Jim Murphy's Author Visit Kit
Jim Murphy has been an editor of children's books, an operator of a four-ton mold injector machine in a plastics factory, a hot tar roofer and a construction worker on high-rise buildings in New York City, but he loves writing books for young readers more than anything else. "I try to bring our history alive with dramatic, 'you-are-there' first person accounts that show that young people not only witnessed important events but were vital participants as well." Jim says.
Mr. Murphy has written over thirty-five books and won numerous awards, including two ALA Newbery Honor books, an ALA Siebert Award for Informational Books as well as a Siebert Honor Book Award, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for nonfiction, three NCTE Orbis Pictus Awards for nonfiction and been nominated for a National Book Award. During his presentations he enjoys telling students how an idea for a book evolves step-by-step from a simple notion into a full-fledged book, and offers a look at his research process and how the information he gathers shapes the writing of the text. He then opens the floor to student questions and will answer just about any question on the writing process (with emphasis on the importance of revising and editing), researching, the publishing business and his home life. His equipment needs are few -- a bottle of water and (for large groups) a microphone.
Author's home: Maplewood, New Jersey
Maximum number of presentations per day: 3
Suggested audience: Grades 4 - 12
Honorarium: $2000 per day, plus expenses
Email: jimmurphybooks@gmail.com
http://www.jimmurphybooks.com/
See a list of Jim Murphy's books here.
