School Visits

Author Marie Lamba would love to visit your school!

Marie is the author of books for children and young adults. Her picture books include GREEN GREEN: A COMMUNITY GARDENING STORY (FSG/Macmillan), and her newest picture book A DAY SO GRAY (Clarion).

The Jean Little Library dubs GREEN GREEN a “great storytime choice, or a perfect pick for a garden program” and Shelf Awareness says GREEN GREEN “serves as pure inspiration. Readers of all ages will want to run for their spades and seed packets as soon as the last page is read.”

KIRKUS calls A DAY SO GRAY “thought-provoking and poetic” and says it celebrates an “almost magical way of seeing and appreciating the world.” And Shelf Awareness says, “Whenever a day is gray and lonely, this cozy reminder to look on the colorful side will invite smiles and lift spirits.“

For more about GREEN GREEN, click here.

For more about A DAY SO GRAY, click here.

More info about Marie? Click here.

Let Marie inspire your students with a tailor-made program or story time, or choose from the following programs:

MINDFUL EVERY DAY! (for K-2nd grade)

Marie will read A DAY SO GRAY, and then talk about how we can all see so much more color and beauty everywhere. Her father, who is an artist, taught her at an early age to really look closely and notice just how many beautiful colors and textures surround us. A sky may be blue, but it can be many types of blue, and greens and pinks and purples too! Even a gray winter day can be full of color, if you look more closely. We’ll have some mindfulness fun, talk about how being present and really seeing around you can be calming, and we’ll look at what surprising colors some of the greatest artists found in a blue sky, a gray winter day, etc. Kids will be inspired to see their world in greater detail and to open their awareness from a limited and predictable palate of colors (as in those small pack of crayons) to that jumbo pack of crayons version of the world that truly surrounds us all!

BE GREEN GREEN! (for K-2nd grade)

Marie will read her books GREEN GREEN, and A DAY SO GRAY, talk about how her love of nature helped her create these stories. She’ll demonstrate how a community garden transforms a neighborhood, and offer up facts about bees and butterflies, how they are in danger, and why that matters to us all. Students will brainstorm how they can be more GREEN GREEN and how they can help bees and butterflies too! Then Marie will inspire them to think of GREEN careers,  and share other ways they can transform the landscape and the world — perhaps even by creating a community garden. Kids will come away knowing they can each make a huge difference in our planet’s future.

OUR OWN STORY! (for 1st-3rd grade)

Anyone can tell a great story — and that’s what writing a book is all about! In this workshop, kids become the authors. They’ll see what goes into making a book, how to get inspired, and how to take an idea, express it in words, add pictures, and then get it published. Then, with the author, they’ll build their very own picture book story.  Marie will guide the class, helping them invent story elements together, and then have them shape those elements into their very own class book!

YOUNG WRITER’S WORKSHOP (for 3rd-6th grades)

Everyone is a writer! Marie will share her path to becoming a published author. She’ll talk about how she decided she wanted to be one when she was in 3rd grade…plus how she stuck to it despite writing some not so great stuff and getting years of rejections (she’ll show her stacks of rejections with students!). Students will see the joy is in the writing, and in always learning and improving along the way. For any big goal, whatever it is, the trick is to NEVER give up! Next she’ll teach the class tricks for making a good story,  and she’ll guide them as they come up with their own ideas, story conflicts and fun conclusions. Then they’ll each make their own story! (students will need…pencils, markers, paper, card stock for a cover, hole punch and fasteners)

Interested in scheduling Marie for a visit? Contact her directly at marielamba@hotmail.com (please put School Visit in the message line).  She’ll be happy to talk about programming and related costs to help you tailor an experience that is just right for your students.

“Marie Lamba was one of the best young adult authors we have ever hosted at our library…I would highly recommend inviting Marie to your school, library or bookstore!” – Gretchen Ipock, YA Librarian, Sellers Library, Upper Darby, PA

“The best part of the day was Marie discussing the writing process and showing her drafts to them, illustrating that writing is an arduous task, a labor of love, and an expression of self.  She offered encouragement to all the participants to pursue their dreams, whatever they may be.  Fantastic day!” – Mary Beth Cusack,  English Teacher, Lenape Middle School, Doylestown, PA