Adam Gidwitz was a teacher for eight years. Now, he writes full time, which means he writes a couple of hours a day, and lies on his couch staring at the ceiling the rest of the time. He is the bestselling author of the children’s books, A Tale Dark and Grimm and its companions; The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi; and The Unicorn Rescue Society adventure series. He is the recipient of a Newbery Honor for his middle grade novel, The Inquisitor’s Tale, and also the creator of GRIMM, GRIMMER, GRIMMEST, a podcast from Pinna and #1 show for kids on Apple Podcasts. The television adaptation of A Tale Dark and Grimm is currently on Netflix. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, NY.

Author Visits

ASSEMBLIES

THE UNICORN RESCUE SOCIETY

“A fun, fast-paced introduction to my books, with a special focus on The Unicorn Rescue Society series. I also talk about how I became a writer, and show kids how they, too, are writers–whether they know it or not. After the presentation, I invite questions. In answering these questions, I try to talk about writing, editing, imagination, and never giving up on your dreams. Especially if those dreams involve rescuing unicorns.” Length: 45 minutes to an hour. Best for grades one through five.

A TALE DARK & GRIMM
“Generally, in talking to kids, I try to scare the bejeezus out of them. Once you’ve scared the bejeezus out of a child, there is a good chance he will sit still and listen for as long you keep talking. This is why my events typically begin with a real Grimm fairy tale. Not the sweet, cute, boring ones with singing mice and fairy godmothers. The real ones. After scaring the bejeezus out of the children, I invite questions. In answering these questions, I try to talk about writing, editing, imagination, and never giving up on your dreams. Especially if those dreams happen to be nightmares.” Length: 45 minutes to one hour. Best for grades four and up (grade three if they’re brave!).

THE INQUISITOR’S TALE
“In this presentation, I introduce the students to the world of The Inquisitor’s Tale–the high Middle Ages–in the form of a fun and informative game show quiz called, “How Much Do You Know About the Middle Ages?” Topics range from peasant life to persecution to flatulent dragons. After the presentation, I invite questions. In answering these questions, I try to talk about writing, editing, imagination, and never giving up on your dreams. Especially if those dreams feature farting dragons.” Length: 45 minutes to one hour. Best for grades four and up.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A JEDI?
“In this presentation, I give the students a series of Jedi lessons, ranging from how to meditate to how to make moral choices in life. Also, I throw my dirty laundry at kids (okay, the laundry is clean, but I tell them it’s dirty). I’ll speak about writing a Star Wars book, how that came about, how I made the stylistic choices I made in retelling one of the most beloved stories of today, and finally, I’ll take questions. In answering these questions, I try to talk about writing, editing, imagination, and never giving up on your dreams. Especially if those dreams feature lightsabers.” Length: 30 minutes to one hour. Best for grades two and up.

WORKSHOPS

(no more than 40 students per workshop; the smaller the group, the better)

Basic Writing Workshop: For 5th Grade and under.
“This is a revision workshop that focuses on revising with details. It’s fun, especially for grades four and five. We start with a very simple sentence and then, as a group, develop it into a paragraph full of rich details. Kids, even kids who dislike writing, often feel like pros after this workshop.” Length: 20 to 45 minutes.

Advanced Writing Workshop: For Middle School and up.
“This is more intense. It’s a lesson in story structure—but the real, how-authors-do-it story structure. How do you write an exciting story? Do you just have to throw some blood in there? Cut off some kids’ heads? In this workshop, we look at writing a short story that is actually exciting for friends and teachers to read. We look at structuring the story, pacing it, adding some vivid details, and the like. Everyone benefits from this workshop—teachers included.” Length: 45 minutes to one hour (ideally an hour).

NEW!! Multi-day Advanced Writing Workshop: For Middle School and up.

“In this multi-day workshop, I show students how to start with a blank sheet of paper and end up with a novel. We begin by learning basic and advanced story structure. They go home and experiment with structuring different stories so that when they come in the next day, they’ve settled on what story they want to write. I show them how to turn a bare bones outline into a detailed one. And by the end of this multi-day workshop, every student walks away with a solid beginning to their very own novel, plus all the tools they need to finish one on their own.” Length: 45-60 minutes, for 3-5 days in a row.

ADULT PRESENTATIONS

“Teacher conference? Library event? Literary Festival? Undergrad or grad school program? Here is just a sample of lectures, workshops, and keynote topics I have offered in the past. I always touch upon my writing process/career, and leave as much time as I can for Q&A. And if you’re looking for something specific, let me know the interests of your audience and I’ll cook something up!” (Length: 30 minutes to an hour)