"I enjoy speaking about what my writing life means to me. If, during the course of a school visit, I can help even one student see him- or herself as a writer, it’s been a good day!"
With a fellow bookworm The Woodville School Wakefield, MA			Read Across America Program Churchville Elementary School Churchville, NY

Group Presentations:
I'm happy to tailor sessions to meet various age-group needs and specific teacher/librarian requests. I welcome
student participation, as we discuss any combination of the following:

• the writing process: from idea, to draft, to revision;
• writing fiction vs. writing non-fiction;
• growing as a writer;
• the roles of different players in the publishing process (what is an editor, art director, illustrator, etc.);
• research and the fun facts that writers and students can discover;
• immigration, including a personal account with photos and hands-on replicas of Ellis Island artifacts;
• importance and enjoyment of exploring family history;
• a reading from one or more of my books (published and/or those in development, including picture books).

Writing Workshops:
Writing isn't magic; it's hard (but fun) work! I enjoy sharing my passion with students and helping them grow
as writers.

Writing Mentor: In one-on-one or small-group sessions, I provide critique of students' writing.

Please click here if you would like more information regarding author visits, scheduling, and program fees.

Reviews...

"Kathy worked closely with me to develop an author residency for our Third Graders. It was fantastic! We created a writer's workshop mini-lesson, using examples from her book, student models, and brainstorming from photo prompts. She responded to the students about their writing for an intimate, personalized, highly meaningful dialogue and shared her personal writing experience with an openness and respect for the students. The staff really enjoyed it!" -Mrs. Michele Linse, Victor PrimaryTeacher-Librarian
	"As part of our Chlidren's Book Week activities, Kathy presented a program for us on what went into writing her children's book, A Name of Honor. She presented a slide show that chronicled the process from idea to finished product. It was a first-class program, informative and entertaining. Kathy is a charming speaker, and everyone who attended enjoyed the evening immensely." -Lynne Madden, Children's Specialist, Victor Free Library
“Mrs. Blasi’s presentation to the fourth graders was curriculum-based. Relating the life cycle of a book to that of the life cycle of a butterfly connected the concept for our fourth graders. For our fifth graders, her reference to immigration was grade appropriate curriculum for them as well. The fifth graders were in the midst of preparing for the New York State Social Studies Exam. The presentation on immigration extended their learning.” -  Mary Thomas, Principal, John Walton Spencer School