Speaker

Marc Aronson gives educational lectures that inspire young people and adults to ask questions, and discover new answers.

Aronson has won many awards for his books for young readers and has a doctorate in American history. His lectures cover educational topics such as mysteries and controversies in American history, teenagers and their reading, the literary passions of boys, and always leave audiences asking for more.

Biography

He has lectured at Columbia, NYU, and other major universities, at schools such as Dalton (NYC), St. Albans (Washington, DC), Greenwich Country Day (CT). He is currently developing a History Detective presentation that makes the process of investigating the past vivid and alive to young people. While he particularly enjoys meeting and engaging with challenging, bright students who want to test their mental muscles, he is equally adept at engaging young people who did not think they liked nonfiction. Aronson has given keynote talks at international conferences here and abroad, at state library conventions, to bookseller and writer's conferences, and at historian's meetings.

Rates

Available on request. Dr. Aronson's rates are defined by the time commitment a school asks him to make: how many presentations, how many students, with whom will he be speaking (middle grade, high school, advanced classes, teachers/adults), what is the travel time, will he need to stay overnight? Does the school need him to tailor presentations for the specific needs of its curriculum? Schools which plan to sell books or are accustomed to arranging author visits through publishers may also contact Michelle.Fadlalla@Simonandschuster (dot) com; Lara.Phan@us.penguingroup (dot) com; Jeff Reynolds; or Marjorie_Naughton@hmco (dot) com.

References:

For comments on his recent school visits contact, Benjamin_Labaree@cathedral (dot) org, Andrew Manso, amanzo@northport.k12.ny (dot) us, For evaluations of his presentations to adults, sam.rubin@nara (dot) gov

School Visits

Boys and Reading - What's the Problem? What's the Solution?

How can we get boys to read? The answer is obvious: find out what interests them. But we do the opposite. We treat reading as novel reading, and tell boys who like facts, battles, sports magazines, websites, or fantasy that they are not readers. In this presentation Dr. Aronson shows how to build bridges to reading by seeing boys for who they are.

Running time: 1 hour
For: Teachers, librarians, parents
Can be part of larger program with workshops

US and World History

How can we get students interested in history? Dr. Aronson gives young people the chance to experience history as an engaging detective story in which their passions and insights matter. From acting out actual Salem witch trial testimony to pondering changing definitions of race, students become active thinkers who care about the past. Making use of the latest scholarship, Dr. Aronson helps students to explore American History as World History. His presentations include:

Running time: 45 minutes - one hour
Grades 5-12 - including AP and IB Diploma
Three presentations per visit, more subject to availability

The Arts

How can we get teenagers interested in the arts? What does it mean for an artist to "keep it real"? Dr. Aronson uses music and art to trace the history of artistic rebellion - showing teenagers how their world of remixing and digital connection links back to Wagner and Manet, Stravinsky and Picasso, Warhol and Cage.

Running time: 45-minutes - one hour
Grades 8-12
Three presentations per visit, more subject to availability

Marc Aronson has worked as an editor and author of books for young readers for over twenty years. The American Library Association awarded him the very first Sibert medal for setting the standard for nonfiction for young people. He has also won the ALAN prize from the National Council of Teachers of English for his service to teenagers, and the LMP award for excellence in editing. Dr. Aronson's column, "Consider the Source" - on young people and nonfiction - appears in School Library Journal monthly. He received his Ph.D. in American History from NYU.