Setting and Character

GOALS:

To introduce children to the importance of setting and character, and to encourage them to incorporate their natural environment, especially wildlife, into their own writing.

DESCRIPTION:

Cat Urbain, author of MANUEL AND THE LOBSTERMAN, will lead a 45-60 minute interactive program that will include the following:

1. Author reading from the book, followed by a discussion about the characters in the story (including the animals-lobsters, seal, dog and seagull) and the setting.

2. Short writing prompt: participants will be asked to come up with two characters that are completely opposite, and one character that is a animal, and write a short description of each character. They will also write a description of the primary setting for their story.

3. Using puppets, props and live animals, author will lead a discussion about lobsters, their habitat and the lobstering.

HANDOUTS/PROPS:

The author will bring several handouts including:

• Manuel and the Lobsterman Scavenger Hunt
• The Maine Word Search Puzzle
• A full size lobster trap and lobster buoy
• Puppets
• Live lobster (participant allergies permitting)

The author will also bring copies of MANUEL AND THE LOBSTERMAN to sign and sell (at $16.95), donating 20% of the price to the sponsoring organization.

PRESENTER:

Author, Cat Urbain is a former middle school teacher with a Masters degree in education. Her novel, Manuel and the Lobsterman, and her short story, Mississippi Chameleon, were both finalist in the Tassy Walden Award: New Voices in Children’s Literature. Urbain presents programs at museums, nature centers, bookstores, schools and libraries.

AUDIENCE:

Children ages 8-13 and teachers, librarians, parents, grandparents, caregivers.

TIME: 45- 60 minutes plus endless questions

COST: $250 plus travel expenses

CONTACT: Cat Urbain at 203-876-7291, or email, urbaina AT sbcglobal DOT net