Author Mary Cronk Farrell

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"Mary was great!  
​The kids really enjoyed
her presentation and
insights about writing
​and primary sources."
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​"She was absolutely fabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her. She is a dynamic speaker and so knowledgeable.
Schools Visits

I enjoy working with students and teachers.

My programs are correlated to Common Core Standards.
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"Mary is a very
inspirational,
passionate ​speaker! 
We all enjoyed her talk."


I take a practical, hands-on, interactive approach, combining my own writing journey with exercises designed to give students confidence in their abilities while teaching solid writing skills. I speak frequently in the community and presents workshops in schools, libraries, bookstores, at camps and conferences. The programs listed below are examples of what I have presented before, but I also work with teachers and librarians to customize my presentations so students can get the most benefit from my visit.

My 30-years of professional writing experience includes:
  • six books published for young people
  • Ten-years as a television reporter in Spokane and Seattle
  • On-the-scene radio reporter
  • Eight years as a newspaper columnist
  • Published numerous freelance articles in magazines and newspapers
  • Published poetry as a teenager

For questions about my school visits, or to schedule a visit:
MaryCronkFarrell (at) gmail.com
509-838-5371 
Where Does Courage Come From?

Fannie Sellins lived in the Gilded Age of American Industrialization when the Carnegies wore jewels and their workers wore rags. She confronted anti-immigrant prejudice and discrimination. She stood up against violence. 

​Irena Sendler lived in Nazi-occupied Poland. She protested religious bigotry and persecution. She acted against racism and hate crime.

Both women showed up daily, working to improve the lives of poor women and children. Fannie and Irena risked their lives for what they believed, risked their lives fighting the very same injustices that plague our time.

What can we learn from Fannie and Irena?

How do we find courage for our time and our circumstances?

​Whether at school, at home or in our community in the midst of our everyday lives we can take small steps that add up to a big difference. Ordinary people busy with their daily routine can find courage to stand up and make life better in our communities.
 

This 50-minute interactive workshop is suitable for ages 10 and up. It works best with smaller groups such as individual classrooms. It may be combined with a more in-depth writing workshop 75-90 minutes in length.
The Feminine Face of Courage 

PURE GRIT: HOW AMERICAN WWII NURSES SURVIVED BATTLE AND PRISON CAMP IN THE PACIFIC is the little-known true story of 79 army and navy nurses captured POW by the Japanese in the Philippines shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In this 45-minute program I tell the story of one nurse, using her words, photos that didn't make the book and historical film footage from WWII. This presentation is suitable for assemblies of 5th-12th grade students.

With smaller groups of students in individual classrooms, it may be combined with more a more in-depth question and answer session, and/or a writing workshop 75-90 minutes in length.
teachers_guide_for_pure_grit.docx
File Size: 2838 kb
File Type: docx
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Meet the Author 
  • 30-minute program suitable for large or small groups of all ages
In this presentation I tell students how I started writing very young, go over the different types of writing jobs I’ve had, talk about the books I've written and answer student questions.

Empowering Reluctant Writers (and Confident Writers, too)
  • 45-60-minutes depending on grade level. Suitable for 4th - 12th graders. 
This workshop addresses deciding what to write about, both fiction and non-fiction, a workable formula for getting from beginning to end and how good writing skills empower people

Thriving Through Adversity: A Workshop Exploring Character  
  • 30-minute if combined with 30-minute Meet the Author Program
  • 60-minute recommended for 5th – 8th grades
Whether fact or fiction, my characters share one thing in common—they persevered in the face of adversity. Students will explore characters’ situations,reflect, discuss & write about ways to deal with adversity.

An Explosion or Learning

My historical novel Fire in the Hole! is based on true events, including an explosion that turned the course of Idaho history. It's the story of 14-year-old Mick Shea, son of a union miner in Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Mining District in the late 19th century labor wars. 

Students will see a hands-on demonstration of museum quality mining artifacts, showing how miners worked before electricity and power drills. I talk about how I conducted research for the novel and show students historical photos and newspaper articles. Includes a question and answer period.  

  • 30-minute large group presentation or suitable for K-4 classrooms
  • 60-minute presentation suitable for 5th-12th classrooms
  • 90-minute presentation includes a writing workshop 5th-12th classrooms
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Teacher Guide for FIRE IN THE HOLE!
File Size: 25 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Fiction Writing Workshop
  • 30-minute  Plotting & Character
  • 60-minute  Plotting & Character, Action, Dialogue, Description, Detail 

 Non-Fiction Writing Workshop
  • 30-minute What? Why? How? =Content/Purpose/Audience
  • 60-minute What? Why? How? with fundamentals of research
 

 Revision: The Secret to Good Writing
  • 30-minute recommended for grades 3rd – 8th
What is good writing? Revise by asking five big questions.
  • 60-minute recommended for grades 5th – 8th
Can’t get past the ‘It’s all done’ syndrome? This session will offer specific techniques and processes that can help middle school students achieve results through revision, including effective critique, self-editing strategies, and ways to help middle school students find their own voice.

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