AUTHOR VISITS | Beato Goes To

Sucheta is passionate about educating young readers about the world and sharing her own personal stories from her travels. Invite her to classrooms, libraries and bookstores for writing workshops, story time and book signings. Sucheta has inspired kids ages K-12, college students and adults to write, travel and give back to the community.
Additionally, Sucheta has given keynote addresses and motivational speeches at conferences, graduation ceremonies, corporate lunch and learn programs, awards receptions, leadership groups, food festivals, cooking expos, travel shows, study abroad programs and more. She has spoken in Italy, South Korea, India and across the US. Sucheta was featured as one of the four authors from USA at BookFest 2018 in Bucharest, Romania.

Past Author Visits

Bookstores:

Barnes & Noble Booksellers (NY, GA),
Hills & Hamlets Bookshop (Serenbe, GA),
Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA),
Posman Books (Atlanta, GA),
Little Professor Bookstore (Birmingham, AL).

Schools:

Brandon Hall (Sandy Springs, GA),
Ivy Creek Elementary (Buford, GA),
Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, GA),
Oakwood Adventist Academy (Huntsville, AL),
Sarah Smith Elementary School (Atlanta, GA),
Sanders Elementary School (Austell, GA),
Teasley Elementary School (Smyrna, GA).

Libraries:

National Children’s Library of Moldova (Chisinau, Moldova),
Gwinnett County Super Readers (Gwinnett, GA),
Buckhead Library (Atlanta, GA),
Georgia Library Media Association (Peachtree City, GA),

Festivals:

All About Kids Expo (Gwinnett, GA),
BookFest Bucharest (Romania),
Decatur Book Festival (Decatur, GA),
International Festival of Northern Alabama (Huntsville, AL),
JapanFest (Atlanta, GA),
New York Times Travel Show (New York City, NY),
New York Travel Festival (New York City, NY),
Mississippi Book Festival (Jackson, MS).

Conferences:

SCBWI Spring Mingle,
KSU Conference on Literature for Children and Young Adults (Kennesaw, GA).

Other:

Consulate of Brazil (Atlanta, GA),
Delta Aviation Museum (Atlanta, GA),
Global Ties (Huntsville, AL),
Gwinnett Literacy Institute (Buford, GA),
Rotary Club (Marietta, GA),
Harvard Club of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA),
Rotary Club (Huntsville, AL),
Tomadachi Japanese Club (Sandy Springs, GA),
Samuel Ullman Museum, (Birmingham, AL).

Testimonials

“Sucheta Rawal is a gifted speaker and children love listening to her read and they love her books. Three thousand children
and their families attended the Kids Expo in Gwinnett last weekend and she captivated the audience. Many great writers
cannot speak as well as they write but she is the exception! We can’t wait to host her again!”

Denise Auger,
Gwinnett County Public Library

“Wow, what a rich cultural adventure Sucheta took us on with the help of Beato! The children were engaged,
the teachers were engaged, and we all were given a peek into a different way of living. Sucheta has a kind
gentle way of engaging her audience while encouraging them to think big. Her knowledge and passion for her
stories is infectious and heartwarming! if you are interested in exposing your students to a cultural adventure,
Sucheta and Beato will not disappoint!”

Linda Nelums,
Parent Facilitator,
Sanders Elementary School

“Sucheta Rawal has become one of our school’s most valued and popular partners when it comes to
school events. Ms. Rawal inspired our older students to consider careers in writing at our Career Day.
Sucheta also stirred a passion for learning about other cultures, the countries and their people with
her presentation at Cultural Arts Day. My favorite project was a special event we hosted for new
kindergarten families at Back to School. Sucheta read some of the books in the Beato Goes To series,
while children and parents enjoyed them in the park. This added a bit of “class” to the event and also
kept our families at the event longer, giving us a chance to talk to families more about the PTA,
membership and volunteer opportunities. Ms. Rawal is an absolute delight and an asset to any elementary
school!”

Kelly Lecture McCluskey,
Teasley Elementary School

“Sucheta Rawal was a guest author at Oakwood Adventist Academy. She did an amazing job reading
and sharing her literature with our students. The students truly enjoyed the lesson she presented
following the book reading. They did not want to let her leave. I highly recommend your school
inviting Ms. Rawal!”

Chantel Bailey-Callender,
K-8 Vice Principal,
Oakwood Adventist Academy

“Sucheta Rawal was our guest author for this year’s Mill Creek Cluster Student Literacy Institute, and
she did an amazing job! She promoted a true love for literacy with our students while explaining how
she travels to incredible countries to get her ideas! She walked our eager students, grades 1-8, through
the writing process, and did a fabulous job breaking it down for each grade-specific group. The students
LOVED hearing about Beato’s adventures! She is an excellent speaker, and we’re thankful she was able
to share her experiences with us this year!”

Samantha Carr,
Ivy Creek Elementary School

“We are so grateful to have had Sucheta Rawal as a guest speaker for our Global Youth Leadership in
Action Program this summer. The students loved hearing about Sucheta’s journey and how she found
her passion, and turned it into her life’s work . Sucheta is an inspirational speaker that touches the heart!”

Justine McDonald,
Brandon Hall

Knowing your audience is key to giving a great presentation. I always tailor my content to my audience (age, demography, etc), but here are main themes I cover.

Author Visit Programs for K-7:

15 mins – Skype: Video call

for classrooms and book clubs. Meet the author and ask your questions about the books. Many schools are using my books as part of their curriculum and this is a great opportunity to hear the story behind the story.

45 minutes – Elementary Schools:

I read one of my picture books and show the images. Then, I talk about how I got inspired to write books, and show photos of the main character (my real-life cat, Beato), other characters (Ruso the dog), and illustrations from the book (which are based on my own travels). Kids get excited to see the parallels between Beato and myself, as we ride a chopper and see a humpback whale.
With younger kids, I also talk about different aspects of a book, introducing them to what is an author and illustrator, genre, cover, publisher, etc.

1 hour – Middle School:

In addition to above, I walk them through the writing and illustration process – how to expand on an idea, create characters, use imagination vs. real life situations, work with an editor, create manuscript, approach publisher, market their books.

2+ hours – Writing Workshops:

Above plus writing workshops where we develop stories together. Class may be divided into authors and illustrators to work on a story concept as a group or individually.

Download information packet & FAQ’s for author school visits.

High School and College Students:

I give a 30-minutes presentation about my life – growing up in India, college life in Atlanta, and finding my passion for writing, traveling and entrepreneurship. Broadly, I speak about my career as a food and travel writer (traveling to 80+ countries), nonprofit organization, Go Eat Give (which raises diversity awareness) and my books, Beato Goes To (that teach kids about travel and culture). I inspire students to identify and pursue their passion, even if it means carving out a niche career. I have keynoted graduation ceremonies, conferences and retreats.

Parents and Teachers:

I have offered several workshops on how to raise kids in a diverse environment. Discussions include cultural sensitivity, resources available in the community, cheap travel abroad opportunities, and fun ways to teach kids about the world. I have hosted numerous cultural events, taken people on volunteer abroad tours, and worked with consulates and tourism departments from all around the world. My sessions have been highlighted by The Huffington Post and The Atlantic Institute.

Visit Sucheta’s website for more information about author visits, speaking engagements, and view speaker profile on SCBWI website.