periodically throughout the year.
• WORLD READ ALOUD DAY offered every February fill up fast and are scheduled via Sign-up Genius.
• Virtual visits scheduled in the U.S. and abroad (EST-Eastern Standard Time/United States)
• School and or virtual visits should not be recorded.