I want to visit you!

SaltyKids Books is my independent children’s book brand, featuring the rhyming adventures Benny at the Beach and Sam in the City. These stories celebrate friendship, curiosity, and the beauty of both coastal and city life. I bring them to life through interactive author visits designed to engage and inspire elementary school students through storytelling, drawing, and creativity.

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One of my favorite parts of being a children’s book author and illustrator is visiting schools and meeting my readers. My presentations are lively and interactive—even the quietest students have fun chiming in with their ideas. My goal is to get students excited about reading and to empower them to start writing and drawing their own stories.

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What to Expect

 

Whether I’m presenting in the quiet comfort of a school library or classroom, or in a larger space like a gymnasium or cafeteria, I bring energy and enthusiasm to every author visit. Each program is tailored to the students’ age group, with sessions that grow in length and complexity depending on grade level. While I love smaller classroom groups of 20–30 students, I can adapt my presentations for larger audiences as well. Every session is designed to spark creativity, boost confidence, and encourage curiosity in young readers and artists.

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Session Options

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1. Storytime Spark (Grades PK–1)

   • Length: 30 minutes

   • Includes:

     • I approach the content of my presentation as both an illustrator and author

     • I explain my journey from fine artist to children’s book creator

     • How I came up with the ideas for my stories

     • A short lesson in illustration, including a digital drawing demonstration with a brief introduction to illustrating emotions

     • We have fun with rhyming!

     • Read-aloud both of my books

     • Coloring and writing handouts

     • Interactive Q&A

2. Imagination Workshop (Grades 2–3)

   • Length: 35–45 minutes

   • Builds on the earlier session designed to inspire creative thinking:

     • Interactive rhyming games and fill-in-the-blank activities

     • Introduction to character traits and simple story structure

     • Students practice basic drawing techniques to illustrate their own characters

     • Writing and illustration handouts to reinforce skills

     • More in-depth Q&A to spark student engagement

3. Young Authors Studio (Grades 4–5)

   • Length: 45–60 minutes

   • Builds upon earlier sessions with more advanced content:

     • Brief discussion on self-publishing

     • Drawing warm-ups and creative writing prompts

     • Brainstorming session using word webs to generate story ideas

     • Live demonstration on how to illustrate emotions through character drawing, with students following along on their own paper to create expressive faces and poses

     • Opportunities for collaborative discussion and idea exchange

     • Extended Q&A and reflection to inspire future authors and artists

 

Pricing

 

• Single Visit: $200 (one session)

• Half-Day Package: $200 for the first session + $50 per additional session (up to 3 sessions total)

• Includes book signing for kids and 2 signed books donated to the school’s library

• Travel Fee: May apply for schools located more than 40 miles from Sea Girt, NJ

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Tips to make the most of my visit

 

• Prepare the students: when you are sending home the order form tell them a little bit about me and my books. Get then excited for the visit. 

• Promote the book sales. This gives the students the chance to own a signed book by a real-life author/illustrator that they actually meet in their school.

• Encourage the students to take part in the take home activities. Students love coming up with ideas for my next book through this writing and drawing project! They get excited to have the chance to share their ideas with me.

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Reading and writing can be fun and exciting – the only limit is your imagination.

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Book Orders

 

Books can be purchased online in advance. I will provide a digital flyer for the school to distribute to families. Students are welcome to bring their books to school for signing following the presentation.

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Past Visits

 

I’ve had the joy of visiting a variety of schools across New Jersey, presenting to students in classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, and gymnasiums. My interactive sessions have been warmly received by students, teachers, and administrators alike.

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Recent visits include:

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• Sea Girt Elementary School - Sea Girt, NJ

• Sandpiper School - Spring Lake, NJ

• Parkway Elementary School - Mount Laurel, NJ

• St. Catherine School - Spring Lake, NJ

• Ocean Road Elementary - Point Pleasant, NJ

• Adelphia Elementary School - Howell, NJ

 

What people say...

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"We loved having Mrs. Accurso visit our first grade students at Parkway. Our students were enthralled as she took them on a journey through the writing and illustrative process. They were fascinated with how Mrs. Accurso developed each page of the book. Her warm personality made it easy for students to connect with her. I highly recommend her as a guest author!"  

~ Melissa Jost

Parkway Elementary School PTO President ~ Mount Laurel, New Jersey

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"I was excited to hear that Mrs. Accurso was coming to my school. I have both books and I think it's awesome that she is the illustrator and author. She makes me want to write a children's book some day."

- Makenzie Minkowitz

Student at St. Catharines Elementary School - Spring Lake, New Jersey

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