School Visits - Take a walk on the wild side with J&P Voelkel
School Visits - Take a walk on the wild side with J&P Voelkel
Media & links about school visits

October 2011
KidsLive & the New York Public Library
March 2011
April 2009
February 2008
November 2007
November 2007
November 2010
What people have said
I loved it, and our students loved it. My homeroom students went home and talked about many aspects of the presentation to their parents and siblings (electric guitar, mealworms, foot-long centipedes, Mayan calendar, to name but a few). As we were writing in our journal today, I reminded my students what Mrs. Voelkel said about writing, to do it every day!!!!! Yes!
- Nancy Scott, 8th Grade Language Arts teacher, AG Wright Middle School, VA
Without a doubt, the best presentation I have seen in twenty years of teaching.
Pat Donovan, Academic Enrichment
Gloversville Middle School, NY
I had such a good time at your event! I cannot remember laughing so much during an author visit.
- Diane Black, BBGB Books, VA
“Jon and Pamela just finished a full day at our school for their book Middleworld. WOW!!! THEY ARE WONDERFUL!!! The students were sucked into their presentation and didn’t want it to end.”
Jacqueline R. Welch-Doubek, Librarian
Mannion Middle School, NV
You were amazing and the kids loved you!
Brandi Stewart, Changing Hands, AZ
“You know your are witnessing something truly special when you can sit through a presentation four times and be as captivated the first time as the last. The Voelkels have created an event that contains the perfect combination of education and entertainment. They present an amazing amount of cultural history, scientific information, and environmental exploration all while their audience laughs, gasps, squeals and bursts into spontaneous applause. The Voelkel’s visit is not just a presentation it is an inspiring event that students and teachers will remember for a long long time.”
Heather Hebert, Children’s Book World,
Haverford, PA
“The Voelkels are simply amazing, and utterly delightful to work with. In the course of 2 days, they appeared before almost 1000 children, and I’d lay money there wasn’t a one who was bored. AND they put across a lot of history and geography at the same time! The sessions are noisy: kids are screaming, yelling, laughing, trying to reach for the fried larvae — and the V’s egg them on. When the Maya King appears at the end it’s a fitting climax.”
– Carol B. Chittenden, Eight Cousins Children’s Books, Falmouth, MA
“Jon and Pamela Voelkel ... gave about the best presentation for kids that I have ever seen ... the response from both kids and teachers (particularly librarians) was phenomenal. The Voelkels turned a group of kids who were happy to be out of class, but otherwise just slunk low in their seats, into active and enthusiastic participants... The Voelkels arrive in their pith helmets and serve as tour guides through the rainforests of Central America. It’s when they spray the kids with water for authenticity’s sake that the kids really sit up and know this isn’t going to be adult talking at them for 45 minutes.”
Jennifer Stark, Customer Relations Manager
Barnes & Noble/Lincoln Center, NY
“The Voelkels’ presentation for their adventure book, ‘Middleworld’, was multi-sensory! Students at Edmunds Middle School were engaged by the passion demonstrated by the Voelkels for the Maya culture. They provided us with an adventure tour and a standard based curriculum that is hands-on, creative and educational.”
Carole Renca, Librarian
Edmunds Middle School, Burlington, VT
“Congratulations on a beautiful presentation that kept the students interested and engaged all the time!!! That was a wonderful experience for my kids.”
Gloria Estrella, Teacher
Wakefield Middle School, Tucson, AZ
“A unique, attention-grabbing multimedia show. The humor, history, and special effects were very well-received by our students, and though they gave 3 presentations in a row, the energy level remained high! The authors continually interacted with the audience, keeping them actively involved and continually learning about the Ancient Maya. The program was age-appropriate, enjoyable, and highly recommended.
Nancy Hemel-Brisco, Librarian
The Vail School, Tucson, AZ
"I can't tell you how much we all enjoyed your visit to Lafayette last week. It was one of the best presentations we have ever had."
Debbie Boutwell, Librarian,
Lafayette Middle School, MS
The Voelkels’ brilliantly choreographed and performed presentation combines wild fun and compelling educational material. They were a giant hit everywhere we went.
- Kenny Brechner, DDG Booksellers, ME
The Voelkels are charming, entertaining, and passionate about what they do - a winning combination.
- Trish Brown, Hooray For Books, VA
J&P at Morse Pond School
J&P at event in VT
Enter the mysterious world of The Jaguar Stones, where ancient temples come alive, and danger lurks around every corner in the Central American rainforest. It’s a place filled with history, mythology, and the wonders of nature, where every day is a battle for survival.
With J&P Voelkel as your guides, you’ll experience some of the sights, sounds and tastes of the wild. You’ll also meet the guardians of this forest - the Maya, past and present - and learn why so much about them remains unknown.

Their high-energy, multimedia presentation keeps grades 5-8 on the edge of their seats - and makes even reluctant readers eager to dive into the story.
PRESENTATION CONTENTS
A visit from J&P Voelkel covers the Maya (including a debunking of the myths about 2012), interviews with archaeologists, rainforest ecology, wilderness survival, and thoughts on writing - all served up with a dash of rock ‘n’ roll.
FAST FACTS
- Suitable for grades 5-8.
- No prior knowledge of the Jaguar Stones books - or the Maya - needed.
-The presentation can last from 40-60 minutes, depending on each school’s requirements. (60 mins includes time for Q&A, and book signing.) Please add on 30 mins for set-up and 20 mins for take-down.
-J&P are happy to present anywhere from a cavernous auditorium to a cosy library. But please note that, due to its theatrical nature, the presentation works best with a large audience - the more, the merrier!
- Aside from the main event, they enjoy meeting and chatting with smaller groups.
-J&P also offer workshops for smaller groups on the Ancient Maya from glyph writing to Maya math. These are ideally suited to when the students are studying Mesoamerica
-J&P have spoken at more than 70 schools across the country, they were speakers at Kidquake 2010 at the San Francisco Public Library, 5th grade speakers at 2011 Oxford Conference for the Book, and launched Kidslive! at the New York Public Library. They are regular presenters at AIA Archaeology Fairs, and have appeared on the Today Show, as guests of Al Roker’s book club (link).
-For more information about arranging an event or to discuss J&P’s current tour schedule, please email voelkel@jaguarstones.com
EVENT SUPPORT
J&P can provide posters to advertise your event, and advance book order forms to help you organize book sales and collect names for the signing.
