Leslie C. Youngblood is the author of two middle-grade novels. She was first published by Disney Books and is currently with Little, Brown for Young Readers. A former assistant professor of creative writing, she also enjoys working with elementary and high school students through various organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club and city-sponsored afterschool programs and recreational centers. She loves stepping back into the classroom, both in-person and virtually, to interact with students and spark their interest in reading and writing, especially with students of color who might not often see themselves books.

Presentation and Speaking Fees: Please use the contact form for fee information.

Leslie is currently scheduling in-person events and virtual visits,
presentations, and writing workshops. She will be offering both full-day virtual visits and individual presentations for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Virtual Author Visits: Full Presentation Plus Q&A
Cost: Please use the contact form for fee information
Available Dates: Flexible

Leslie’s virtual author visits consist of a 45-50-minute session that begins with a 25-30 minute presentation, including an informative, entertaining PowerPoint, or engaged
discussion without PowerPoint. Presentations wrap up with 15-20 minutes of Q and A with students.

Presentation lengths may be customized to fit class schedules, and Leslie prefers to discuss topics with teachers a few weeks prior to the presentation or workshop, so she may tailor the experience to supplement the teacher’s curriculum and best meet the students’ needs.

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Leslie has experience presenting to students and readers of all ages, ranging from young readers in elementary school to young-at-heart readers in book clubs.

* Note: A screen/Smartboard, projector, Wi-fi, and speakers will be needed for all virtual visits.

Leslie offers the following sessions as virtual presentations or individualizes after conversing with teacher:

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Creating Love Like Sky
• How I became a writer.
• How novels are created.
• What is a writing process?
• You can tell a story, too.
• Writing about your emotions.
• The Importance of Diversity in Storytelling,
• Research – Even in fiction, facts matter.

Motivational Topics
• You can write, too.
• Writing about your day.
• Overcoming Obstacles and Rejection

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Virtual Writing Workshops
Available Dates: Flexible 

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Leslie’s 45-50-minute virtual writing workshops consist of a brief presentation on Leslie’s writing process and progress to hands-on student writing. The following sessions are available as virtual writing workshops:
・Brainstorming! Let Your Thoughts Rain Down!
・Plotting – What Comes Next
・Dialogue—What Makes it Believable
・First Drafts –Not the Time for Perfection
・Show, Don’t Tell – The Best Way to Get Your Reader Engaged.
・Developing Characters –What Makes A Character Memorable
・Who is Your Main Character: What Makes Them Tick
・Where They Live – The Importance of Setting
・From a Voice to Your voice — Find the Way to Tell Your Story

Virtual Book Q&A
Available Dates: Flexible, but limited

Leslie answers readers’ questions about her books, writing process, and the joy of storytelling. She enjoys igniting the passion to write in people of all ages.

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Available for Conference Presentations and Keynote Speaking
 

• Rochester Area Children’s Author and Illustrators (RACWI), 2020: discussed my writing journey with writers at various stages of their writing careers.

• “Creating Love Like Sky,” San Diego Equity Conference, San Diego, CA, 2020: presented three sessions to teachers looking to bring more diverse books and authors to their classrooms.

• “Strong Girl Characters in Middle-Grade Fiction,” Greensboro Bound Book Festival, Greensboro, NC, 2019.

• “Promoting Your Work & Creating Engaging Dialogue,” Writers & Books’ The Ladder Literary Conference, Rochester, NY, 2019.

• “Tough Subjects in Middle Grade,” American Library Association panel, Washington, DC, 2019.

• Phillis Wheatley Black Women’s Book Festival, Rochester, NY, 2017 & 2018: featured presenter.

• Monroe Community College Human Book Event, 2018, Rochester, NY Accessible to students for several sessions to ask questions about traditional publishing.

• College of Brockport Interview Emcee, September 2018: selected to interview New York Times bestselling author Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give.

• Monroe Community College (MCC) Scholars’ Day Program, Rochester, NY, 2017: addressed scholars interested in the traditional publication process.

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Author-in-Residence

Leslie is available as an Author-in-Residence and will work with your school to
customize a program to best meet your students’ needs.

Please send an email via the contact form on the left for more information.