Events
2010
September 11
Princeton Children's Book Festival
Princeton Public Library (outside courtyard)
65 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Join me and dozens of children’s book authors and illustrators for this free event!
September 19
Children's Book Day
Irving's Sunnyside, located off Rt 9 in Tarrytown, NY
Join me and over 60 children's authors and illustrators on the grounds of the beautiful Hudson River. See www.hudsonvalley.org (click on Sunnyside/events) for more information.
Signing from noon to 2:30.
September 25
SCBWI Fall Philly Writing Conference
Whitford Country Club in Exton, PA.
Presentation and signing
October 2
Collingswood Book Festival
Along Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ
Street fair of authors, illustrators, family activities
at Noon I'll be reading and booksigning, followed by a 2 pm event
with the KidLit Authors Group
for directions and info: http://www.collingswoodbookfestival.com/
October 9
Nutty over Sweets, Candy store!
6 White Deer Plaza, Sparta, NJ 973-729-3466
Come celebrate the release of The Candymakers
at my favorite local candy store!
2-3:30
October 16
Rutgers One-on-One Conference
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
November 7
Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York, NY 10025
All ages. Discussion of THE CANDYMAKERS, booksigning,and live interview by Rebecca Stead, winner of the Newbery Medal for When You Reach Me.
Time and ticketing info to come
November 19-21
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Conference
Orlando, Florida
Details to follow
School Visits
I do many school visits each year, as well as speaking at conferences and libraries. A day-long school visit consists of up to 3 presentations or writing workshops, lunch with students, and book signings.
I’ve also begun to do “skype” virtual visits.
If you are a teacher, school media specialist, or librarian and are interested, feel free to email me here. Please note, I don't list my school visits since they are not open to the public, but feel free to ask if there are any coming up in your area.
Comments on My School Visits
"We all had a wonderful time yesterday. You connected with students and teachers alike, making the kids relaxed and secure. I loved seeing how many boys, in every session, wanted to ask you questions. The teachers feel you were the best author we have had. Thanks for finding the time to visit with us and I hope we can do this again in a few years.
—Virginia Connolly, Librarian, Chatham Middle School, Chatham, NJ
"When you visited my school I was in “in class support” English class, which is basically like a special education class mixed with an average English class. Your book, A Mango Shaped Space, was the first book I have EVER, believe it or not, read the whole thing of. I am now in High School, in an Honor’s class, a long jump from where I was before, and have a B+ average. You just inspired me so much that I started writing. It has been a big part of my life since, and when people ask who my writing role model is I’d always start off by saying, “Well last year we had a author named Wendy Mass…”
—Student, Morris County, NJ
“As teachers and students, we love books. We not only read them, but we get lost in the stories. We love meeting the author through the pages of a book. We bring their characters into our hearts as friends, and into our homes as cherished guests. Every once in a while, an author creates a book that sweeps through a school and a community, carrying all of us into their story. It becomes a cherished experience, a journey of the world around us, and within us, that brings us closer together. This story reminds us why we love reading, and of the precious nature of life. For us, that book was Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life.
Such a rare book can only come from an equally gifted author. As teachers and students, we can tell you that Wendy Mass accomplished a rare feat with her visit. She was even better in person than we could have hoped for or imagined. Her passion for writing was equaled by her down-to-earth nature as she brought us inside the creative process of penning stories.
To put a spin on what Jeremy's dad told him: "Life is short. Read (a Wendy Mass book!) first.” -Mr. Armamentos, Teacher, Frank C. Whiteley School, Hoffman Estates, IL.
Thinking of a virtual visit instead?
“In April, 2010, Wendy Mass visited with Portland Public Schools library
staff via Skype to introduce us to the world of authors and illustrators
available for school visits on the Net. It's time for school libraries
to make full use of the technology that is carrying schools into the
21st century!
Ms. Mass was completely charming, engaging, scintillating, and helpful.
She read from her new work, and answered our questions frankly and sincerely.
We were as spellbound as we would have been had she visitedus in person,
and it cost much less! We encountered no technical difficulties and were more than satisfied. I highly recommend you beam Wendy in today!”
Betsy Tighe
Teacher, Librarian
Portland, OR
Find some tips on planning a successful school visit here
Mrs. C's sixth grade class at Van Wyck Junior High in Wappingers Falls,NY, made these amazing and much-large-than-life posters of Jeremy and Lizzy for my visit. You can tell the love and hard work they put into it. Lizzy’s hair sways in the breeze!
