Hi there! If you’re new to this blog, I’m Kate Messner, and I write books like these:
I also read lots of books, and reading aloud is one of my favorite things in the world. When I was a kid, I was the one forever waving my hand to volunteer to read to the class, and still, I’ll pretty much read to anyone who will listen.
For the past few years, I’ve helped out with LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day by pulling together a list of author volunteers who would like to spend part of the day Skyping with classrooms around the world to share the joy of reading aloud. World Read Aloud Day 2014 is March 5th.
The authors listed below have volunteered their time to read aloud to classrooms and libraries all over the world. These aren’t long, fancy presentations; a typical one might go like this:
- 1-2 minutes: Author introduces himself or herself and talks a little about his or her books.
- 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel
- 5-10 minutes: Author answers some questions from students about reading/writing
- 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books he or she loves (but didn’t write!) as recommendations for the kids
If you’d like to have an author visit your classroom or library for World Read Aloud Day, here’s how to do it:
- Check out the list of volunteering authors below and visit their websites to see which ones might be a good fit for your students.
- Contact the author directly by clicking on the link to his or her website and finding a contact form or email. Please be sure to provide the following information in your request:
- Your name and what grade(s) you work with
- Your city and time zone (this is important for scheduling!)
- Possible times to Skype on March 5th. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
- Your Skype username and a phone number where you can be reached on that day
- Please understand that authors are people, too, and have schedules and families just like you, so not all authors will be available at all times. It may take a few tries before you find someone whose books and schedule fit with yours. If I learn that someone’s schedule for the day is full, I’ll put a line through his or her name – that means the author’s schedule is full, and no more visits are available. (Authors, please let me know that if you can!)
World Read Aloud Day – Skyping Author Volunteers for March 5, 2014
Authors are listed along with publishers, available times, and the age groups for which they write. (PB=picture books, MG=middle grades, YA=young adult, etc.)
Random House Books for Young Readers
Elementary
8 am- 2pm EST
http://laurelsnyder.com
“World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology.” ~from the LitWorld website
A MILLION thanks for organizing this…I am beyond ecstatic to find this opportunity for my class.
I’d love to be part of this! how do I sign up????? xo Amy
Great list, Kate! Thanks for this. You are so awesome for the community helping like this. I signed up too, but not sure if I did it correctly. So great to see the other authors who signed up. Thank you!