School Visits
Now booking visits for the 2024–2025 school year! I’d love to come talk to your students.
in-person: Recipe for a Story
What are the ingredients that come together when I write my books? We’ll talk about things like ideas, questions, research, and imagination, as well as story elements like plot, character, setting, and motivation, using excerpts from my books as examples. Then, we’ll put the recipe into action with a creative exercise that transforms students into storytellers and invites them to start imagining, writing, and/or drawing a tale of their own.
Kindergarten through 3rd grade: For these young readers, I focus on my Class Critters chapter books. I ask students, what if you turned into an animal for a day?! They’ll leave the visit having begun to brainstorm a story about their animal day that they can finish later.
4th-8th grade: For middle-grade readers, I focus my presentation on The Thirteenth Circle. For the creative exercise, I often ask that students bring pencil and paper to start brainstorming an original speculative/sci-fi story.
Duration: generally 30-40 minutes before Q&A time
Courtesy Sam Houston Elementary School, Maryville, TN
“We had a great experience hosting Kathryn Holmes in the library. Our 2nd and 3rd graders were captivated hearing her read from Tally Tuttle Turns into a Turtle. They also thoroughly enjoyed learning about her recipe for a story. The students were left feeling very excited about reading and writing. We look forward to future visits to our school!”
~Lelia Fain, Library Media Specialist, Prospect Elementary School, Seymour, TN
Courtesy Pine Crest School, Boca Raton, FL
live virtual visits:
Recipe for a Story can be adjusted for a virtual format for any age group! (30-40 minutes before Q&A)
My Thirteenth Circle coauthor MarcyKate Connolly and I offer a joint virtual school visit about our book. Learn how we wrote together, what research we did, and more! (30-40 minutes before Q&A)
I offer FREE “Meet the Author” Zoom visits that include a brief read-aloud followed by a short Q&A with students.
(approx 20 minutes total)
e-visit:
For The Thirteenth Circle, MarcyKate and I are offering an “e-visit” (a prerecorded virtual school visit). For $50, you’ll receive access to a series of short videos about our publishing journeys, our process of writing a book together, the research we did, and more. You’ll also get discussion questions, writing prompts, and other classroom activities related to The Thirteenth Circle. The $150 e-visit Plus includes a live virtual Q&A with us, as well as a signed book. Perfect for whole-class or whole-grade read-alongs, book clubs, and more! Learn more on MarcyKate’s website.
Contact me at kathrynholmesbooks@gmail.com for more details about any of these school visit options!
Courtesy PS10, Brooklyn, NY
Courtesy PS321, Brooklyn, NY
Courtesy Prospect Elementary School, Seymour, TN
Courtesy St. Joseph Hill Academy, Staten Island, NY