When I read my poems at school assemblies, in libraries, and at evening family shows, it's always a performance. At least that is my goal. I try to bring my poetic voice the "kid" in me, and the voice of kids everywhere to life. It's a voice that's worried, questioning, silly and serious, slightly polite and gently irreverent, all at the same time. It's a voice that tickles gigglebones and tugs at heart strings.

Family Shows - These are roughly one hour shows that take two forms:

1. School Celebrations - Often these happen at the tail end of a school residency, as a celebration of our work--giving the kids a chance to share their own poems with their families. We often gather in the school's gym or auditorium in the early evening. I am usually the "warm-up" act and MC welcoming everyone, reviewing the work we have done together, and reading some of my favorite family poems, before introducing the main attraction: the kids reading their own "fresh-cut" poems from our workshops. Sometimes we'll even do a little poetry workshop where families have fun writing poems together. It's great!

2. Performances - I also love to do performances for families and kids of all ages. These most often take place in town halls, libraries, or schools. I get everyone involved in sharing the fun of poems with lots of interactive poems and songs.

Everyone giggles, especially parents, at whom many of my poems are gently aimed. Often book sales and book signings follow the show. Funny you should ask?

Fund Raising & Book Signing - Schools and organizations often like me to sign books and CDs after the performance, and I'm more than happy to oblige. Selling books can be a great way to help pay for the performance. I'm happy to make my books available for sale at a discounted price that includes shipping. We can work to estimate book quantities in advance, and have books and CDs available for families to purchase and me to sign. Any unsold books can be shipped back to me.

Need More Information? Good! Please e-mail, write, or call me for more information and to plan a performance I promise will be "buzzed" about for a long time after I am gone! Also, you can check my schedule by clicking here. Thanks!

Ted Scheu
P.O. Box 564
Middlebury, VT 05753
(802) 388-1460