Donna Gephart
Connection. Creativity. Empathy. Laughter. Inspiration!
About Donna
A popular speaker at schools, book festivals and conferences, Donna writes award-winning books that span the gamut from picture book through early chapter book series to many middle grade novels. Formerly a creative writing teacher, bookseller at an indie bookstore and editor at a greeting card company, Donna has written novels that have won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award, the California Young Reader Medal, the Southern Book Award, the Sydney Taylor Honor Award and have also received starred reviews and appeared on many state and recommended reading lists, including NPR's Best Kids' Books.
Books
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What educators say
“The event honestly exceeded all of my expectations and students are still saying it was their favorite assembly by far. The story you told was really inspiring and just what the kids needed to hear at this time of the year.”
“Donna was incredible! She was so warm and engaging. It was clear that she loves what she does and enjoys sharing her work with children! Our students really responded to her humor and authenticity.”
“Donna is sincere, kind, smart and really funny. Our 5th-7th graders LOVED her book and laughed themselves silly during her author visit to Manatee Academy.”
Visit formats
What a visit includes
As a former creative writing teacher, Donna offers an inspiring, humorous, heartfelt presentation perfect for grades 3 through 8 and for family events that show students who she was and what she read at their age (hint: comic books). She illuminates how she navigated challenges and rejections to pursue her lifelong dream of writing a book that landed on the shelves of the Free Library of Philadelphia, where she found solace as a lonely kid. Her lively, popular presentation uses engaging stories and images to show her writing process, including the tools she employs, her research methods, where she finds ideas, and the importance of revision. (Donna has a special interest in working with students from low-income families, as she shares her story of growing up in difficult financial circumstances.) In Donna’s presentations for early elementary school students, she shares how she fell in love with books and reading when she was young and how the public library transformed her life. She shares the fun ways she gets ideas for her stories and the challenges of a creative career. She also shows how dogs have inspired her and found their way into her books for young readers. This fun, interactive presentation is perfect for grades K-2! Additionally, Donna offers creative writing workshops for groups of up to 25 students. These include a mini-lesson, quiet time to write with specific guided instruction and share in a safe, judgement-free environment, followed by a Q&A.
Fees vary by format, travel, and your school's needs. Reach out directly for a quote and open dates.
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