School and Library Visits

To book school or library visits including presentations, workshops or signings, please contact Jesse directly

(360) 385-0543/mail@jessewatson.com

 

SCHOOL AND LIBRARY VISITS:

School rates:
Each session is $250 (45-60 minutes) with a maximum of four sessions per day, plus travel expenses outside the Port Townsend area. Discounts are available for multiple sessions and multiple days.

Each Work Shop is $350 (60-90 minute presentation/ art workshop) with a maximum of three per day, plus travel expenses outside the Port Townsend area. Discounts are available for multiple sessions and multiple days.

* Specific art supplies are required. Inquire when booking.

**Special discounts are also available depending on need, contact Jesse for details

Chess Rumble

Chess Rumble is the story of a young man named Marcus who is one fight away from being kicked out of school, when he encounters an unlikely chess master who challenges him to fight his battles on the chess board. Inspired by inner-city school chess enrichment programs, Chess Rumble explores the ways this strategic game empowers young people with the skills they need to anticipate their moves through the game of life.
Info about Chess Rumble:
ISBN: 978-1-58430-279-7. Interest & Reading Level: Grades 4-9. Themes: chess, family, school, bullying, conflict resolution, coping with death, mentors, urban life, African American interest.
To receive school discounts for class sets of Chess Rumble, visit http://leeandlow.com/order/special.html or call toll free 1.888.320.3190 ext.28.

And now to what really matters: WHAT DO THE KIDS THINK?

"I think your drawing are petty to me"

- Stephany

"I think your art is Asome!"

- Brittany

"Thank you for coming to our school and showing us how cool it is to be an artist."

- Kassie

"I cant wait for you to come back and do another workshop!"

- Sarina

"I cant believe how fast you animated our classmates. So fast. That was awesome. P. S. Hope to see you soon, dude."

-Sarah

"Every time a book comes out do you celebrate? I would."

-Lillian

"The drawings you did when you came to our school were really amazing."

- Julia

"I hope you are having fun painting and coloring. You really inspire me."

-Koby

"I have been inspired to write books because of you."

-Rhianna

 

 

Library/School Visits/Book Signings:

Upcoming:

-March, 2008 Mountain View Elementary School, Port Townsend, WA

Past:

-March 13, 2008 Jesse was a Keynote Speaker and held workshops for theYoung Writers Conference, Grant Street Elementary School, Port Townsend, WA

-February 4, 2008 Read Across America, Mt View Elementary School, Port Townsend, WA

-February 4, 2008 Parsons, Lecture at The New School of Design, NY, NY

-February 5, 2008 the Bronx Library Center, NY, NY

-February 6, 2008 Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY

-February 7, 2008 M.S. 61 Brooklyn, NY

-February 8, 2008 P.S. 196/158 Brooklyn, NY

-February 11, 2008: Jesse and Greg Neri gave presentations of Chess Rumble at the Juvenile Detention Center at Hunt's Point in south Bronx, NY

-February 11, 2008: Jesse and Greg Neri had a signing for Chess Rumble at Hue-Man Bookstore in New York City

-January 2008 Jesse held presentations and workshops for students at Blue Heron Middle School, Port Townsend, WA

-Saturday, November 17 Oak Harbor Library, Whidbey Island, WA

-Saturday, November 17 Freeland Library, Whidbey Island, WA

-November 26 - 30 Jesse will be giving a presentation and holding a workshop for students at Port Townsend High School, Port Townsend, WA

-Thursday, October 18 Mt. View Elementary School, Port Townsend, WA

 

Bring Jesse Joshua Watson to your school or library:

Jesse is able to quickly and effectively connect with kids. He conveys his genuine interest in them and it seems to be one of the reasons kids respond so well to Jesse and his presentations. After a recent Presentation/ Art Workshop, the teacher told him that it had been the best art lesson she had ever had. Not bad for such a short lesson. Word of mouth has been spreading quickly and Jesse's schedule is filling fast. He really enjoys connecting with the folks who read his books.

What is the length and content of my program?
45 to 90 minutes, depending on which program you choose.

1. I offer a 45-60 minute presentation in which I introduce myself and my books. Then I go through a Power Point slide show of the process of making my books. This includes fun photographs of my model and location shoots, the images in time lapse from rough sketch form all the way to final paintings. Before we finish up I like to ask for volunteers to be models from which I draw characters on the easel. They pick from silly animals and odd activities and we all have a blast. The kids who model can keep the drawings once we are finished. At the end I leave room for Q&A.

2. I also offer a 60-90 minute presentation/ art workshop. This is similar to the presentation above with the exception that instead of drawing models I have the kids work together with me on their own project after the slide show is finished. Activities have ranged from drawing chess pieces in a way that symbolizes themselves or another loved one using pencils (something I did in Chess Rumble), to illustrating their own cover for a story.

Detailed schedule must be sent to me at least two weeks prior to my visit. Please group students according to grade level for presentations.
No taping of any kind is permitted without my express, written consent.

 

What do I need to have on hand the day of the presentation?
* Digital Projector for a Mac Laptop (I have the adapter) (A document camera [elmo] is also very nice but not necessary)
* Easel
* Ten 27x34 sheets of paper per presentation (available from any office supply store in the presentation section)
* Two (non-toxic) colored markers of different colors
* Drinking water
* A room that can be darkened for an effective slide presentation

*For the Presentation/ Art Workshop, we will need specific art supplies. Please inquire when booking.

Ordering books:
Click here for the Recommended List of Books.
To order single books, order from Amazon.com. If you are ordering books in bulk, you have two options. You can call each publisher and order the specific book you want, or you can call a book seller and have them do a complete order for you. The publisher is listed on the title page of each book.

To order books from the publisher, contact:

CHESS RUMBLE

LEE & LOW BOOKS
95 MADISON AVENUE, SUITE # 1205
NEW YORK, NY 10016
212-779-4400 (ph.)
212-683-1894 (fax)
general@leeandlow.com

The HANK ZIPZER series

Grosset & Dunlap/Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
Phone: 212-366-2372
Fax: 212-366-2933

The ZIGGY AND THE BLACK DINOSAURS series

Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Customer Service:
1-800-223-2336Holiday House
425 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-688-0085
(Ask for Marketing)

THESE THINGS I WISH

Harper Collins
1350 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
Call Customer Service 1-800-242-7737

Tips for Great School Visits:

1. Read Jesse's books.
2. Have students write and illustrate stories of their own that are inspired by Jesses' books.
3. Create art projects inspired by Jesses' books
4. Have students write a book review of one of Jesses' books.
5. Have two classes participate in the process of creating a children's book: each class writes a story for the other class to illustrate.

 

 

Teaching:

Jesse makes great connections with students in a natural and effortless manner which has led to frequent requests for his return.

-Jesse has been an art teacher for the Jefferson Community School since 2005, teaching jr. high and high school students elements of art.

-Jesse held intensive two week art workshops with the students of Mt. View Elementary School, 2007

-Jesse gave a presentation and art workshop for the Port Townsend High School, 2007

-Kaleidoscope Weeklong Children's Art Workshops, Port Townsend Summer 2005, 2007

-Children's Festival of Art, Port Townsend Spring 2005

-Jesse was the art instructor for several years at the wonderful Port Townsend organization, Gatheringplace, that brings all sorts of creative classes to developmentally disabled adults.

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