Drum rolls herald thunderstorms as Uncle Snake lights up the sky. A Jazz Fly swings to rhythm and rhyme. Percussion, slides, and a mix of English, Spanish, and Japanese capture young imaginations. Students leave with a deeper appreciation for diversity and an energized desire to read and write books. Please email Matthew for availability and fees, or call him toll free at (866) 4 TORTUGA. Never put together an author event? Even if you are not experienced, Matthew's guidance, staff, and comprehensive prep packet will help you pull off your event like a pro.

Says Matthew Gollub:

"Over the years, I've visited hundreds of schools, and I would welcome the opportunity to visit yours. My books feature multicultural themes which I amplify with a big dose of fun, combining language arts, drama, social studies and music. Having lived in other countries and struggled to learn other languages, I take care to communicate with listeners at all levels of English proficiency. As students participate with movements and sounds, my assemblies take on a life of their own. As students cook up plots in my creative writing workshops, they discover that they too have what it takes to write a story.

"For a full-day visit, please schedule a maximum of four 45-minute blocks. A block may consist of an author assembly (up to 250 students), a creative writing workshop (30 students or fewer), a creative writing seminar (up to100 students), or two mini-presentations for kindergarten (up to 3 classes apiece). I prefer not to devote more than 3 of the blocks to full-size assemblies. I may be available for half-day visits of two 45-minute blocks, but only if the school is local to Sonoma County, California or if I'm speaking at more than one event in the area."

Details:

Please email or call to inquire about availability and fees, and allow for travel, meal and lodging expenses when applicable. For your school to get the greatest return on this investment, students, faculty, and even parents should be prepared for the event. Be sure to receive Matthew's preparation packet and at least one library set of his books well in advance of the speaking date.

Books:

Matthew's books are available through normal sales channels, and he generally can provide books through his company Tortuga Press. His staff sends the school beautiful 4-color order forms--including bilingual order forms (English and Spanish) depending on the needs of the school. Studies show that students read more when they have more books at home, so Matthew discounts books to keep them affordable and allows time to sign books for individual students and teachers. Matthew's booksale system makes life easy for schools! Checks are typically made payable to him, not the school. He coordinates the delivery of the books from different publishers and takes left over stock with him to spare schools the trouble of returns. The schools just deliver his order forms at least once before the speaking date and collect the completed order forms (with payments attached) on the date of event

Matthew's company also provides books and literacy materials at bulk discounts to schools wishing to distribute such items to families "for free."

Please email Matthew to inquire about fees and availability. "Piggy-backing" events (scheduling events at nearby locations on consecutive dates or even on the same day) can save time and money for everyone involved. Check Matthew's calendar (previous screen) to see when he might be nearby.

Matthew should be contacted directly regarding availability and fees by email or toll free tel: (866) 4-TORTUGA.