Details
My Events
AVAILABLE NOW FOR IN-PERSON EVENTS
I love doing school visits! Book me for assemblies and/or workshops from upper KS1, KS2 and KS3 where I talk about my books, creative writing, ideas, reading, editing and overcoming fears be you Mighty, or feeling small!
The Housetrap
1hr assembly with powerpoint discussing what elements make a spooky story, and looking at tropes in the book. Also covering the making of the book, from idea and inspiration, through first draft, editing (and editing and editing!) to various cover iterations (and what we can tell from the cover about the book). Also includes a spooky activity pitting #team spooky against #team logic to investigate a 'real' haunting. Ends with Q and A.
"Emma came to visit us for a workshop and she had the children gripped almost instantly. She has a fantastic way with the children and they really responded to this. The workshop was nicely interactive and got the children thinking and discussing ideas. She chatted to the children after the workshop while she signed books for them and the children were definitely inspired by her visit. I actually scrapped my writing planning for the rest of the week as the children were so keen to write their own House trap stories! They thought carefully about what she had shared with them and came up with some fantastic ideas for another floor of the house. Thank you Emma!" ~Kylie Flecchia, Stonar School
Milton the Mighty - Worrier to Warrior
a 45min-1hr interactive assembly with powerpoint examining why people are scared of spiders and how we can overcome our fears. Includes a reading, a fun look at persuasive writing in the media and QandA. Suitable for all KS2
"I was lucky enough to attend Emma’s event at a local school and she was just brilliant. She had the attention of the whole room, blending talk of her characters with fascinating spider facts – it was as much fun science lesson as author talk! I confess to having become somewhat of a spider warrior (as opposed to worrier) myself since the event. The pupils all LOVED it, with the added bonus that the book has such a broad appeal to boys and girls. I had super feedback from the teachers as to how her talk sparked lots of bookish and spider discussion in the classroom (and playground!). I can’t wait for her to come back for the next book" ~Juliette Bottomly of Mr B's Emporium, Bath
"The children were really excited to welcome Emma to our school, particularly after hearing some extracts from the reading copy of the book. We really appreciated how enthusiastic and open she was to the Reading Ambassadors who had prepared an introduction for her. The presentation to the children was really engaging with a perfect balance of interaction and information. It was great that there were lots of background facts about spiders as well as tasters of the story itself. Getting children up to become to characters worked really well. During the question and answer session, the children were able to find out what it is like to be an author and it was great to hear Emma endorsing lots of reading which is one of the things we really try to promote in our school. During the signing session, Emma was very friendly with each child which you could tell made them feel comfortable as well as special. The costume was great too!! It was a real privilege to have Emma visit us and we would love to have her back anytime." ~Herbert Morrison Primary, Stockwell.
Praise for The Housetrap
"A deliciously creepy, shocking thrill-ride of a book" ~ SJ Wills (Bite Risk)
"The peril is real, the setting is out of this world and the mystery unfolds and teases like diabolical clockwork" ~Michael Mann (Ghostcloud)
Creative Writing Workshops KS1 to 3
Class-based workshops up to 1hr which can be tailored to need. Examples include: 'Fantastic Ideas and Where to Find Them' - an interactive, writing-free workshop where we look at the origin and capture of ideas, 'Character Clash' where we work together to create amazing characters, heroes and villains, The Structure of Stories, looking at how we plot a story using a variety of techniques.
The Housetrap Create Your Own Riddle workshop - 45 minutes of guided steps through creating a thoroughly spooky riddle
Testimonial from Waterstones Swindon (Holiday bookclub 1 1/2 hr discussion session):
Our Book Club loved meeting Emma! They got really involved in the discussions and loved Emma's presentation and felt inspired at the end of the event. Thank you, Emma for a wonderful event!
Teeniest Superheroes
A 30 minute assembly looking at how amazing spiders are and why they are superheroes. Lots of spidery facts and fun, with Milton the Mighty colouring and wordsearches to complete. Includes reading and QandA. Suitable for KS1
Mighty Crafty
1hr session including discussion about spiders, colouring and wordsearches to do/take away and a spider crafting activity where children can make their own cute, colourful spiders from pompoms and pipe cleaners. Suitable for any age (younger children will need adult assistance). Ideal for library or small festival events.
Tweet from StorySmith Bookshop, Bedminster:
Such a great morning with @emmydee73 and Milton The Mighty - our shop was packed with superhero spiders, and there was AN ACTUAL WEB!
Praise for Milton the Mighty
Milton the Mighty is a charming tale of standing up for what's right, being brave, and searching out the truth for yourself - all very relevant messages.~ BOOKTRUST
Milton and his web-spinning sidekicks are as fearless and charismatic a crew of characters as any others you might come across in children’s fiction.~IRISH TIMES
It's a corker! ~Phoenix Comic Book Club recommendation of the week.
As a primary school teacher, I'm always on the lookout for books that are accessible, humorous, educational and fun to read out loud - Milton is all of this and more.~ Primary Teacher Review
About Me
I live in Bath, but am happy to travel as long as I get a cup of tea at the end! My fees are charged in accordance with the Society of Authors recommendations and can be found at my website: https://www.emmareadauthor.com/
I have experience at festivals, library events, even giving radio interviews and have appeared at Countryfile Live!
As well as a children's author I am a creative writing tutor and novel editor. In this capacity, I tutor, mentor and blog about children's writing and can speak about writing craft, or provide adult creative writing sessions. I also provide freelance editorial services and am available for IP or ghostwriting work.
My passion is writing books that help transition readers from school-level books to more complex Middle-Grade texts, keeping them reading and hopefully helping them avoid becoming overwhelmed and put off reading.
