Author Visits
Looking to ignite students' imagination and spark a love for storytelling? Maple offers dynamic and engaging school visits that transform writing and drawing into an exciting adventure! Students get to dive into the creative process, learn the secrets behind making picture books and graphic novels, and discover how to find ideas for their dream projects.
Perfect for:
• Young Readers: Pre-K, TK, Kindergarten, early literacy events, family literacy nights
• Elementary & Middle School: School libraries, assemblies, graphic novel celebrations, mythology and storytelling units
• Creative Classes: Writing classes, art classes, comics workshops
• Community Programs: Career days, literary events, festivals, AAPI Heritage Month programs
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Download PDF Package | Featured Presentations | Optional Workshops | Cost | Testimonials | Contact Maple
Maple is currently open for booking for the 2026-2027 school year.
Contact: maplelam@gmail.com
Want an easy packet to share with your school?
Download Maple’s Author Visit PDF with program options, testimonials, book information, and booking details.
Featured Presentations
Choose up to 3 presentations from below.
(1) MAKING FANTASTICAL GRAPHIC NOVELS
Maple shares insights of how she combined everything she loved since her childhood years and funneled them into her beloved graphic novel series Monkey King and the World of Myths. Discover Maple's behind-the-scenes process in creating comics and learn about the secret origin story when creating this exciting graphic novel series!
For 3rd grade and above. The talk will be 45 to 50 minutes.
(2) HOW TO CREATE A PICTURE BOOK
Sharing food is a common family experience among different cultures, as it is a sign of love and affection. Maple reads from her award-winning picture book Dim Sum, Here We Come! a book that follows a girl going for dim sum with her entire family, and in the process, learns about the true meaning of the dim sum experience. Find out Maple's creative process of making a picture book and how she weaves her personal experiences and passion into her stories.
For 2nd-5th grade students. The talk will be 45 to 50 minutes.
(3) SING, MOVE, READ!
A joyful visit for the littlest readers! Maple shares picture books, sings, moves, and talks about how pictures help tell a story. Featuring Dim Sum, Here We Come! and Shake My Sillies Out, students get to wiggle, listen, look closely, and join in the fun.
For Pre-K, TK, Kindergarten and Grade 1. The talk will be 25 to 35 minutes.
(4) LIFE AS AN ILLUSTRATOR AND GRAPHIC NOVELIST
Every creator's journey is unique and different, but there are also many similarities. Learn from Maple as she shares her experience from a comic-loving child to a full-time book creator. She talks in-depth about skills worth learning, the ups and downs as a creative, organizations to join, and how to grow as an artist and a creator.
For age 15+ / high school / career day / literacy night. The talk will be 45 to 50 minutes.
Optional Workshops
Workshops work best with smaller groups, where students have room to draw, write, brainstorm, ask questions, and try out storytelling tools they can use in their own work.
(A) HOW TO BUILD A HERO, A SIDEKICK, OR A MONSTER!
What makes a character unforgettable? In this hands-on workshop, students will learn how graphic novel creators build characters using personality, goals, strengths, weaknesses, visual design, and story conflict. Then, they will design their own hero, sidekick, or monster inspired by mythology, adventure stories, and their own imagination. This workshop supports character development, creative writing, visual literacy, mythology, and storytelling.
Best for Grade 3–6. The workshop will be 50 minutes.
(B) DRAW YOUR OWN MYTH MASH-UP!
Inspired by Monkey King and the World of Myths, students will use a guided “myth menu” to choose a legendary creature or figure, a magical ability, a flaw or weakness, and a problem to solve. They will design a myth-inspired character and sketch a short comic scene that brings their idea to life. This hands-on workshop supports world mythology, multicultural storytelling, creative writing, visual literacy, and student imagination.
Best for Grade 3–7. The workshop will be 50 minutes.
Testimonials
Check out what school and teacher librarians are saying about Maple's presentations!
"Listening to Maple's stories about nurturing creativity since childhood was incredibly inspiring for our students. She not only encouraged them to embrace their artistic talents but also shared practical tips for fostering creative sparks. It was a delightful visit that left everyone buzzing with excitement and joy!"
~ Coco Liu, School Librarian.
The International Montessori School.
"Maple is a fantastic presenter! Her presentation is filled with tons of pictures and personal stories that kept the children riveted from start to finish all while giving them an insight into creating graphic novels. Maple kept a great pace throughout, there was never a dull moment. The children absolutely loved hearing her talk."
~ Miriam Bates, School Librarian.
Nord Anglia International School, Hong Kong.
"What a delight it was to host Maple Lam at Peak School! We had two fantastic workshops with her for our Year 5 and Year 6 students, and we couldn't have asked for more. Maple was so calm and patient, even with all the many questions from our eager students. It was great to hear about her professional journey, and the workshops were truly memorable. We can't wait to have her back again!"
~ Hema Mathivanan, School Librarian.
Peak School.
"Our teachers and students were very excited to meet Maple Lam as many of them were already familiar with her graphic novel, Monkey King and the World of Myths. Her ability to weave shared cultural experiences and Chinese myths and legends into her stories fostered a connection with our students that generated a lot of buzz and excitement in the room. Her experience and practical advice to our students about the writing journey was also useful and motivating for our students."
~ Ashanti Mayes, Teacher Librarian.
Canadian International School of Hong Kong
"Dim Sum, Here We Come! was super fun and a great story about family. She explained how she improved as a writer and illustrator. We like that she didn't hide anything from us, telling us exactly how often she retried or restarted and showing us how to do it. By telling us this, we now feel a lot more confident about our own ideas. We are excited to borrow her books from our library, and we hope Maple visits us at FIS again soon. "
~ Ashley Hamilton, School Librarian, and students (Grade 3)
Lycée Français International | French International School
"We are so grateful that Maple could share with us her creative process of being a graphic novelist... Students highly appreciated her perseverance to pursue her dream and learned that they could blend their own culture and observation into their creative works."
~ Florence Au, School Librarian.
Shatin Methodist College.
Email Maple to inquire about 2026-2027 author visits.