TITLES

• Amelia Bedelia and the Cat (April 2008)
• Amelia Bedelia's Masterpiece (2007)
• Amelia Bedelia Under Construction (2006)
• Amelia Bedelia, Rocket Scientist? (2005)
• Be My Valentine, Amelia Bedelia* (2005)
• Happy Haunting, Amelia Bedelia (2004)
• Amelia Bedelia Goes Back to School* (2004)
• Amelia Bedelia and the Christmas List* (2003)
• Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm (2003)
• Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia (2002)
• Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor (1999)
• Bravo, Amelia Bedelia! (1997)
• Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia (1995)

Published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Gatefold books (*) are published by HarperFestival.

	From museum mix-ups...
	When Amelia Bedelia volunteers at the museum, she meets a man named Art, a boy named Drew and foils a forgery with aluminum foil. Read Book Review.
	...to "cat"-astrophes!
	"Raining cats and dogs" takes on a literal meaning when Amelia Bedelia discovers a kitten in the garden.

Peggy Parish created Amelia Bedelia over forty years ago. With 21 million books sold, everyone's favorite mixed-up housekeeper is still going strong.

Author Herman Parish carries on the misadventures of Amelia Bedelia, created by his Aunt Peggy Parish. Herman has added thirteen books to the series, including the N.Y. Times bestseller Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm. His latest books are Amelia Bedelia's Masterpiece and Amelia Bedelia and the Cat.

Invite Herman Parish and Amelia Bedelia to your school. Your students will discover the principle that guided Peggy Parish: reading and writing can be fun!

PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

Assemblies

Young readers delight in wacky wordplay as Herman Parish brings Amelia Bedelia to life, with anecdotes about his aunt and insights into his writing process. Children love to get a "behind the scenes" glimpse of how his aunt created the literal-minded housekeeper and how Herman came to write the books. He reveals how he gets his ideas, what it takes to develop them, and gives examples of where they wind up in a story.

Additional Programs

Family Evening and Library Presentations are also available. Audiences for these programs can be larger than 250.

GRADES

Herman's presentation is ideal for grades K-6. He adjusts the content to suit the ages of the audience. Kindergartners laugh as Amelia Bedelia teaches them to play with words. For older children, Herman discusses how he writes and emphasizes the importance of editing and revising.

LENGTH

When kindergartners or first graders are included in a session, Herman presents for about 35 to 45 minutes, including questions. Beyond that seems to test the limits of their attention span. With older students, Herman usually talks for 45 to 50 minutes, with another 10 minutes for questions.

AUDIENCE SIZE

The size of the audience depends upon your needs and your school. Of course, smaller groups are better and allow for more interaction during the question and answer portion of the presentation. Audiences of up to 250 per presentation can be accommodated. Above that, Herman strongly suggests additional presentations.

Be Amelia Bedelia for a day!

Bonus

How would you like to be Amelia Bedelia for a day?! If friends and family have said that you act just like Amelia Bedelia, here is your chance to look the part. Herman will bring along an authentic Amelia Bedelia costume for an enthusiastic parent or teacher to wear on the day of the visit. The hat alone is a knockout (not literally). Herman also provides a variety of props, including a "dressed" chicken, to be used in a simple skit. Bringing Amelia Bedelia to life makes a the day unforgettable!

FEES

$1,500 for two presentations plus travel expenses from Princeton, New Jersey. Additional sessions are $500 each. Family Evening and Library Presentations are $1,000. If travel expenses are involved, other than mileage, reimbursement can be paid later. However, payment of the fee is expected on the day of the visit unless a prior arrangement has been made.

Once a date for the visit has been determined, Herman will send a confirmation with more details, free materials, and ideas to enhance the visit.

ORDERING BOOKS & AUTOGRAPHING Feel free to use any source to obtain books or you may order them directly from the publisher at a discount. To learn more, call HarperCollins Customer Service at 1-800-242-7737 or on the web at www.harpercollins.com. Detailed guidance on how to order books from the publisher will also be included with your confirmation of the visit. Autographing of books is included. Herman will be glad to sign books using whatever system works best for you. Since Herman prefers to personalize each book to every child, this will take a little more time. Also, due to the wear-and-tear on his hand, he must limit the number of books he signs to 250 copies per day. Copies for the school library are exempt from this limit, as are books with just his signature (without a name or personalization). SET-UP AND EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS Herman uses his computer and an LCD projector to display images, so he will need: a screen and a nearby electric outlet with a long extension cord a low table or media cart on which to put his computer and projector a microphone set up and tested (wireless preferred) a podium on which to rest books and materials a small chalkboard, erasable board or pad of paper on an easel A good microphone is essential, especially if he will be presenting to large groups or in a cavernous space such as a gym, cafeteria or muti-purpose room. Please make sure that the microphone is set up and tested prior to the presentation.

A WORD FROM HERMAN PARISH

"Children love the literal humor of Amelia Bedelia. It's a fun way for them to explore homonyms and idiomatic expressions. They not only gain an appreciation for the richness of the English language, they wake up to fresh possibilities for expressing themselves. I try to build confidence in a child's ability as a writer. I want to create a sense that what they think and feel is worth recording and sharing."

Gatefold Books Delight Early Readers Young readers lift the flaps to discover Amelia Bedelia's literal misinterpretations for themselves.

"The children are fascinated with the little notebook I carry to jot down my ideas. It helps to instill in them a habit of observing and writing. Teachers tell me that my examples of editing encourage their students to review and rework their writing before they submit it. I believe that after my presentation, children have a greater respect for writing and recognize what it takes to achieve their potential as writers."

REFERENCES

Herman has presented to schools and groups in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Upon request he will forward references that are most relevant to your state or region.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HERMAN PARISH

• Biography
• Testimonials

CONTACT INFORMATION

Herman Parish lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Telephone: 609-279-0384
Fax: 609-279-0367
Email: Herman.Parish@Gmail.com
Website: www.HermanParishBooks.com

Credits:
Photo by Mark Czajkowski
Illustration by Lynn Sweat