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Author Visits

Page history last edited by Mary Woodard 14 years, 4 months ago

 

Getting Ready for an Author Visit

 

Suggestions for providing a positive experience for our students and visiting authors/illustrators.

 

Objective:

1. To inform students, and motivate them to read and write.

 

2. To provide students with a better understanding of the process of creating a book, from the author/illustrator's initial idea to a basic overview of revision, editing, and printing.

 

The Librarian's Role

1. The response of the students and the enthusiasm of the teachers for this project reflect the attitude of the librarian.

 

2. Be certain that the principal is aware of the author's visit and includes the date on the school calendar.

 

3. If special arrangements for setting up chairs or moving furniture in the library are needed, get your principal's approval and request assistance from the custodians.

 

4. Large groups (such as all 4th, 5th and 6th grade students) in the cafeteria or gym do not typically result in a successful visit. If possible, have the author make one presentation in the morning and one in the afternoon. Never ask an author to do more than four sessions in one day.

 

5. The librarian and classroom teacher should prepare the students for the visiting author by:

  • making everyone aware of the author's background and published works
  • promoting the availability of the author/illustrator's books
  • suggesting art projects or other activities which relate to both the curriculum and the subjects of the author/illustrator's books
  • obtaining additional copies of the author/illustrators books to use prior to the visit
  • helping the expand the scope of activities by reinformcing concepts taught in the basic curriculum and linking those to the author's works, i.e., science
  • encouraging thank you notes following the visit

 

6. Children wishing to purchase books will return appropriate flyers along with the purchase price

 

The Author in Your School

You may want to have a committee of students greet the author at the entrance of the school.

 

Authors who will be supervised by the librarian or another staff member during the visit will not need to complete a background check ahead of time. They will, however, need to check in at the office with a driver's license to receive a name tag upon arrival.

 

The author/illustrator usually makes a 30-45 minute presentation. Following the presentation there will be time for questions and answers. Prepare students for this activity ahead of time in order to avoid inappropriate questions, such as "how old are you" or "how much money do you make". One way to do this is by role-playing. Ask one student to assume the role of the author. Have groups of students develop questions. Urge students to listen to each other as questions are asked and answered. This will address the problem of the same question being asked immediately after it was answered. Prior to the visit when the author's books are being introduced or read aloud, the students may pose questions. You may suggest that their question would be a good one to ask the author.

 

The Day of the Visit

Begin and end the session on time. Be certain chairs are arranged and teachers know when they are expected to be in the library. Following the presentation, students who have purchased books may have them autographed. Using an autograph form with the student's name on it will expedite the autographing.

 

Publicity and Videotaping

Any publicity for your school that goes home to parents should be approved by the principal.

 

Contact the Communications Department to have the event covered in district publications. Also work with them if you plan on doing any publicity in the local papers.

 

Photographs are great to use on your web site and to promote the author's books in the future, but be sure and get the author's permission before taking any pictures.

 

Ask for permission to videotape the presentation and show it to classes that were not able to attend the actual presentation.

 

 

 

 

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