School Visits
Rachel would love to visit your school! She offers both in-person and virtual visits for readers in grades 3 - 8, as well as events for older students or adults. There will always be plenty of time at the end of any presentation for a student Q & A.
Rachel is represented by How Now Booking. For rates and additional information, please get in touch.
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Cope Middle School
Bosier City, LA
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Tufts University, Children's Literature Class
Boston, MA
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Prince of Peace School
Birmingham, AL
Cajuns & Coastlines (45 minutes, including Q & A)
Did you know New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in America, but it’s located on some of the newest land? The Cajuns & Coastlines presentation builds on Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp to introduce students to the Cajun diaspora: the journey from France to Acadia to the wetlands of Louisiana. Rachel provides an overview of how those wetlands were created by the Mississippi River, the current threats and challenges of land loss in coastal Louisiana, what’s being done to protect the coast, and how students can get involved today.
Cajun Culture & Folklore (45 minutes, including Q & A)
Who are the Cajuns, and why do they have so many stories about the rougarou? The Cajun Culture & Folklore presentation builds on Rougarou Magic to introduce students to the legends and folktales Cajuns carried with them from France to Acadia to Louisiana. For younger students, a game of telephone demonstrates the way rougarou stories, passed down through oral tradition, change over time and distance. For older students or adults, Rachel expands the presentation to discuss lesser known folklore and how Cajun culture has adapted to modernity, including changes to language and landscape.
The Writing Process (45 minutes, including Q & A)
How did Rougarou Magic and Grandpere’s Ghost Swamp go from ideas in Rachel’s head to actual books on the shelf? With The Writing Process presentation, Rachel walks students through three big steps in turning a story from idea to book: brainstorming, drafting, and editing. The presentation ends with an interactive comparison between the very first draft of Rougarou Magic and the final version. This presentation is perfect for students who are interested in writing a book themselves. After all, every writer was once a student, too.
“Rachel was engaging and funny and didn’t sugarcoat the hard work that goes into writing a book. My students were hooked!”
— School Librarian, Our Lady of Sorrows School, Birmingham, AL
Previous School Visits:
Cope Middle School, Bosier City, LA
St. Jude School, Baton Rouge, LA
Woodlawn Elementary, Baton Rouge, LA
Our Lady of Sorrows School, Birmingham, AL
Prince of Peace School, Birmingham, AL
Tufts University, Boston, MA
St. Aloysius School, Baton Rouge, LA
Clermont Elementary School, Alexandria, VA (Virtual)
Global Jaya School, Indonesia (Virtual)