About Annette Whipple's School Visits:
Nonfiction author Annette Whipple provides author visits to celebrate curiosity and excite children about reading and writing. She designs her programs to meet curriculum standards while providing unique programs for each audience. She's an experienced classroom teacher and has been presenting author visits and science, history, and writing workshops. Annette lives in Pennsylvania and also visits schools in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. She was named the 2025 Outstanding Pennsylvania Author by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association.
Please contact Annette to discuss how school visits and programs can be altered or even created to fit your group's needs. Schools, libraries, homeschooling, conferences, and private groups are welcome!
From start to finish, planning a visit with Annette was a such a smooth process. She offered up suggestions for local vendors to order books from and did an excellent job of planning presentations that tapped into the interests of our younger readers in the K-2 setting. The teachers commented on how it was evident that Annette had a background in education and knew how to engage students in learning. The students were still talking about the assembly days later and could recall all sorts of fun new animal facts they had learned! Annette did an amazing job of helping students understand that NONFICTION FACTS ARE FUN! - Amanda Spealman, Librarian of Lampeter-Strasburg School District
Your passion and love of learning, reading, and writing was very evident in your enthusiasm as you spoke and we all thoroughly enjoyed your visit! I just wanted to reach out and let you know that your excitement for learning was contagious and impactful and very much appreciated by little growing minds and their families!- Family Literacy Night Parent, Wisconsin
Read More Testimonials
Annette offers both in-person and virtual visits to schools, libraries, conferences, and private groups.
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| Nonfiction: Facts Are Fun author visit |
In-Person Author Visits
These programs are typically for school-aged children. Most can be adapted to virtual visits. You are also welcome to suggest different programming. All programs are updated to meet your group's needs. See pricing below.
Nonfiction: Facts Are Fun Grades K-6+
Annette Whipple shares the excitement and discovery methods of nonfiction writing. Using her writing process as an example, she answers some of kids' big nonfiction questions. Where do ideas come from? How do you research? How does it become a book? Children catch the nonfiction excitement for themselves and learn cool stuff! The core message is the same for all audiences, but the message is adjusted for different grade levels.
More Writing Programs (Additional fees apply)
The Write Way Grades 3 and up, (similar program for educators)
Annette
engages all generations in the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder as she discusses how the pioneer girl we read about in the Little House books
became an author and about the adult life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. (This is also a popular program for a multi-generational audience.)
Pioneer Childhood Grades 1-6
What was it like to be a child on the American frontier? Annette engages the audience about westward expansion, education, play, and home life for the pioneer children.
Annette also teaches hands-on professional development workshops in person and virtually. Learn more about her educator professional development workshops.
How does a writer create a story? Annette shares her tips for creating an interesting nonfiction story in this interactive program. Brainstorming, fact-finding, and writing are the beginning of a story. Revisions make it fantastic! This is also highly successful as a multi-day classroom program. (A companion professional development workshop is also available.)
History and Science Programs (Additional fees apply)
Celebrate Curiosity Grades 4 and up (adaptable for younger grades)
Asking questions leads to more thinking and better writing. Annette guides students to celebrate their personal curiosity and become myth busters as they focus on the research process. Annette encourages students to celebrate their curiosity about science and history in this interactive and informative trivia program while sharing the importance of research.
Insects Make WHAT?! Grades 3 and upAsking questions leads to more thinking and better writing. Annette guides students to celebrate their personal curiosity and become myth busters as they focus on the research process. Annette encourages students to celebrate their curiosity about science and history in this interactive and informative trivia program while sharing the importance of research.
You know about honey and silk, but what else do we use that insects make? Insects play a big role in the products people use. Join Annette as she teaches about surprisingly
useful insects and their hard, colorful, sweet, and soft products in this
interactive children’s program including game show-style audience participation.
Bugs and Blooms Grades K-3
Flowers make seeds and insects help them. Insects need the sweet nectar found in flowers. Flowers and insects are both necessary for people. Annette explores flowers and insects and how their design promotes pollination and interdependence. Groups of less than 20 can dissect flowers.
Pioneer Childhood Grades 1-6
What was it like to be a child on the American frontier? Annette engages the audience about westward expansion, education, play, and home life for the pioneer children.
Laura and Wilbur Grades 2 and up
Laura Ingalls Wilder and Wilbur Wright were born in the same year of 1867. Annette helps students connect how Laura and Wilbur went on to do big things that began with their childhoods and still influence us today.
More Author Visit Information
Presentations for grades 2+ are typically 45-60 minutes. Kindergarten presentations are about 35 minutes. Length of grade 1 presentations can be 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the recommendation of the host.
Annette also teaches hands-on professional development workshops in person and virtually. Learn more about her educator professional development workshops.
Family/Community Presentation
One 45-minute presentation is most typical. Cost is $500.
Celebrate Curiosity
Annette Whipple sprinkles practical reading advice between trivia questions for the whole family. Together, we celebrate the love of reading and curiosity.
Read FAQ here.
What can you expect? Check out these testimonials.
Are school visits worth it? Consider this SLJ article.
Poor school? Small school? You can have an author visit, too.
Or check out this newspaper article which featured one of my author visits.
What can you expect? Check out these testimonials.
Are school visits worth it? Consider this SLJ article.
Poor school? Small school? You can have an author visit, too.
Or check out this newspaper article which featured one of my author visits.
Virtual Visits
Though I would prefer to be with your students at your school, I'm perfectly happy to engage your students wherever they are from my home. Most of my programs can be adapted to the screen. I work hard to make sure students are engaged virtually. I'm happy to work on the platform of your choosing.Curious what I'm like in virtual visits? This mini virtual author visit shows you a bit of my energy! This was from World Read Aloud Day where authors set aside the day to meet with multiple schools for 15-20 minutes.
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| Edna and I are also available for virtual author visits. |
When Contacting Annette Whipple about Author Visits...
Email her at annettemwhipple [at] gmail [dot] com. When you first contact Annette, it's helpful for her to know the following, though you might not have all the answers yet.
• Name and address of the school
• Grades you would like included in the author visit
• Approximate number of children in each session and total number of students
• Preferred moth (or week) of visit
• Any budget concerns
• Interest in additional programs such as professional development or family literacy night
2025-2026 Author Visit Fees for Schools
(Community groups and libraries should contact me with their budget.)
Please talk to me about your budget concerns.
I've been able to work with schools with smaller budgets.
I've been able to work with schools with smaller budgets.
Contact me about pricing for private and homeschool groups.
Preferred School Visit Pricing (In-Person)
• $1,300 for an author visit at one school. Please see below regarding travel expenses. This is typically three daytime presentations.
• $1,200 for schools less than 60 minutes from her home near Oxford, PA (in morning traffic). This is typically three daytime presentations.
Shared Author Visits
• Some host schools prefer to schedule an author visit on back-to-back days and share travel and lodging costs. See below regarding discounts for multi-day visits.
• Some schools prefer to schedule an author visit on the same day to share costs. Please let Annette know of your circumstances so she can better understand if she can accommodate your needs and provide pricing options for you.
Travel Fees
Annette travels from her home near Oxford, Pennsylvania. Travel and lodging fees may be shared between schools if appropriate. Travel time includes morning traffic.
• Up to 60-minute drive- No travel fees.
• 60-90 minutes- $0.70/mile travel fee (or current IRS rate). In some locations, a hotel is needed to reserve energy for the presentations and not getting through traffic.
• 90+ minutes- $0.70/mile travel fee (or current IRS rate) or flight and safe and clean hotel accommodations. Travel expenses may be shared between schools, if applicable.
• For events at locations 4 hours or more from Annette's home, she prefers a 2-day event (which can be with multiple hosts).
• 60-90 minutes- $0.70/mile travel fee (or current IRS rate). In some locations, a hotel is needed to reserve energy for the presentations and not getting through traffic.
• 90+ minutes- $0.70/mile travel fee (or current IRS rate) or flight and safe and clean hotel accommodations. Travel expenses may be shared between schools, if applicable.
• For events at locations 4 hours or more from Annette's home, she prefers a 2-day event (which can be with multiple hosts).
Please Note
• Please keep in mind that larger sessions make it harder for students to ask questions.
• These rates do not apply to family literacy nights, professional development presentations, or other programs.
• Multi-day discounts available for in-person and virtual author visits.
• Travel expenses can be shared between schools when booked on consecutive days.
Preferred Virtual Pricing
Recording Annette's virtual visits is not allowed.
Single Presentation- $350. Limited to 150 students.
Single Premium Presentation- $700. No limit on student participants within one building.
Additional same-day presentations- $175.
Single Premium Presentation- $700. No limit on student participants within one building.
Additional same-day presentations- $175.
Discounts (Please mention when booking!)
• Discount for full day, multi-school visit:
$100 off for each school when booking more than one school for full-day visits (consecutive days required if a hotel is needed). Travel and lodging fees may be shared between schools.
• Discount for multi-day visit at one school:
$100 off for each day when booking more than one day of visits (consecutive days required if a hotel is needed).
• A different discount may be extended for your unique situation. Please talk to me about your school and budget.
• Share travel expenses with another school near you by having me visit two schools in one day. Talk to Annette about your needs and request pricing options.
• 10% OFF
Get a 10% discount from the author visit fee when you buy a book for every student (through Annette or your local bookseller). *Inform Annette of your intentions to buy a book for each student prior to signing the contract.*
$100 off for each school when booking more than one school for full-day visits (consecutive days required if a hotel is needed). Travel and lodging fees may be shared between schools.
• Discount for multi-day visit at one school:
$100 off for each day when booking more than one day of visits (consecutive days required if a hotel is needed).
• A different discount may be extended for your unique situation. Please talk to me about your school and budget.
• Share travel expenses with another school near you by having me visit two schools in one day. Talk to Annette about your needs and request pricing options.
• 10% OFF
Get a 10% discount from the author visit fee when you buy a book for every student (through Annette or your local bookseller). *Inform Annette of your intentions to buy a book for each student prior to signing the contract.*
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| Pioneer Life |
Learn More!
Annette loves to share the joys--and challenges--of reading and writing. She adapts her programs for the age and needs of the audience. A presentation for second graders is different than a presentation on the same topic for sixth graders.
She also provides family literacy programs and professional development workshops for educators in addition to presentations for writers. Annette lives in Pennsylvania (very close to Maryland and Delaware) and is willing to travel for author presentations.
Scroll down to see Annette's most popular author visit programs. Contact Annette to discuss how she can best meet your group's needs.
Get all of Annette's author visit details in an
easy-to-read guide.
(The same information is available by scrolling down.)
If you are an author or illustrator, visit Cool School Visits for some great advice regarding school visits or meet some regional authors with the KidLit Authors Club.
