A read-aloud visit where Clarence shops for a robot — and the kids do the math. Author Jonathan Bach, live in your school or library.
No form. No portal. Just an email.
PTA reading, full-school assembly, single classroom, or virtual — same content, different footprint.
The whole school gathers. Clarence shops. Kids answer questions, spot the deals, and figure out the math before Clarence does. Grades 1–5 in one room. Loud. Fun. Educational, whether they notice or not.
Parents in the room changes everything. Kids show off what they know; parents realize they're sitting through a money lesson, too. Works as a standalone PTA event or paired with curriculum nights.
More room for discussion when it's just one class. Read-aloud plus the interactive shopping activity — kids physically compare "robots" and vote on the better deal. Works especially well for Grade 2–4 financial literacy units.
Same visit, Zoom or Google Meet. Works for schools in any state — or for districts running coordinated financial literacy week programming across multiple buildings. Presentation materials shared in advance.
In-person visits currently available in Maryland, Delaware, and the greater DC Metro area. Travel considered for multi-school bookings.
Roughly 45 minutes. No prep required from teachers. Here's how it flows.
Jonathan introduces the book and Clarence's mission — earn a robot reward, then figure out how to spend it like a smart shopper.
Full read-through with stops for interactive questions. Kids predict what Clarence should do next. Spoiler: they argue about it.
Students compare two robots side-by-side — price, features, markdown. They vote. They debate. One kid always argues for the more expensive one. He's usually wrong.
Open Q&A covers the financial terms from the story — budgeting, comparison shopping, coupons, clearance, savings. Teachers get a terms reference sheet.
If books are available, Jonathan signs. For assemblies, a signing table is set up after dismissal. Personalized inscriptions — just bring the book.
Most schools find at least one budget line that fits. Here are the most common ones.
Author visits are a standard PTA line item. If your PTA has done any cultural arts event this year, this qualifies. A one-page visit description is available on request.
Financial literacy author events are eligible under Title I supplemental services. Check with your school's Title I coordinator — most already have an author visit category.
Dollar General, Barnes & Noble, and state humanities councils (Maryland Humanities, Delaware Humanities) all fund school author events. Grant cycles vary; plan 60–90 days ahead.
Maryland and Delaware credit unions actively fund K–5 financial literacy programming. If your district has a credit union relationship, this is the fastest path to full sponsorship.
For multi-classroom visits, the fee splits across participating classes. A visit covering four classrooms often costs less per class than a single field trip bus.
Many districts have a cultural arts or enrichment fund separate from classroom budgets. Check with your arts or enrichment coordinator — author visits are a natural fit.
Documentation for grant applications and PTA budget requests is available on request. Happy to write a one-paragraph program description for your proposal.
Most schools have the same questions. Here they are.
4–6 weeks is ideal. Fall slots (September–November) fill early — if you're planning a financial literacy month event in October, reach out in August.
Projector or display screen for the virtual option. For in-person: a microphone if the group is larger than 80 students. That's it. No prep work, no printed materials needed in advance.
Yes — order forms go home two weeks before the visit so families can pre-order. Jonathan signs every copy, including those students already own. Hardbound, $19.99.
Absolutely — and it makes the visit land harder when kids already know the characters. All six classroom resources are free at clarencegetsabargain.com/educator-toolkit. No email required.
Written for Grades 1–5. The read-aloud and shopping game are designed so younger students engage with the story and older students dig into the financial concepts. Mixed-grade assemblies work well.
Yes. Pricing is based on visit format and travel. Email to discuss — the goal is to make the visit work within your budget, not the other way around. Virtual visits are priced lower than in-person.
Slots are limited. Email to check availability — include your school name, grade levels, preferred format, and a rough date range.
Maryland · Delaware · DC Metro · Virtual Available Nationwide