school visits

To request an in-person or virtual speaking engagement, please contact Authors Out Loud or view her SPEAKING PROFILE.

For publicity related inquiries (news media, interviews, bookstore visits, etc.), visit my Contact Page for further information.

image of woman speaking with kids book

Photo credit Chataqua Institute

topics for interviews and speaking

Understanding Contemporary Social Justice Issues And Craft Choices In Writing About Them

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MASCOT, CONTENDERS, and WE ARE STILL HERE!

Traci’s recent fiction and nonfiction works link historical and contemporary social justice issues. She’ll share her process in determining how she decides the target audience, format and craft choices she makes to raise awareness and hook readers into those stories.

Contemporary Native American Representations In Children’s Literature

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Native people show up more often in children’s literature than they do in classroom texts and mainstream pop culture. Traci will highlight her work and those of others that provide all students of all ages with much needed books that reflect the contemporary lives of Native Nations and their citizens in the United States.

Crafting Compelling Nonfiction

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The popularity of nonfiction in children’s literature continues to grow as more books enter the market showcasing innovative text structures, captivating art, and engaging text. Traci will share the tools she uses to research and craft compelling nonfiction books.

An Author’s Life: Reading, Writing, Revising & Teaching

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What does an author do? Traci will reveal her path to becoming a published author, including how she draws inspiration from those early visits to her school and local libraries to craft stories as well as how becoming a first-generation college graduate shapes the work she does now.

professional development and workshops

Understanding Contemporary Social Justice Issues And Craft Choices In Writing About Them

Evaluating Self and Building Collections with Accurate Native-Focused Content

Evaluating Self and Integrating Native-Focused Content into Teaching Practices

Not Culture Clubs: Understanding the Sovereignty of Native Nations in the US

Traci Sorell provides professional development programs for educators and librarians, drawing from her prior experiences in higher education, law, policy, and nonprofit management. She seeks to help both groups examine themselves and then evaluate whether their library collections or teaching practices ensure the availability of accurate Native representation for those they serve. She also presents on the sovereignty of Native Nations with US borders and their relationship with federal and state governments, explaining why this foundational knowledge is critical for all those living in this country.

Traci earned her J.D. at the University of Wisconsin and her M.A. in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and is a first-generation college graduate. Prior to writing for children, she directed a national nonprofit advocating for and serving Indigenous elders and worked in Washington, DC on national health care issues for Native Nations and their citizens. She also worked as an attorney writing tribal codes and training tribal court personnel. She previously taught at the University of North Dakota and the University of New Mexico.

  • “Traci Sorell is a passionate, funny, and engaging speaker. She doesn’t pull punches about the wrongs she’s trying to right with her books but doesn’t come off as preachy. She saw the lack of native voices in books and decided to become one. And by choosing to write children’s books she proved such books are for everyone. Her book, Contenders, distilled the information to the essentials and informed and entertained readers of all ages.”

    — Wilmington Memorial Library, 2023

  • “We were lucky enough to have Traci Sorell visit our K-8 Tribal School this past year. To say it was remarkable would be an understatement! She spoke to all our kids about her award-winning book and shared teachings about the beautiful Cherokee culture. She also spoke about how important representation in literature is for all students, and how under-represented our Native American students are in contemporary children’s literature. She shared excerpts from her upcoming stories with them and did writing workshop sessions with several of our classes. She even met with smaller groups of students to share her own path to becoming a published author. She helped my students to see that being a writer is a real possibility. Many students today have a hard time figuring out how to become something they cannot see, and Traci helped my students imagine themselves as future authors, showed them a pathway to get there, and provided them with the inspiration they need to share their own stories. Miigwech, wado, thank you, Traci!”

    — Susan Solomon, Gifted Education Specialist, JKL Bahweting School, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

  • “As a writer for young people and a lawyer and Native American policy-maker, Traci is an ideal visitor to any school setting, from elementary schools to universities. Over the course of one day, I observed Traci talk about writing and Cherokee culture with elementary students, and then converse with teachers and university professors about education, writing, Native voices in children’s literature, Cherokee history, and federal policy with equal comfort. Traci has so much to share with children, their teachers, and their parents— about the writing process, the representation of Native Americans in contemporary children’s literature, and more.”

    — Dr. Mary Ann Cappiello, Professor, Language and Literacy, Lesley University and former Chair of NCTE’s Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Young People, Cambridge, MA

  • “Traci Sorell is a treasure! My students, many of which are Cherokee citizens, were so excited to explore the Cherokee heritage through the pages of her book. They loved hearing and reading We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, learning the Cherokee language, and getting a glimpse into the Cherokee culture. Wado, Traci! You are welcome in our library any time!!”

    — Christi Horner, Librarian, Glenn C. Moore Elementary School, Nowata, OK

  • “We appreciated the range of learning styles touched on in the course of your presentation. By incorporating movement, art, literature, emotional intelligence, and an appreciation for diversity, you invited the entire room of young readers to engage with your lovely book.”

    — Kit Ballenger, former Program Director, An Open Book Foundation, who coordinated visit to Payne Elementary School in Washington, DC

  • “During her visit, Traci engaged with children, teachers, teacher candidates, and university faculty in a variety of settings. Each interaction brought delight, challenge, insight, and enriched appreciation of not just Cherokee culture but also the many lovely ways of being in this world. Wado, Traci!”

    — Dr. Sue Christian Parsons, Associate Professor and Jacques Munroe Professor of Reading and Literacy, Oklahoma State University

Media kit

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