Liesl Robbins Shurtliff grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, the fifth of eight children. Suffering from Middle-Child Syndrome and living in what she thought was a very boring environment, Liesl was prone to invent wild stories. She convinced many people that she had been chased by mad cows in the pasture behind her house.

Liesl now lives in Chicago with her husband and three children. MONSTER VAN is the true story of her not-so-cool parents making her drive a 12-passenger van with the license plate “8SGREAT.” It was published in January 2008 issue of Guideposts Sweet 16. THAT TAKES THE CAKE!, a non-fiction article about the history of the Cakewalk, will be published in the December 2009 issue of Hopscotch for Girls. Two stories are on file for future publication with The Friend. She is currently revising a YA fantasy novel.

Liesl loves to do class presentations for grades K-8. They can be tailored to your needs but below are a couple successful presentations that are a blast for her as well as the kids.

Fairy Tales Questions- This presentation is built around our favorite fairy tales. We discuss questions we have about the tale or twists we think could be added. Then the kids take it upon themselves to draw or rewrite their favorite fairy tale adding their own twists and turns! (Grades K-6. Activities vary with ages.)

Storyteller Hour- What are the parts of a story and what makes it interesting? As a class we will brainstorm characters and conflict. We’ll discuss climax and resolution but the kids will finish the stories out on their own. (Grades 4-8)

Making Stories Out of Life- This presentation is built around Liesl’s “Monster Van” publication from Guideposts Sweet 16. We’ll discuss how our embarrassing or toughest moments can be springboards for some of our best stories. (Grades 5-8)

Contact Information:

Email: sendliesl@gmail.com
Website: http://www.writerropes.blogspot.com