Someone asked last week about planning for author visit. We just had
Betsy and Giulio Maestro at our school last week so I am sharing some of
my notes. They were great and I recommend them. I have also had Loreen
Leedy, Tom Birdseye, Bruce Degen, Steven Kellogg, Syd Hoff and others.
Get on your school calendar as early as possible; make sure your
teachers are reading the author's books to the students, creating
posters, projects, etc.
Combine with other schools in your area to fill several days and cut
expenses.
Choose authors that support an area of curriculum you are focusing
on--we've been working to improve nonfiction reading for the last two
years as a school, so our last two authors have specialized in
nonfiction.
On the day of the appearance, recruit a volunteer to be in charge of
showing the author where to go, getting lunch, making sure they have
water, escort, assistance, etc. I have a very nice Mom who used to be a
LMC volunteer here and decided to home school her daughter for middle
school. They work my author into their curriculum and are glad to spend
the day here and it's great to have their help.
If possible, make a link from the author's website onto your school
library website.
Create a gift basket for your author--school t-shirt, locally specific
souvenir (Dreamland BBQ sauce for here in B'ham works well), bottled
water, hotel room snacks, etc.
Get a writer's notebook for them to autograph (or two or three) and use
as prizes after they leave. It can just be a spiral notebook.
Be sure to take photos and get publicity before and after visit. Take
photos of author with students/classes, especially those who have
produced display work for you.
Prepare students. Student writing patterned after author's works makes
a nice gift. Mail copies of works completed to author after the visit
along with thank you notes.
Print out all your e-mail communications with your authors and save. I
keep a box of author visit materials and everything goes in that box.
Allow some sit down time for author to rest voice.
Plan for some one on one time for author and students, even if it is
just autographing time.
Sell the author's books. Again, if you can recruit a volunteer to come
in on the day of the visit and handle that for you, it frees you up!
Don't let the students take the books bought in advance--keep them in
the LMC for the day of the visit, so the books aren't at home when the
author's at school. Use post it notes to mark books, then author knows
what name to personalize the autograph.
Get a drawing or bookmark to duplicate for all students that your
author/illustrator has signed.
Put out welcome banners--photograph author in front of those, give a
copy to class who created banner.
Put up bulletin boards with author facts, newsletter info to parents at
home. Display author books in LMC. Read as many as you can to students
in advance.
Get permission to post the author's photo on your website.
Get outline of presentation if possible so teachers and students know
what to expect. Send schedule you have planned for author input before
you give to your teachers.
Ask permission (get it written) to videotape. Many authors will and
many authors won't let you video!
Invite parents to come in after school for autograph session (and sell
books then--again, get a volunteer to help if at all possible).
Have students write thank you notes afterwards and share what they
learned.
Follow up with students after the visit to get their feedback on what
they enjoyed and what they learned/how they plan to use what they
learned. Follow up with teachers to see how it worked for them. Follow
up with authors to get their suggestions for your next author visit.
Make sure you give the author the financial arrangements in advance and
have their check ready when they get to your school!!!
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