Making the Most of Author Visits for Elementary Schools

“So, tell me about the new kid,” a kindergarten parent said.
“New kid?” I questioned.
“You know, Jerry. All we hear lately is Jerry and the cool things he’s doing.”
“Jerry Pallotta?” I laughed. “He’s not a new kid. He’s the author we’re studying – the one coming for a school visit.”

Wouldn’t you love to be a kindergartner’s friend? Give cool ideas to kids? Have your books discussed over dinner tables? If you’re an author, read on for ideas to create memorable author visits for elementary schools.

Breathe

Relax.

The idea of an author visit might frighten, intimidate, and overwhelm you. It might feel like herding cats. But you’ve done hard stuff before.

· You wrote a book.

· You published it.

· You have a message for the world.

This is the next step. You can do this.

Do the Research

Whether you’re getting started or a veteran, it’s interesting to research what other authors do during school visits. Browse their websites. Click their publicity tabs. See what supplemental materials they offer.

Stay abreast of literacy events at schools, libraries, and bookshops. News of local and visiting authors will often be shared in these places.

· Provide your email address on the library mailing list.

· Follow your favorite bookshops on Facebook or Instagram.

· Search for groups to join: a downtown commission, local school newsletters, and homeschooling groups.

When you hear about author visits, attend to study the moves the authors make. Note their schedule. Take several pictures to analyze their setup.

· Are they wearing something significant?

· What props or teaching materials have they brought?

· What makes their presentation stand out?

Take notes on their key points. If they offer a Question-and-Answer time, write down the children’s questions. (Later, consider how you would have responded to them.) Then, when you plan your author visits for elementary schools, adopt the best strategies you’ve discovered.

Build Hype in School Visits

Author Mike Thaler (https://mikethaler.com) knows about building hype. Entering his website, you’re immersed in yellow. Mike always wore yellow and invited kids to join him. (Although he no longer visits schools, you can find many ideas on his website.)

When author Anthony Fredericks (https://anthonydfredericks.com) visited, kids acted like attendees at a rock concert. Anthony enthralled his audience through hysterical and gross animals in a PowerPoint. His booming voice varied, raising and lowering to grab students’ attention and rein in their screams to hear everything he said.

Keep a Cool Mindset

The school media specialist probably did her best to provide copies of your books for classes to read prior to your visit. If those schools were anything like mine, there probably weren’t enough books to go around. Although we had great intentions, sometimes the books got lost in the shuffle of busy days.

Understand that some students (and teachers) may be clueless. Keep perspective. See this as an opportunity to show them who you really are and to gift them with the message oozing from your book.

Alternatively, other students and teachers may consider you an old friend. They may have analyzed your writing, visited your website often, and even own one of your books already.

Remember: Although this day is about you, it’s not only about you and your feelings. Keep your thoughts focused on the big picture, the reason and purpose you wrote this book. What message does this audience need to hear from you?

Leave Your Footprint

Showcase your strengths during author visits for elementary schools. If you’re an illustrator like the late Floyd Cooper, you could demonstrate illustration techniques. During his school-wide session, Floyd invited several kids and a teacher forward to simply draw a random shape on a huge piece of paper. With a bold marker, he quickly built intricate drawings from their marks that astounded the crowd.

My colleague was given one of these signed drawings. The piece literally hung on her wall in a place of importance all year. What’s more, kids referred to it repeatedly for fresh ideas when stuck in their writing and drawing.

You might wonder how an author could leave such a footprint. Jerry Pallotta (https://jerrypallotta.com/meet-jerry) shared the progression of one of his books on the large screen. Seeing his rough draft with scribbles and pencil marks enabled every young writer to recognize that he was just like them. Watching the sloppy copies fade into a typed draft and finally into a beautifully-complete book with color illustrations inspired us all. Jerry left us hope.

Give Everybody Something

Although you’ve probably determined a plan for book sales, those stats are much smaller than the actual number of children you’ll impact with your message. You have a unique opportunity to give something special to each child. Something they’ll treasure and remember you by.

A bookmark or kid-friendly business card is an easy possibility. Don’t go overboard and lose money from this creation. Simply give enough information for them to be able to find your name, website, and book titles.

You’d be amazed how long some kindergartners carry around a business card. Despite their prior knowledge of you, you’ve just started a new relationship. They’re your newest fans. Ideally those kids will now search for you in the bookstore, request your titles at book fairs, and go on the waiting list at the library.

That afternoon, they’ll go home, pumped about the experience, talking about your stories. Your bouncing rhymes will be stuck in their heads. Eventually, their parents will say, “Now, who was this person again?” I’m afraid those loyal followers are going to draw a blank… until they hand over your card. The next birthday or Christmas – or even on their cell phone that night, their parents might look you up and order your latest creation.

Have Fun

Invariably, something surprising will occur. Children are unpredictable. Don’t stress when unexpected things happen during your author visits for elementary schools. Commit to yourself that you will have fun. No matter what, this day will end. Keep smiling and nodding. Leave upbeat.

If you’d like to hear about our favorite authors and how they impacted my first graders’ lives – in THEIR words and voices, head over to our podcast, Kidtalk, to hear their episodes on “Beginning as Writers” and “Becoming Authors.” Just click below…

Kidtalk-Episode 3-Beginning as Writers | Kidtalk (podbean.com)

Kidtalk-Episode 2-Becoming Authors | Kidtalk (podbean.com)

How do you make the most of author visits? Please share in the comments.

(I hope you’ve found this first post in the series informative. The second one will focus on specific engagements you can do in specific classrooms or smaller groups. Stay tuned.)