Author Visit with Ying Chang Compestine: 

​Ying is a highly sought-after speaker who has visited schools across the U.S. and abroad, sharing her journey as an award-winning author. She speaks about how growing up in China shaped her writing and the challenges of writing in her second language. Her engaging presentations inspire students to find their own voice through storytelling.
Because she writes across multiple genres—from picture books and young adult novels to healthy cookbooks—schools often invite her to present to students of all ages. In addition to assemblies, she offers writing workshops, extended Writer-in-Residence programs, and hands-on cooking and healthy eating demonstrations for both students and adults.
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Ying’s dynamic school visits are tailored by grade level and can include cultural or culinary activities, writing sessions, and interactive discussions. While she doesn’t read her books during visits, she often references them—such as teaching a tai-chi pose from Crouching Tiger to younger students or discussing attention-grabbing openings with older ones.
She’s happy to work with teachers to customize each presentation. While there’s no set limit to the number of students per session, she prefers to keep each group within two consecutive grade levels. Presentations can be bilingual (English and Chinese), and each session ends with a brief Q&A.
“Ying took German Swiss International School (Primary) by storm.  She is the whole package from K-12 and has written humorous picture books, nail biting novels, and mouth-watering cook books. Her presentations were totally engaging with our students. Everything was well prepared and she left us wanting more. The year 5 students just soaked up her words about her writing tips. We definitely want her back and wait for her next book.”
– Megan Lindsay, Teacher-Librarian, German Swiss International School
Primary Grades (K–2): Introduction to Storytelling and Culture
​Ying’s presentation for younger students is lively and visual, highlighting the joy of reading, writing, and Chinese traditions. Students will enjoy:
  • Highlights from her childhood in China, emphasizing cultural traditions and food.
  • A peek into her life as an author and how she gets inspired.

Optional Activities:
  • Learn to use chopsticks
  • Dumpling-making demonstration
Upper Elementary and Middle School (3–8): Crafting Meaningful Stories
Ying offers a deeper look into the writing process and the real-life inspirations behind her books. She shares how she transforms memories, traditions, and everyday moments into powerful stories. Students will learn:
  • ​How to draw inspiration from personal experiences, family traditions, and day-to-day life.
  • How funny moments, family history, and even mistranslated menus inspired some of her most successful books.
  • A behind-the-scenes look at messy drafts, edits, and rewrites.
  • Step-by-step guidance on how to brainstorm, build, and revise a story.
  • Shares insights on adapting Banquet for Hungry Ghosts into a TV show.

Writer-in-Residence Program

​Ying offers a multi-day Writer-in-Residence program for schools seeking in-depth, hands-on writing instruction for their students. During this program:
  • ​She meets with each class five times over the week.
  • Students learn the basics of good storytelling—developing ideas, building characters, structuring stories, editing, and offering feedback.
  • By the end of the week, every student has a polished story.
  • ​On the final day, selected students present their stories to their peers.
​This program can also be adapted into shorter formats, as successfully done at the Universal American School in Dubai, Cairo American College, and  ​Vienna International School .

 Cooking with Ying

Many of Ying’s books center around food and include recipes. For schools interested in hands-on enrichment, she offers:
  • Student Cooking Activities: Choose a dish from her books and cook together in a small group or large-group demo.
  • Example: At Singapore American School, students cooked recipes from A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts after learning about her writing process. The book is now being adapted into a TV series—here’s the trailer below.
For Parents, Teachers, and Older Students
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These engaging sessions—similar to the ones she’s invited to present on luxury cruises—blend storytelling, nutrition, and hands-on cooking. At schools like Jakarta International School, her workshops have been so popular that extra sessions were added to meet demand.

Ying's Online Sessions
 

These sessions are especially popular with teachers whose students have read Ying's books and are eager to connect with her directly. Students often prepare questions in advance and enjoy engaging, inspiring conversations. In addition to answering their questions, Ying shares insights into her writing process.
No matter what the class size or age group, Ying's visits are fun, successful, lasting events!
​What people have to say about Ying's School Visits...
To book a visit with me, you can use the form below or contact my booking agent, Colleen Osborne at Macmillan Speaker’s Bureau.
Ying offers engaging school visits for students from elementary to high school. In addition, Ying has visited schools for fundraising events, cooking classes, and writer-in-residence programs. All events should be arranged 6 months in advance, but if Ying is already planning to be in the area, please reach out to see what can  be done.

For more information, including logistics, detailed information on topics and scheduling, equipment needed, working together to tailor a presentation to specific classes, and book ordering, please use the School Visit Contact form and include information you would like. The Preparing for a School Visit page also offers valuable information.

Feel free to contact us for any questions!
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