Jessie Haas
Award-winning Children's Author

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TEACHERS SAY: Dear Jessie and Michael, We enjoyed your visit so much! It was such a treat to have both of you. I liked the contrast in your writing styles and how you work. During this week since your visit, I've had a conversation (I like the way you framed your visit!) with each class about your talk and had them write reflections on what they learned about writing and how they see themselves as writers and readers. Their responses made it clear that having an author visit definitely has a big impact on them. Your conversational style gave them an opportunity to actually talk to you. It also influenced my lessons that followed." Fleming School, Essex Jct., Vt. "Thank you very much for coming to Chamberlin. You took so much time--everyone really appreciated it. Your small book groups were just great." Chamberlin School "I can't thank you enough for attending our book fair! The parents and kids are still talking about it!!" Dummerston Elementary School "Thanks so much for starting off our literacy week with a bang! The children loved having you as a V.I.R and many have the "Jessie Haas fever"! Westminster Center School

School Talks A school visit can be structured in many different ways, depending on age groups and the teachers' needs. I love best to do a combined slide show, reading, and question and answer session; that gives students a chance to see where I live (and my animals!), to hear some of my work, and then to ask the questions about what interests them the most. This works best with a smaller group--up to around thirty. I also present a program I call Junkyard Wars, after the popular television program. (It's on The Learning Channel, so it's okay!) This answers the ever-popular question, Where do you get your ideas? As someone married to a junkyard engineer--you would not believe some of the components that went into making our house!--I have a special love of picking up some scrap of information that might not look like much to anyone else, and crafting a story around it. This gets young writers thinking about the unconsidered trifles in their own lives, and what they might make of them. My newest novel, CHASE, offers a wide range of topics for discussion for fifth-graders and up, questions that stem from history--the labor unrest of 1870s coal country--but that resonate today. Who is a patriot? Who is a terrorist? Why does a nation of immigrants always fear the newcomers? Can we learn to feel differently? For a group that has read CHASE, or shared it as a read-aloud, this makes for a lively and freewheeling session. My husband is children's author Michael J. Daley. We love to travel together, and are happy to talk with schools about offering a discount to bring both of us to speak. It's been fun to share the podium with him at recent events we've both done through CLiF, the Children's Literacy Foundation. For boys, hearing a man talk about writing and reading is often cooler than hearing a woman say the same things. I try not to get jealous when he's the rock-star! Together, Michael and I have been the writing mentors for Brattleboro's Maple Leaf Writing Contest, in which fifth and sixth graders write, edit, illustrate, and produce books, which are then judged by an independant panel. We have many years of experience critiquing manuscripts, and difficult though the process can be (even for adult writers!) we've been impressed at the progress these young authors are capable of making. We love to help writers grow. If you have an idea for a program that could use our critiquing and council, let's talk. In Vermont or within 100 miles from my home, I charge $800/day. Farther away, $1000/day. A day is 3 presentations, with a short reading for younger kids included free. Schools pay mileage and/or travel expenses, and overnight accomodations where neccessary. Michael J. Daley and I offer a discount for joint bookings--contact us for details. Fees payable the day of the presentation. Contact info: Jessie Haas 367 Lettieri Road, Putney, Vt. 05346 kjh@sover.net 802-387-2601

Quick Links E-mail me www.michaeljdaley.com www.jessiehaasbooks.com Authors Guild BOOKS nonfiction SAFE HORSE, SAFE RIDER A guide to handling horses so you don't hurt them and they don't hurt you. Novels SHAPER A novel of love and dog-training; a Golden Kite Honor Book UNBROKEN Harry and her young horse are orphaned in the same accident, and sent to live on a hill farm with stern Aunt Sarah. Can Harry train the wild colt and return to school? And can she and Aunt Sarah ever love each other? Picture book SCAMPER AND THE HORSE SHOW A horse show, two girls, the perfect costume for costume class--but can Molly and Anna keep their white horse Scamper clean long enough? Illustrations by Margot Apple Picture Book APPALOOSA ZEBRA; A HORSE LOVER'S ALPHABET "When I'm older, I'll have a horse farm. All kinds of horses will live with me. Spotted Appaloosas. Arabian steeds" Illustrations by Margot Apple SUGARING Gramp and Nora make maple syrup, and Gram makes a surprise Nora can share with the horses. A story about the sweet science of maple sugar. Illustrations by Jos. A. Smith Poetry HOOFPRINTS; HORSE POEMS Six million years of the history of horses, in a hundred-plus poems; a VOYA Poetry Pick. Transitional Chapter Book JIGSAW PONY Jigsaw is the perfect pony for twins Kiera and Fran--but can they stop arguing about him? BIRTHDAY PONY Popcorn and Jane were born the same day. Popcorn was a pony foal who belonged to Grandma Aggie. Jane was Grandma Aggie's grandchild." They're meant for each other, but this star-crossed pair has many obstacles to overcome. Illustrations by Margot Apple. RUNAWAY RADISH First Radish trains Judy. When she outgrows him, this good-bad pony trains Nina. But then Nina outgrows him too. Can Radish find a home where he'll always be the right size?

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