Stephanie Bearce
Children's Author • Speaker
Solve Mysteries!
Dig for fossils!
Build inventions!
Plunge into reading!
Bring Hands-on science, history, and literacy to your assemblies, classrooms, and family nights!
Choose from the following classes - or make a special request! I LOVE working with kids, families, and teachers!!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
I also provide professional development, helping teachers gain confidence in their writing skills and working to incorporate STEM subjects in their Writing programs. Below are some of my PD programs. I am also willing to design a program to meet your staff's needs.
STEAM in Storytelling
Science, technology, engineering, art, and math all tell stories—and students can, too. This workshop demonstrates how to integrate STEM concepts into creative writing and narrative nonfiction. Learn how to build hands-on writing lessons using experiments, data, and real-world problem-solving. Perfect for teachers who want to make writing dynamic, relevant, and fun.
Using Curiosity to Spark Learning
Curiosity is the secret fuel behind student engagement. This interactive workshop shows teachers how to turn questions into powerful writing starters using real-world mysteries, science surprises, and historical puzzles. Attendees will discover inquiry-based writing strategies that boost student motivation, critical thinking, and authentic voice in the classroom.
Teaching Writing Through Story and Structure
Stories are the engines of learning. In this session, teachers explore simple narrative frameworks that help students organize ideas, strengthen their writing craft, and improve clarity in both fiction and nonfiction. Learn practical strategies to guide students through brainstorming, drafting, revising, and sharing with confidence—while supporting state writing standards.
author visits
PRICES
In-person Author Visit:
Full day (3–4 sessions): $1,200
Half day (1–2 sessions): $750
Single assembly/workshop: $400
Evening family event add-on: $300–$500
Travel: IRS mileage or actuals; airfare + lodging for flights; multi-day/multi-school discounts day-rate to $1,000–$1,100.
I live in the St. Louis area. I do not charge travel for schools in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri.
Virtual Author Visit:
45–60-min assembly or Q&A: $200–$300
60–75-minute craft workshop (smaller group): $300–$400
Package (two virtuals same day): $500–$600
Professional Development for Teaching Staff
Full-day in-person PD / workshop: $2,500
Half-day in-person: $1,750
Single session (60–90 min): $750
Virtual session (60 min): $500
Travel is the same as for Author Visits
Ready to Book? Email me at smbearce@gmail.com. Please put "SCHOOL VISIT" in the subject line.
HOW TO BUILD A BOOK
Great stories don’t appear out of thin air—they’re engineered by curious minds!
In this fast-paced, interactive workshop, students uncover how real history,
wild science, and surprising true facts fuel exciting fiction.
Together, we’ll build a story from the ground up using student ideas,
bold characters, and twisty plots. Bring your imagination—this session
doesn’t just teach storytelling, it launches it.
(Based on the Raven Gallows Series)
RESEARCH LIKE A DETECTIVE- Investigate. Verify. Discover.
Students learn how authors dig up fascinating details using research strategies, primary sources, and clues from history and science. A perfect STEAM + literacy session that teaches how curiosity leads to discovery—and strong writing.
CRACK THE CASE - Writing Puzzles, Clues & Twists
A fast-paced session on building mystery! Students learn how to plant clues, craft red herrings, design puzzle-based plots, and build suspense step by step—just like real authors do.
JURASSIC SCIENCE
Dig for bones and create fossils while learning about Mary Anning,
the eleven-year-old girl who rocked the world with her discovery
of dinosaurs.
MYSTERIOUS MUMMIES
Frozen on mountains, dried in deserts, and dumped in peat bogs,
Mummies have glorious and gross histories.
Explore the past by experimenting with apples and
salt to create your own mummy.
INSANE INVENTORS MAD LAB
Practice teamwork and cooperation as you design and build your
own invention. Discover how famous inventors like Alfred Nobel,
Nikola Tesla and Madame Curie changed the world and made a
few mistakes along the way.
PIRATEOLOGY
Create your own pirate map and practice orienteering skills as you launch into the
history of famous pirates. Meet the most successful pirate in history - a woman! And
learn how Blackbeard lost his head.
SPY SCHOOL
Crack secret codes, practice a dead drop, and make an explosive
diversion while you learn about famous spies like Crazy Bet,
Ian Fleming, and George Washington.