Now Scheduling Virtual and In-Person Author Visits for the 2024/25 School Year!

Dear Teachers, Librarians, Families, and Organizations,

Sherrill Joseph, retired K-12 literacy teacher and the author of the Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries Series, is now scheduling FREE virtual in-school, home-school, and organization author visits. Virtual author visits can be on Zoom or Google Meet–anywhere in the world!

She is also scheduling FREE in-person public, private, or parochial school author visits on the traditional (in-classroom) school schedule (between September and June); and, organization author visits. Some restrictions apply. See below.

In addition, from her many years of literacy teaching, Sherrill has written a Book Study Guide to accompany Book 1, Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets. The guide might help you provide a fun reading experience while bolstering reading comprehension. You can download her Book Study Guide HERE.

Testimonials:

Here is what Mrs. Barb Huston, 3rd grade teacher at Saginaw Township Community Schools in Saginaw County, Michigan, had to say about Sherrill Joseph’s virtual Book Club visit on June 5, 2020:

“Back in April of 2020, I won a set of six Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets by Sherrill Joseph on Twitter.  The only thing that Sherrill requested was that I get the books into the hands of my students.  She signed each book with a personal message to the six third-grade students.  At the time I received them, we were in the middle of remote learning due to COVID19, so I delivered the copies and started a virtual book club with these students.  Shortly after we began, I tweeted out a picture of us working together with a shout-out to the author.  Sherrill quickly responded with appreciation but even more impressively, volunteered to make herself available for questions.  I decided to see if she would be willing to surprise my students with an appearance at our last virtual meeting.  It was much more than an appearance.  On June 5th, Sherrill joined our Google Meet and spent close to an hour answering my students’ questions and sharing with them her writing process and tips for their own writing craft.  It was the most authentic reading and writing lesson and one that my students will never forget.”

 

Here is what Ms. Kristina Sipe, 5th grade teacher at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in San Diego, California, had to say about Sherrill Joseph’s in-person school visit on September 15, 2021:

“After reading Sherrill Joseph’s first book, Nutmeg Street Egyptian Secrets, with my eight-year-old nephew, we were hooked! I knew it would be perfect as a summer reading assignment for my incoming 5th graders. I utilized the book study guide on Sherrill’s website to expand vocabulary, incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy into higher level thinking questions, and created some of the fun research projects she recommended. All our learning culminated with a very special in-person, on-campus visit by Sherrill with my students. Sherrill kept the students engaged throughout her visit by changing up the styles of questions, rewarding every student with book marks, and encouraging discussions about plot, characters, and the writing process. My students were especially intrigued with her information about synesthesia. Sherrill piqued my students’ interests when she read to them part of her new third book coming out soon and shared personal stories about her own experiences with synesthesia. Each student received a “swag bag” with a personalized message Sherrill wrote in each of their books we gave to her ahead of time, along with “Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries” magnets which went on the side of many of the students’ desks and additional Botanic Hill items. Sherrill also donated copies of her first two books, which I added to my class library. It was a memorable and rewarding experience for my students to meet their first author and strengthen their love of reading and writing.”

 

Here is what Mrs. Stacy Alfano, 5th grade ELA teacher at Shoemaker Elementary School in Macungie, Pennsylvania, had to say about Sherrill Joseph’s virtual school visits on January 27 and February 11, 2022:

“Sherrill Joseph joined my ELA students for a virtual meeting after we finished reading Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets.   Sherrill spent a lot of time with my students, answering questions and sharing her writing process.  The kids were fascinated by her!  The best part was, when we ran out of time, Sherrill offered to meet with us a second time two weeks later!  The kids cheered to hear they’d have a chance to talk with her again.  Our second meeting was even more exciting than the first!  I can’t keep her books on my classroom library shelves! Sherrill’s love of writing and of young learners is very obvious.  She has her finger on the pulse of what will appeal to middle grade readers. She has a wonderful sense of humor and a magnetic personality.   I am so grateful for her willingness to get feedback from her readers and to share her knowledge with them.   I would highly recommend Sherrill as a guest author for any classroom!”

Do You Know the Author’s Books?

If the audience is familiar with at least one of the author’s books, her visit will be more meaningful.

Please learn about all the author’s books HERE.

Her Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries Books 1, 2, and 3 are written mainly for Middle Graders, meaning grades 3-6; ages 9-12.

Her Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries Books 4, 5, and 6 are written mainly for Upper-Middle Graders, meaning grades 4-8, ages 10-14.

 

Virtual and In-Person Sessions Requirements and Format:

Sherrill will visit virtually with traditional (in-school) classrooms, home-school classrooms, and groups or organizations; or, *in-person with traditional, in-school classrooms and groups or organizations in select regions of the U.S.

 

For ALL SCHOOLS– 45-60 minute sessions, virtual or *in person 

  1. Important: Sherrill asks teachers to read one of her books to the class or, minimally, the first chapter before scheduling a visit. This makes the visit more meaningful for all. The first chapters of all her books are available for read aloud from her website HERE. Her books are available for purchase from your favorite online bookstore HERE. She is willing to coordinate purchasing class sets from local indie bookstores for students’ reading before her visit if educators prefer. Before meeting the author, the students might benefit from learning a little about her via her website-posted bio HERE.
  2. The author will spend approximately 15-20 minutes sharing about herself and her writing journey, her mental ability synesthesia that she considers her superpower, and an interesting point about the book/chapter that the class or teacher read.
  3. She will spend approximately 10-15 minutes engaging the students in one or more oral activities.
  4. She will answer students’ questions for the remaining time.
  5. After the virtual author visit, Sherrill will send bookmarks and stickers to the teacher to distribute to the students. For in-person author visits, Sherrill will give bookmarks and stickers to the teacher to distribute to the students. If the teacher and students’ schedule allows for an additional thirty minutes, she will distribute bookmarks and stickers and sign any of her books that students brought to the visit. The author does not sell her books on school sites.

For ORGANIZATIONS–60 minute sessions, virtual or *in person

  1. Please review the author’s bio HERE to formulate an idea for an appropriate topic you might like her to present.
  2. Please contact the author HERE to discuss the topic/content and format you desire. Also provide an estimated attendance figure.
  3. The author is willing to sell and sign her books following the event with enough advance notice and if time and the organization’s rules and venue allow. Please advise.

Sherrill Joseph is a retired K-12 teacher from the San Diego Unified School District and knows that teachers seldom have money for authors’ visits. After retirement, she morphed into a children’s author in 2013. The author loves interacting with kids and teachers. She thinks they are the best people on the planet!

*In-person author sessions are typically FREE and usually limited to local San Diego, California, area public, private, and parochial schools on the traditional (in-school) schedule (between September and June), and groups and organizations. Outside San Diego: Please contact the author to discuss her availability. Fees may apply. Availability is not guaranteed.

Virtual author visits can happen anywhere in the world for all schools, including home schools, and appropriate groups and organizations and are FREE.

 

Author Visit Booking and Resources:

FOR INFORMATION AND/OR TO BOOK YOUR AUTHOR VISIT, CONTACT SHERRILL JOSEPH HERE.

If the Contact link is not working, please email the author at kidsauthor@sherrilljoseph.com.

Free Nutmeg Street Study Guide

Other Book Study Guides–pending

Book Chapter Quizzes–pending

 

Author’s Calendar of Events

September 15, 2021; 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., PDT:  In-Person School Visit; Ms. Kristina Sipe’s 5th grade class, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, San Diego, CA

January 27, 2022; 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., PST: Virtual School Visit; Ms. Alfano’s and Ms. Beky’s 5th grade classes, Shoemaker Elementary School, Macungie, PA

February 11, 2022; 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., PST:  Virtual School Visit; Ms. Alfano’s and Ms. Beky’s 5th grade classes, Shoemaker Elementary School, Macungie, PA

October 19, 2022; 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., PDT: In-Person School Visit; Ms. Kristina Sipe’s 5th grade class, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, San Diego, CA

March 3, 2023, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m., PST: Virtual School Visit; Mr. Alfano’s and Ms. Beky’s 5th-grade classes, Shoemaker Elementary School, Macungie, PA

April 9, 2024, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., PDT: Virtual School Visit; Ms. Alfano’s and Ms. Beky’s 5th grade classes, Shoemaker Elementary School, Macungie, PA

April 16, 2024, 11:00 – 11:45 a.m., PDT: In-Person School Visit; Ms. Pope’s 2nd/3rd grade class, Holmes Elementary School, San Diego, CA

May 7, 2024, 1:45 – 2:30 p.m., PDT: In-Person School Visit; Ms. Kramer’s 4th grade class, St. Katharine Drexel Academy, San Diego, CA