I would love to come speak at your school or event!

This page contains a Biography of David Canzoneri, a section on Fees, and a Promotional Flyer / Order Form:

Who is David Canzoneri?

My journey went from birth in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1955, to Waco, Texas in 1957, to Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, to Waco, Texas again in 1976 where I married my wonderful wife Carrie before moving to Tucson, Arizona in 1978, then to Campbell, Texas where we have lived since 1985, being blessed with 4 great kids along the way.

I graduated from the University of Arizona in 1981 with a degree in Creative Writing. Upon graduation, I worked for three years at Bookman’s Used Books, Arizona’s largest used book store.  In 1985, I went to work for my friend Michael Sampson as the manager of the Cornerstone Bookstore in Commerce, Texas.  For the next 17 years, I read thousands of children’s books annually.  I perused all the publishers’ juvenile catalogs and read reviews in professional journals to find the best children’s books.  From that research, I created the Cornerstone children’s book catalog which featured more than 500 of the best titles in juvenile literature each year.

The Cornerstone became the official bookstore of the Bill Martin Literacy Conferences in the late 1980s.  I selected the “cream of the crop” to feature at Bill’s conferences. Our primary clientele were teachers.  Over the years, I met thousands of teachers and developed a pretty good nose for what they were looking for in children’s literature.  I met and worked with hundreds of the industry’s leading authors and illustrators, spending thousands of hours sitting with them as they signed books, taking them to and from airports, and enjoying meals with them at restaurants all around the United States.  I was privileged to get to hear most of these authors and illustrators speak and demonstrate their craft.  I learned from each of them and count many of them as dear friends.  Bill Martin was my greatest influence as he became my next door neighbor and close friend.

With Bill’s failing health and inability to participate in the conferences, the store eventually closed.  In 2002, I was hired as a kindergarten teacher at the prompting of several presenters from the conferences who thought my knowledge of children’s books and my interaction with teachers over the years had built within me the necessary tools for teaching (I was selected as the teacher of the year at our campus for the year 2007-2008.)  I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed teaching young children.  My desire to provide them with quality literature has pushed me to write books that I wish I could find on store shelves.  (I wish several of my stories had been available in book form while the store was open because I know I could have sold hundreds or thousands of copies over the years). Many of my stories have that educational focus behind them.  Others have grown out of stories I told or games I played with my own four children as they grew up.  I try to write well enough to be considered the “cream of the crop”.  That’s my touchstone as I write. 

As a boy growing up in the Mississippi public school system, I was constantly dismayed at how boring much of the literature was.  Reading was not much fun for me back then.  I try to make my stories funny and full of action when I can.  I want kids to laugh, and to be surprised by what they find in my books.  I strive to make them think as they read, to predict what will come next.  And I try to make the outcome as delightful as the wonderful ideas they come up with on their own.  My greatest reward when I read my stories to my kids is to hear, “read it again!”   Then I know I have done my work well.

In 2018 I retired from teaching after 16 years and began publishing my own books.  I am active as a deacon in our church, babysitting grandkids, playing guitar, golfing when I have time, and working on a thousand projects that I couldn’t get to while I was working.

Publishing History:

January 2023 - Tick Tock Tickle Bug, hardback (978-1-7320414-7-9)

January 2023 - Tick Tock Tickle Bug, paperback (978-1-7320141-8-6)

January 2020 - So Did I, hardback (978-1-7320414-5-5)

January 2020 - So Did I, paperback (978-1-7320414-6-2)

January 2019 - Cepilla Tus Perlitas Blancas, paperback (978-1-7320414-3-1)

February 2019 - Cepilla Tus Perlitas Blancas, hardback (978-1-7320414-4-8)

January 2019 - Brush Your Little Pearly Whites, paperback (978-1-7320414-1-7)

June 2018 - Brush Your Little Pearly Whites,hardback (978-1-7320414-0-0)

All of the above book were produced by Woodfrost Publishing. And more books are in the works!

2008 - My poem “Let There Be Pizza on Earth” was published in “The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry” (1-4169-3971-7, Simon and Schuster).  

April 2008 - I had two poems accepted by “The Mayo Review”, the literary magazine of Texas A&M, Commerce (April 2008). 

2003 - I had a reader’s theater script published in Michael Sampson’s textbook “Total Literacy” (0534603181, Thomson/Wadsworth, 2003).

1981 - I had a poem “Ebenezer, Mississippi: 1967” published in “Persona”, the undergraduate literary magazine of the University of Arizona. 

FEES

This section serves as a guide and is not set in stone.  I have appeared at very small venues with just a few kids, to making multiple presentations in one day, to presenting at literacy workshops.  I understand that every situation is different, and I will gladly work with you to make sure we are both satisfied with my appearance.

 SPEAKING FEE -My basic fee is $350 for an appearance where I make one 30-minute presentation to a group. If there will be several presentations, add $50 for each additional presentation.  If you can arrange for other nearby schools to host me the same day, the fee per additional school will just be $150 per school plus $50 for each additional presentation.

 TRAVEL FEE – The first 100 miles of travel from Campbell, TX will be free. After that, there will be a $.20 charge per mile if I drive. Remember to calculate mileage both ways.

 LODGING FEE - If an overnight stay is required, it would be up to you to pay for a hotel.  If you would rather not do that, there is a $150 charge for lodging.

 PER DIEM – Per diem will be $50 per day. This will cover me and my wife.

 These fees are a guideline and may be adjusted to make sure we are both happy.

PRESENTATIONS - If I am speaking to kids, I usually read my published books and accompany that with my guitar when applicable.  I begin by talking a bit about Bill Martin Jr because he had such influence on my writing.  I also feature some of my up and coming works that have not yet been published.  Along the way, I encourage the kids to keep on writing because the technology now exists for them to publish their own books some day.  I like to finish with some of my favorite magic tricks including the "invisible ball" which is always a crowd favorite. 

I presented to educators at the 2018 TAIR conference in Waco, TX.  My hour-long presentation was about my journey as a writer from childhood to today where I have published my own books.  I addressed the influences, both good and bad, that I encountered on that journey.  I explained the process I went through in producing my books and encouraged the participants to consider publishing their own.

 PROMOTIONAL FLYER / ORDER FORM

You may use this flyer as a poster advertising my appearance at your school. You may also send it and the order form home prior to the appearance if you wish. If you need JPGs or PDFs, let me know and I can send them to you: