School Visits 2021-22 School Year and Fall 2022
I’m currently scheduling virtual school visits for the 2021-22 school year and for fall of 2022 My visits will focus on the nonfiction picture book Equality’s Call. The book has curriculum connections at all elementary grade levels (see my Curriculum Connections page for more info).
Details about my virtual school visits are available on my Events page. Contact me by email (further down on this page) to schedule.
Event Scheduling Policies – School Visits, Library Visits, Other Events
I enjoy school visits and author events, but I have limited schedule availability, so I may need to decline your invitation on that basis. But please don’t hesitate to ask (email provided further down this page). If I’m unavailable, I can keep you posted about future availability.
My event and donation policies are a reflection of my values and are periodically updated to more clearly embody and express those values. For all events (in-person and virtual), the following apply:
I decline invitations to non-inclusive institutions. Children require positive learning environments that celebrate our differences, support inclusion, and prevent bullying. I am unable to accept invitations to locations that exclude, marginalize, or intimidate their students, teachers, families, or school guests based on racial or cultural identity, religious belief system, immigration status, ancestry, gender identity, sexual preference, appearance, disability, learning style, or other aspect of human diversity. Before I accept a school invitation, I would like to receive a link to the school’s anti-bullying, anti-racism, and anti-bias policies, or information about those being developed.
In addition: I am white, and white authors have historically been overrepresented in the field of children’s literature and in author visits to schools. If your school or classroom has not had a non-white author visit for at least one of your last two author visits, I am unable to accept your invitation, as that would overrepresent whiteness. There are many voices in the field of children’s literature, and schools can and should reach out to a diverse range of authors. It’s important that kids see and hear from authors that reflect the world we live in. Our nation’s young people are diverse and they deserve and need to hear from a diverse range of authors. Some articles that explore the demographics of students 18-and-under can be found here, here, here, and here.
I decline invitations to non-diverse multi-author events: White voices have been historically overrepresented at most book festivals and on most author panels. If you would like to invite me to participate in a book festival, author panel, or other event with multiple authors, I ask that you not contact me until after you’ve confirmed participation from at least 40% non-white authors.
I decline invitations for events at which guns may be present. My contract includes the following section: “In order to ensure a safe environment for all attendees, the Author requests a weapon-free setting for all of her appearances. If any firearms (open or concealed) are kept on premises or are allowed by law or by special exemption to be present at the event, the Sponsor shall inform the Author prior to the signing of this agreement.”
I decline invitations to schools that have a police presence in the school. Research indicates that non-white students and disabled students are disproportionately affected by school policing, and that the presence of police increases the use of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests. Some articles you may wish to read: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Donation Requests
I receive a lot of donation requests for silent auctions and raffle items. Though I can’t respond to them all, I donate a limited number of books each year to public schools and nonreligious nonprofits.
Please note that if firearms or other weapons are included in your auction or raffle items, I am unable to consider donating to your group. If you email me about a book donation request, please inform me in your email about whether or not your organization accepts firearms or weapons as auction/raffle items.
A note about donation requests from churches and church-affiliated educational institutions: I am not a religious person, and I am a strong supporter of public education, so I do not typically donate books to church-affiliated schools or church groups. But if your religious organization is one that respects all faith traditions, is inclusive and welcoming (including LGBTQ), and actively works for social justice (helping to end racism, sexism, poverty, mass incarceration, and other forms of injustice), you are welcome to contact me about a donation. Please include in your email a note letting me know that your church is tolerant, open-minded, and actively working toward social justice.
Email Address
Though I try to be prompt, there is sometimes a lag in my response time. If your message is time-sensitive, please indicate that in the subject line. If you’re contacting me about bookmarks, please see my note at the end of this page. If you’re contacting me about a school visit, event, or book donation, please be sure to read the policies on this page (listed above). Thanks!
My email address is 
.
You can also find me occasionally on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Newsletter
To subscribe to my occasional email newsletter (sent periodically, and never more than monthly), sign up here:
To send small, letter-size mail, my mailing address is:
P.O. Box 80372
Lansing, MI 48908
My P.O. box is very small, so for anything bigger than a business-size envelope, please contact me by email for an alternate mailing address.
I usually only visit my box a few times a month, so if what you’re mailing is time sensitive, let me know by email that you’ve sent something so that I’ll be sure to stop by my box.
Bookmark Information
While supplies last, I’m temporarily offering free Equality’s Call bookmarks to classroom teachers (to use with their students when discussing elections and voting) and to libraries and bookstores (for a voting-themed story time or for general patron/customer use). If you are interested in receiving some Equality’s Call bookmarks for your students or patrons, email me at the address listed above. I don’t know how long supplies will last, but I’ll send them until I run out.