Visit Testimonials

"Liesl Shurtliff may be smaller than half our seventh graders but she masterfully won them over and kept their attention through the entire presentation. She was able to pique their imaginations, engage them with questions, and still bring them back to topic and make her points about the writing process and the power of fairytales. The book and the author were definitely worth a visit to our middle school!"

— Jerling Junior High, Orland Park, IL

“Terrific presentation! The students were engaged and participated during the entire program. The kids loved being involved!”

— Sarah Walz/Librarian, Kuentz Elementary, San Antonio, TX

"Liesl was wonderful with the children. She spoke TO them, not AT them, which is key to getting them to listen and be engaged. The students are loving the book as a read-aloud. I am looking forward to more books from Liesl and will definitely welcome her back to our school!”

— Daniel Boone Elementary, Chicago, IL

"Our students loved RUMP, both the book and the character, and when they met Liesl the writer — WOW! — she was a force of encouragement and adventure to them as readers and writers!"

— Cathy Askeland, Timber Ridge Middle School, Plainfield, IL

“Liesl Shurtliff's presentation on the book Rump was a hit! Students left the presentation energized about writing and even had the ideas to start a draft. We are looking forward to her next book and having her back for another author visit.”

— Deanna O'Marah Aue Elementary School, San Antonio, Texas

School Visits

Growing up, I wasn’t what you’d call a bookworm. In fact, for a lot of my childhood I struggled to read and didn’t always connect with the books and materials assigned to me. But then I found books that showed me just how amazing reading could be and I was hooked. I loved Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Louis Sachar.

Today I am passionate not just about writing books kids will love, but also helping students grow confident in their own reading identity and writing skills. I’ve spoken in schools across the country, sharing my reading and writing journey, and leading the kids in creative writing workshops that reveal just how amazingly creative and intelligent they really are.

“An incredibly educational and engaging presentation that not only inspired my students, but got them excited about Rump and fairytales in general.”— Katie Lawrence, Librarian, Immaculate Conception St. Joseph School, Chicago, IL — “An incredibly educational and engaging presentation that not only inspired my students, but got them excited about Rump and fairytales in general.”
— Katie Lawrence, Librarian, Immaculate Conception St. Joseph School, Chicago, IL

School Visits

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*PLEASE NOTE: Liesl will not be booking any more in-person school visits for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. She is happy to accept requests for next school year.

Please read through all of the information before requesting a school visit.

To learn more about Liesl Shurtliff's author visits, please view the Visit Information packet. It contains a lot of helpful details, including presentation topics, writing workshop themes, and fee structure. When you are ready to schedule, or simply want more information, please submit a request.

Visit Info Packet

Submit a Request

10 Tips for a Perfect Author's Visit

Want to make your day with Liesl as wonderful as possible? Then read this excellent post on the Nerdy Book Club blog about Ten Tips for a Perfect Author Visit by Michael Shoulders.