Sally J.Pla Author Visits and Reading Resources

Dear Educators,

I love trying to inspire young readers to believe in themselves, and in the worth of their own self-expression. Every young person has something deep and valuable within them that is theirs alone to say.

Besides giving encouragement, and talking about my own path, my own books and stories, I touch upon mental health and neurodiversity. It goes with accepting ourselves and each other just as we are. I speak about pushing past fear, and how reading, and sharing stories, help us to open our minds and understand each other better – help us to be more fully human.

Virtual Visits: If your class has read one of my books and wants to discuss/ask me questions for around 30 minutes, it’s free of charge! Anything beyond that, we can figure it out.

In-Person Visits: If you’re in San Diego or in the NYC tristate area, and you are interested in putting something together, please feel free to reach out! I’m in those locations fairly regularly.

I’m reachable at sallyjplawrites@gmail.com anytime.

Reading Resources:

THE FIRE, THE WATER, AND MAUDIE MCGINN DISCUSSION GUIDE: Created by educator Leigh Courtney, Ph.D., who holds both master’s and doctoral degrees in education. This guide places an emphasis on helping readers analyze and comprehend the emotions and motivations of the story’s main characters.

A NOVEL MIND: My labor of love for the past few years has been creating this free online resource for exploring children’s literature that deals with mental health and neurodiversity. It’s been called “a gold mine” for educators and parents who are looking for the right book for the right child. There are educator pages, a searchable database of 1000+ books, and weekly blog posts by amazing children’s authors who draw from their own neurodivergent/mental-health experiences and passions in creating books that help and heal. Please check it out!

THE SOMEDAY BIRDS EDUCATOR GUIDE: This free curriculum-aligned guide inspires with bird-related, nature/science-related content as well as delving into Charlie’s journey to feel more at ease in the world.

THE SOMEDAY BIRDS (ALGUN DÍA VOLAREMOS) EDUCATOR GUIDE IN SPANISH: Free guide created by Spanish publisher Libros de Seda.

STANLEY WILL PROBABLY BE FINE – EDUCATOR GUIDE: Free curriculum-aligned guide to STANLEY, created by educator Nicole Mancini.

BENJI THE BAD DAY AND ME – EDUCATOR GUIDE: A beautifully done free guide courtesy of Lee and Low Books.

INVISIBLE ISABEL: The Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee has put together wonderful resources for ISABEL.