Services
‘Contact Creative Edge Mickey Mikkleson to book the author. [email protected]
Workshops and Appearances Schedule with my publicist Creative Edge
Appearances
Speaking to educators and parents is second nature since I am a parent and an educator.
Where | school, libraries, conferences, bookstores, book festivals.
Who | parents, educators, grades: pre-school to Grade 7.
Where | I travel all over the world.
When | Please contact my publicist to schedule me. Creative Edge Publicity, Mickey Mikkelson +1(403) 464-6925 or email.
Why |I enjoy reading to students and bringing my books to life. I love adding the voices to the characters as I read and watch the reactions as the students’ imagination takes off as the story progresses. The Q&A sessions occur after I read a story. The excitement and energy students bring to the Q&A I find energizing, and I always find it hard to see the session end because I enjoy engaging with their young minds and ideas.
As an invited speaker for conferences, schools, and social clubs, I build my speeches around the events’ themes. My motto is to embrace imagination!
Working for you
- I work hard to design the perfect presentation or workshop for your educators.
- I develop speeches according to the theme of your conference or seminars.
- I develop workshops based on the topics you give me.
Success
Having educators walk away excited about their profession and ready to inspire their students is one of my primary goals as a speaker.
Packages
Choose between a half or full day:
- A full day would be up to four 45 to 60 minute presentations or workshop
- Half day – to include two presentations
- Kindergarten presentations are 30 minute whether it is a half day or full day presentation.
Kindergarten - Grade 2
1. Make a picture book
- Read, the Little Girl in the Moon
- Imagination Time
- The students:
- Share what they want the little girl in the moon to know about them.
- Create a double-page spread for their class book
The teacher and I put it together.
Kindergarten - Grade 2
2. Make a friend for Moxie! paper bag puppets
- Read The Little Girl in the Moon – Moxie & Tycho Town
- Imagination Time
- Talk about the students’ neighbourhood and how it is like the little girl in the moon’s neighbourhood.
- Discuss how Moxie could use a friend. The students make a puppet of their own moonling animal friend for Moxie.
Grades 1 - 2
3. Build a Class Community
- Read the LGM Moxie & Tycho Town
- Imagination Time
- Students will:
- Learn what is in their Community and how it is like the little girl in the moon’s community.
- Will draw a name of a building for their community, streets to draw, (other parts of the community street lights etc).
- Will color and place their structure on the classroom table which will be turned into the community.
Grades 2 - 4
4. Make a Class Wish Picture Book
- Read the Little Girl in the Moon & the Big Idea
- Discuss the story and name some kind wishes
- Children are given a star to write down their wish
- Discuss how the story evolved. Show a few pictures of the book in the process
- Imagination Time
- Students will:
- Create a class picture book. Each student will create a double-page spread for their class book the teacher will put together.
Grades 4 - 6
5. Creative Writing and Cross Curriculum
- Read The Little Girl in the Moon
- Students see how I used the phases of the moon to introduce the story, “The Little Girl in the Moon.
- Discuss:
- The moon and the tides.
- Students favorite science interests
- Brainstorm with the class on ideas of science they are interested in and record them on the board or overhead for everyone to see. Build Creative writing topics based on their ideas.
- Discuss Life Experiences, Writing, and Research:
- Discuss growing up; Teachers, School
- Students discover how real-life experiences play a role in the characters or experiences in my stories.
- Discuss how writers use what they know and how research is essential.
- Discuss how the characters are developed.
- Students think of their own interest, come up with a story, and begin their writing which may lead to research. They finish the story with their teacher.
Grades 5 - 6
6. My Blank Page! Where Do I Begin?
- Discuss remembering what it was like to stare at a blank page. The tears, and then share with the kids how to get started and overcome the blank page; doodling, writing thoughts more doodling.
- Look at ideas: brainstorming, share thoughts, come up with a plan for writing (no more struggling)
- Depending on the teacher the student will:
- write a classroom story
- team up with a friend to write a story
- write their first picture book story.
Grades: 4 - 5
7. What Turns an Idea Into a Story and Then a Book
- Author; idea
- Editor; improve the book
- Illustrator; bringing the words to life by a picture
- Layout; book form
- Publisher
- Cover
Grades: 4 - 6
8. An Idea Becomes a Successful Story – oFur Elements of Writing
Topics:
- 1. Create conflict
- 2. Maintain tension
- 3. Hold readers’ interest
- 4. Resolution
- After the above discussion:
- brainstorm ideas with the students
- Record ideas
Discuss the elements of writing with their story ideas - Quality writing: strong adjectives, noun, verbs (vocabulary building by developing strong adjectives, nouns, and verbs. Take a sentence and build details.
- Example: He kicked the ball.
- Improved: George looked at the ball, and with all his might he fiercely kicked the ball and watched it travel high over the goal post.
Grades 4 and up
9. Stories For the Future
Class time: 45-60 minutes | small groups
- Visit each classroom
- Brainstorm in the classroom ideas for a story and record the ideas with each idea give suggestions on how to get started and characters
- This gives the teacher and students plenty of ideas for future writing assignments for the school year.
- Q & A:
- Illustrations with a story
- What sentence to illustrate
- What to draw?
- Technique
Grades 4 - 5
10. Imagination
- Draw your imagination
- Oral presentation of each student sharing their imagination.