All Grade Levels & Professional Development, Writing & Revision
DISCIPLINE // Writing & Revision; Bird Study and Photography
BIO // Sneed is the author of more than eighty books for young people ranging from nonfiction picture books and older science books to middle-grade and YA novels. Before beginning his writing career, Sneed studied marine biology at UC Berkeley and earned a masters in scientific instrumentation from UC Santa Barbara. With the publication of his first book in 1993, Sneed quickly became known for his distinct, often humorous, voice and creative approaches to writing. His books have won numerous awards including the Treasure State Award and in 2006, Sneed was honored for his body of work by the Washington Post-Children’s Book Guild. In addition to his writing career, Sneed is an outstanding speaker, having shared his love of writing, reading, and science with students at more than 600 schools around the country. For the past ten years, he has also been teaching writing and professional development workshops to students and teachers. His book Teaching Nonfiction Revision: A Professional Writer Shares Strategies, Tips, and Lessons was published by Heinemann in 2017.
Selected Book Titles: Animal Dads; Beaks!; Shep—Our Most Loyal Dog; B is for Big Sky Country—A Montana Alphabet; The Governor’s Dog is Missing (novel); Double Eagle (novel); Dog 4491 (novel); Fire Birds: Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests; Woodpeckers: Drilling Holes and Bagging Bugs.
ARTIST STATEMENT // Despite the avalanche of technology sweeping over society, writing remains the best way to communicate information and, in most cases, express thoughts and ideas. Writing, though, can serve much deeper purposes. The act of composing and expressing oneself with words can be part of a life-long journey to self-understanding and personal growth. By encouraging writing skills, I seek to give people of all ages the best possible tools to succeed academically, professionally, and personally.
STUDENT PROGRAM DESCRIPTION // Short to extended workshops that give students vital tools to create powerful, clear prose. Also workshops to explore nature and science through birds and photography.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DESCRIPTION // Short to extended workshops that help educators understand what makes great writing great, and give them tools to teach these fundamentals in the classroom or library.
GRADE LEVELS // All