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Anne Isaacs
 Biography
Anne Isaacs is author of the Caldecott Honor book Swamp Angel,
the best-selling book Torn Thread, and the just-released
Pancakes for Supper. The wide appeal of her award-winning
books and her infectious sense of humor combine to make her
a popular presenter to students of all ages. A native of Buffalo,
she has combined her work as a writer with the dual careers
of curriculum development and raising three children. She
is working on five books under contract, including a novel
set in ancient Egypt, and four sequels to Swamp Angel.
An experienced storyteller and presenter, Anne makes use of
her extensive background in curriculum design to create class
and assembly presentations that captivate her young listeners.
She will speak to a small group, class, or large audience
on a wide choice of topics, and give the students an insider's
view of the process of writing and creating a book. Anne currently
resides in the northern Bay Area.
Honorarium
$1,100 per full-day school visit, $750 per half-day visit
for schools or other sites within a one-hour drive (ca 50
miles) of Anne's home
$1,300 per full-day school visit; $900 per half-day visit
for schools within 1-2 hours’ drive from Anne's home
(ca 50-90 miles)
$1,300 per full-day school visit, plus all travel expenses
for schools farther than 90 miles, or for any school that
requests that Anne stay overnight the night before or after
a visit, or for any school where Anne works past 4 p.m.
Fees for conferences or public libraries or charity fundraisers
are negotiable on an individual basis
Program description
As a writer, mother, and curriculum specialist for over twenty
years, Anne brings a wealth of experience to her programs
for all grade levels. Depending on your school's needs, she
can speak to a small group, class, or large audience on a
wide choice of topics. Examples are:
(1) classroom writing workshops on diverse topics from “How
to Write a Tall Tale” (grades 3-8) to “How to
Create Suspense” (grades 5-10)
(2) assembly talks that illustrate the stages “From
Idea to Book”
(3) “Memory and History: the true story behind Anne's
holocaust novel, Torn Thread”
(4) “Tombs and Trash Heaps: daily life of real people
in ancient Egypt” (Sample favorite breakfast cereals
of the Pharaohs, and learn how to write your name in hieroglyphics!)
All of these talks can be adjusted to suit different grade
levels or special requests. In every classroom talk, Anne
offers interdisciplinary, hands-on activities that boost students'
confidence, interest, and ability to write.
Number and length
of presentations
Four talks per full-day or two per half-day maximum, whether
to a small group, a class in a classroom, or a full assembly
with any number of students, and no matter what grades are
in any group. Talks are 50 minutes each (30-40 minutes for
young primary grades).
Age or grades of
groups I prefer to work with
I work with all ages from kindergarten through college, changing
the presentation accordingly.
Equipment needs
- Portable microphone
- Overhead projector on stand
- Screen or white wall
- Ability to dim lights in room
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 How
to Order Books for a Visit
Order
from this booklist 
 Selected
Titles
Cat up a Tree
(Penguin Books, 1998)
A story told in poems, all centered on the plight of a cat
up a tree: is he stranded? Does he need help getting down?
Does he need a home? Different characters all think they know
best, but the cat himself has the last word! From a starred
review in Publisher's Weekly: “Cat lovers will
go wild for this work, as will poets and dreamers.”
Pancakes for Supper
(Scholastic Press, 2006)
Anne’s latest book. Illustrated magnificently by Mark
Teague, Pancakes for Supper is a re-telling of the
notorious classic, Little Black Sambo, recast in
New England with a compelling cast of new, wholly American,
characters. It’s too early for review quotes at this
writing, but Book of the Month Club has already chosen Pancakes
for Supper as a featured selection for 2006.
Swamp Angel
(Penguin Books, 1994)
An original tall tale illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, Swamp
Angel was the winner of many national awards, including
the Caldecott Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. School
Library Journal calls it "An American classic in
the making."
Torn Thread
(Scholastic Books, 2000)
A holocaust novel based on a true story, Torn Thread
was deemed "vivid, moving — and utterly convincing"
by Herman Wouk, author of War and Remembrance. It
has sold over 250,000 copies.
Treehouse Tales
(Penguin Books, 1997)
A collection of three light-hearted stories about three very
unusual siblings, Treehouse Tales is set on a homestead
in Western Pennsylvania. Smithsonian Magazine says,
“This high-spirited trio of stories has the makings
of a classic.”
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