Janet S. Wong - Author of Acclaimed Children's Books

I will be happy to work with you to develop a program that fits the needs of your school. I hope these answers to frequently asked questions will help as you plan my visit!

What age groups are you most comfortable with?

I love to perform my poetry and talk about it, and can easily tailor my programs to any age group. If I am working with a primary group, I will focus on my rhyming poems and BUZZ, my picture book for the very young. If I am working with teenagers, I will concentrate on the poems in Behind the Wheel: Poems about Driving. Most of my poems work best with children in grades 3-6, but creative teachers and librarians are using my books with all ages!

Is all of your work Asian-themed?

No. Many of the poems in my first two books reflect my Asian heritage, but most can be described as being "just about growing up." I will always remember when a fourth grader told me, "Your Chinese grandmother reminds me exactly of my Norwegian grandmother!" That is what multiculturalism is all about – isn't it? – finding out how much we have in common.

How long are your assemblies and workshops?

A primary assembly will last 30 minutes, and an assembly for any other age group typically lasts 45 minutes. Workshops can last anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour – depending on your needs – and ideally last about 45 minutes.

We have an extremely large school. How will you be able to work with all the students in one day?

You can schedule me any way you wish for the entire school day. I don't need much of a break between workshops, which helps things move along more quickly. Some schools choose to have me work with very large groups, which is fine. Other schools choose to have me work with the whole school in assemblies but only with selected students in the workshops – Title I students, GATE students, or students chosen by lottery. A few schools have asked students to write a poem and a paragraph explaining why they would like to attend my workshop, which had the effect of producing extremely motivated young writers!

We can't schedule assemblies easily. Can you do a series of assembly-like performances in a small group setting?

Yes. I know that middle schools and high schools, in particular, have a difficult time scheduling assemblies. If you would prefer to skip an assembly, I can spend the day working with small groups instead. In those cases, I usually devote 20 minutes to "poetry performance" and 20 minutes to actual writing.

How do you like us to handle book sales?

Please support your local independent bookseller! I have an autographed book order form that makes the process very simple. You can ask for books on consignment – and your bookseller will take care of returning unsold books to the publishers. I love David McCord's famous words: "A book is a present you can open again and again!"


		I will be happy to work with you to develop a program that fits the needs of your school. I hope these answers to frequently asked questions will help as you plan my visit! What age groups are you most comfortable with? I love to perform my poetry and talk about it, and can easily tailor my programs to any age group. If I am working with a primary group, I will focus on my rhyming poems and BUZZ, my picture book for the very young. If I am working with teenagers, I will concentrate on the poems in Behind the Wheel: Poems about Driving. Most of my poems work best with children in grades 3-6, but creative teachers and librarians are using my books with all ages! Is all of your work Asian-themed? No. Many of the poems in my first two books reflect my Asian heritage, but most can be described as being "just about growing up." I will always remember when a fourth grader told me, "Your Chinese grandmother reminds me exactly of my Norwegian grandmother!" That is what multiculturalism is all about – isn't it? – finding out how much we have in common. How long are your assemblies and workshops? A primary assembly will last 30 minutes, and an assembly for any other age group typically lasts 45 minutes. Workshops can last anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour – depending on your needs – and ideally last about 45 minutes. We have an extremely large school. How will you be able to work with all the students in one day? You can schedule me any way you wish for the entire school day. I don't need much of a break between workshops, which helps things move along more quickly. Some schools choose to have me work with very large groups, which is fine. Other schools choose to have me work with the whole school in assemblies but only with selected students in the workshops – Title I students, GATE students, or students chosen by lottery. A few schools have asked students to write a poem and a paragraph explaining why they would like to attend my workshop, which had the effect of producing extremely motivated young writers! We can't schedule assemblies easily. Can you do a series of assembly-like performances in a small group setting? Yes. I know that middle schools and high schools, in particular, have a difficult time scheduling assemblies. If you would prefer to skip an assembly, I can spend the day working with small groups instead. In those cases, I usually devote 20 minutes to "poetry performance" and 20 minutes to actual writing. How do you like us to handle book sales? Please support your local independent bookseller! I have an autographed book order form that makes the process very simple. You can ask for books on consignment – and your bookseller will take care of returning unsold books to the publishers. I love David McCord's famous words: "A book is a present you can open again and again!"
		Copyright © 1999 Janet S. Wong. All Rights Reserved.