Janet Riehecky

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Janet Riehecky is the author of 124 books for children. She published her first book, Sharing, in 1988 and has gone on to publish both fiction and nonfiction titles, including the popular Red Door Detective Club mystery series and a 24-volume series, Dinosaurs!, which won the Summit Award for Best Children's Nonfiction. Ms. Riehecky is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Dinosaur Society, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of American Magicians. She has a B.A. in English Education from Illinois Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Communication from Illinois State University, and an M.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University. She served as the National Director for Kids Love A Mystery, a national literacy program, from 1998 to 2004.

Programs:
The Magic of Writing
Janet Riehecky reveals that there is magic in the writing process in this unique program.
A professional magician as well as a children's author, Ms. Riehecky performs a series of magic tricks that guide students through the steps of creating a story: generating ideas, structuring a plot, creating characters and editing. Kids see that writing can be fun and learn to "change the ordinary into the extraordinary." The presentation can be adapted to the age level of the audience and is an ideal way to kick off a creative writing unit or a Young Authors program.

Mystery and Magic
Kids choose to read mysteries more often than any other genre of books. This program encourages this interest with a presentation that is both a magic show and a "how to" for writing mysteries. Ms. Riehecky shows students how to build a mysterious plot, heighten suspense, plant clues, and create spooky characters, illustrating each step with a magic trick or illusion.

Dinosaur Encounter
Janet Riehecky, author of 34 children's books on dinosaurs, presents a highly visual and very entertaining interactive program, featuring the latest theories of how the dinosaurs lived and more than thirty-five fossils and museum-quality replicas of real dinosaur bones. Students will be able to view a tyrannosaur's tooth, an iguanodon's thumb, a velociraptor's claw, a 5' 7" long Apatosaurus femur, and even an entire Tyrannosaurus foot. They will also learn how scientists form their theories about dinosaurs.

The Care and Feeding of Pet Dinosaurs
This program is a highly visual and very entertaining program for younger children in which Ms. Riehecky guides the children through the jobs they would need to do if they really could have a pet dinosaur. Using huge props and PowerPoint slides, she shows them the equipment they would need and demonstrates how to take care of the best pet of all.

Discipline/Talent:

creative writing
magic
science
Mystery

Pricing Information

Pricing starts at: $350

Details

Grade level:  elementary school, library/civic
Performance Length: 45-60 minutes
Workshops/Residencies: Yes

Pricing Info

Single performance -- $350
Two performances -- $600
Three -- $800
Four -- $900

Technical Information

Set-up Time: 50-60 minutes
Strike Time: 30-40 minutes
Performer Needs: I need two large tables. When I do the dinosaur show, I need help getting the big bones into the facility.

Contact:

Janet Riehecky
Telephone: 847.695.9781
E-Mail: jr@janetriehecky.com
Web: www.janetriehecky.com

Address: 657 Shenandoah Trail
Elgin, IL 60123