General Comments
On Aaron With Kids
On Aaron With Teachers and Librarians
Aaron Shepard has something for everyone—librarians, teachers, parents, children of all ages, and aspiring young writers. Aaron’s fun, entertaining, and educational presentations are not to be missed.Mary J. Wong, librarian, Phoenix, Arizona
Aaron Shepard! Wow! What a treasure chest of stories you have to entertain and delight us! No matter what you do, you are always entertaining and enriching.Jan Lieberman, librarian, Santa Clara Public Library, Santa Clara, California
How we enjoyed having you! You were a big hit with students and teachers. Our teachers are often hard to please, but they loved your presentation. The highlight was, of course, your storytelling. Reading one of your books soon to be published was exciting for all, too. Good job, Aaron!Anita Knight, school librarian, Clairbourn School, San Gabriel, California
You did a fantastic job and the money was well spent. Thank you so much for giving my kids the kind of memories that will stay with them. Our kids need more like you who are willing to reach out to touch their lives in a positive manner. Thank you again for your great work in getting kids interested in reading.Victoria Gregor, teacher, Booker T. Washington Middle Magnet School, Tampa, Florida
I wanted to thank you for giving so much of yourself to our students. The exchange between you and the children was dynamic. I don’t think we’ll ever be the same at West DeFuniak!Kathy D’Arensbourg, teacher, West DeFuniak Elementary, DeFuniak Springs, Florida
Aaron comes prepared for his audience but is also adaptable. He has the ability to entertain large groups of students, including groups of varying ages. All four of Aaron’s performances which I attended during the [young readers] conference were well-received, with a good variety of stories and presentation styles. Students were responsive during the storytelling session, gratified when they heard a story from their own cultures, and showed a real interest in his books.Marianne Newman, librarian, San Gabriel, California
Everyone can’t stop talking about how much they/we enjoyed your visit with us. Thank you for all your creativity, kindness, honesty, and energy. We’re still on a high at the school. The kids couldn’t get over how you used your whole body and your incredible sound effects to tell your stories. What an inspiration for us all!!!!Judy Harrison, teacher, Bel Aire School, Napa, California
The kids are still asking for your books!Phyllis Sigmond, librarian, Lake Country School, Hartland, Wisconsin
Aaron Shepard’s visit was a real multicultural event! Aaron did a good job of explaining the writing process to all grade levels—including the importance of research.Linda Pagnella, librarian, Robert H. Down Elementary School, Pacific Grove, California
Aaron, you did something really amazing. In a matter of minutes, you had 22 teachers doing reader’s theater effectively. You were concise in your explanation, your materials were easy to follow, and we did it. I can hardly wait to do reader’s theater with kids in the middle grades.Sharon McMillan, special education coach and mentor teacher, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California
Aaron Shepard gave a presentation for our Napa Valley Reading Association’s Speaker Series in which he shared his wonderful books and ideas for turning the stories into reader’s theater activities in the classroom. The teachers who attended enjoyed Aaron’s stories and the hands‑on activity of creating a mini-reader’s-theater presentation. Many of the teachers felt empowered to go back to their classrooms and put Aaron’s ideas right to work. It was a pleasure to have the experience of being immersed in Aaron’s storytelling, and then to get to work with colleagues in putting on a fun reader’s theater activity.Ann Guadagni, Napa Valley Reading Association, Napa, California