Hi there – and welcome to the World Read Aloud Day author Skype volunteer list for 2016!
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 2016 is Wednesday, February 24th!
Unfortunately, I’ll be traveling to a conference in Missouri on that day and won’t be around to Skype myself, but I promise to share a special video read-aloud here on that day, so bookmark this page & you’ll be able to share that with your students!
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’re a teacher or librarian and you’d like to have an author Skype with your classroom or library on 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 using the email provided or clicking on the link to his or her website and finding the contact form. 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 February 24th. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
- Your Skype username
- A phone number where you can be reached on that day in case of technical issues
- 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 their 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 February 24, 2016.
Authors are listed here (kind of randomly, actually…in the order they emailed me) along with publishers, available times, and the age groups for which they write. (PB=picture books, MG=middle grades, YA=young adult, etc.)
Phil Bildner
FSG and Chronicle
Older Elementary
9-12 (Eastern Time)
www.philbildner.com
philbildner@gmail.com
Jennifer MaschariHarperCollins/Balzer+BrayOlder Elementary & Middle School8 am- 12pm ESThttp://www.jenmaschari.com
jen.maschari@gmail.com
Joanne Levy
Aladdin M!X (forthcoming), Bloomsbury
Middle School
8 am – 4 pm EST
http://www.joannelevy.com
joanne@joannelevy.com
Stacy McAnultyRandom House KidsElementary8:30 am- 2pm ESTwww.stacymcanulty.com
author.stacymcanulty@gmail.com
Kim NormanPenguin, Sterling & ScholasticYounger Elementary10am-3pm Eastern Time Zonewww.kimnormanbooks.comkimnorman@mac.com
Ammi-Joan PaquettePhilomel/PenguinElementary11am – 3pm ESTwww.ajpaquette.com
joanpaq@gmail.com
Melanie Crowder
Atheneum / Simon & SchusterUpper Elementary, Middle School or High School8 am -11 am MSTwww.melaniecrowder.com
Julie FalatkoViking Children’s BooksElementary9 am – 2 pm ESThttp://juliefalatko.comjulie@juliefalatko.com
Lisa Jahn-Clough
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Elementary K – 3 (picture books) High school (YA novels)
9 am – 2 pm EST
www.lisajahnclough.com
jahnclough@gmail.com
Sarah Albee
Random House/Bloomsbury/National GeographicMiddle School, Older Elementary1 – 3 Eastern Timesarahalbeebooks.comalbees@taftschool.org
Josh Funk
Sterling Children’s
Younger Elementary
8am – 6pm EST
http://www.joshfunkbooks.com
joshfunkbooks+av@gmail.com
Jennifer SwansonNational Geographic Kids, Charlesbridge, Capstone Older Elementary, Middle School, High School 8am to 2pm EST www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com Jennifer@JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Miranda Paul
Lerner Publishing Group & Macmillan Children’sElementary9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Central)http://mirandapaul.comwisconsinauthorsbooking@gmail.com
Molly B. BurnhamKatherine Tegen/HarperCollinsolder elementaryEast Coast time available school hourswww.mollybburnham.com
mollyb.burnham@gmail.com
Anne Marie Pace
Disney-Hyperion, Scholastic, Henry Holt, Beach Lane
Younger Elementary
9-3 Eastern time, minus 1:45 – 2:15
http://www.annemariepace.com
annemarie@annemariepace.com
Augusta Scattergood
ScholasticUpper Elementary, Middle School
2-5 PM EST
www.ascattergood.com
gsgood2@gmail.com
Nanci Turner Steveson
HarperCollins Children’s
Upper Elementary/Middle School
8:30-11:30 Mountain Time
www.nanciturnersteveson.com
Ponywriter7@gmail.com
Alma Fullerton
HarperCollins, Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Elementary
8am – 2pm EST
www.almafullerton.com
almafullerton@almafullerton.com
Erin Dealey
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, Sleeping Bear, Kane MillerElementaryFlexible to your needs–worldwide. (I’m PST)http://www.erindealey.com
Laura Sassi
Zonderkidz (HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
Younger Elementary, Preschool10am – 2pm EST
www.laurasassitales.wordpress.com
Hayley BarrettCandlewick PressYounger Elementary 9-12 ESThttps://hayleybarrettwrites.wordpress.comhayleybarrettwrites@yahoo.com
Deborah FreedmanViking Children’s BooksYounger Elementary9 am — 3 pm ESThttp://www.deborahfreedman.net/
Nikki Loftin
Penguin (Razorbill)
Older Elementary
1 pm – 4 pm Central
www.nikkiloftin.com
nikki@nikkiloftin.com
Sarah Darer LittmanScholastic Press/S & S AladdinUpper Elementary/Middle School/High School8 am- 4pm ESThttp://sarahdarerlittman.com
sarahdarerlittman@gmail.com
Sarah Jamila Stevenson
Flux Books
Middle School/High School
10am – 3pm PST
http://www.sarahjamilastevenson.com
sjs@sarahjamilastevenson.com
Michelle EdwardsRandom House Books for Young Readers, HMHYounger Elementary9 am- 3 pm CSTwww.michelledwards.com
michelledwardsmail@gmail.com
Katy Duffield
Two Lions Publishing
Younger Elementary
9am to 3pm EST
www.katyduffield.com
katysduff@yahoo.com
Rosanne Parry
Random House Books for Young Readers
Older Elementary
8:30 to 2:30 PST
www.rosanneparry.com
rosanne@rosanneparry.com
Allison Ofanansky
KarBen
Younger Elementary
9 am to 5 pm. Israel (2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time)
www.karben.com
allison.ofanansky@yahoo.com
Lauren Magaziner
Penguin Books for Young Readers
Elementary
9 am – 6 pm EST
http://laurenmagaziner.com/
lauren@laurenmagaziner.com
Abby CooperFSG/MacmillanOlder Elementary/Middle School9 AM – 4 PM Central www.AbbyCooperAuthor.com
AbbyRCooper@gmail.com
Gretchen Kelley
Henry Holt for Young Readers
Older Elementary/early middle school
Available 8:00- 2:00 EST
gretchenkelleywrites.com
glelley2012@gmail.com
Jodi Wheeler-ToppenNational Geographic Kids and Capstone PressUpper Elementary/Middle8:30 am- 2pm ESThttp://OnceUponAScienceBook.
wheelertop@gmail.com
Denis Markell
Little Simon (Simon and Shuster)
Younger Elementary
9am – 2pm EST
https://www.goodreads.com/
Dmarkell@aol.com
Lindsey Leavitt
HarperCollins, Bloomsbury
Older Elementary, Middle School, High School
9am-3pm Mountain
www.lindseyleavitt.com
contact@lindseyleavitt.coMargie PalatiniSimon & Schuster, Harpercollins, Hyperion, Clarion, Dutton, Abrams, ScholasticAll Elementary10 am to 2 pm (Eastern Standard)www.margiepalatini.com
margiepalatini@netscape.net
Laura Murray
GP Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Random House Books for Young Readers
Younger Elementary
10:30 am – 12:30 pm EST
www.LauraMurrayBooks.com
LauraMurrayBooks@gmail.com
Dana Alison LevyDelacorte Press/Penguin Random HouseElementary9-3 ESTwww.danaalisonlevy.com
dana@danaalisonlevy.com
Pelican Publishing Co., Inc.
K-3
8:00am – 3:00pm Eastern Standard Time
www.keiladawson.com
keilavdawson@gmail.com
Character Publishing
Elementary, Picture Book
1:00-2:00pm EST
http://www.kirsticall.com/
Kirsti.call@gmail.com
Julie Segal WaltersSimon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman BooksYounger Elementary9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
http://www.juliesegalwalters.
julie.segal.walters@gmail.com
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Elementary
10 am -2 pm PST
Dianne White
Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster
Younger Elementary
10 – 3 pm MST
http://diannewrites.com
dianne@diannewrites.com
Capstone Young Readers
Older Elementary
Harper Collins
Older Elementary/Middle School
PST 12-3PM
www.jasminerichards.com
jasminenrichards@gmail.com
Marcie Colleen
Macmillan/Imprint, Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins, Scholastic
Elementary
9am-4pm PCT
www.thisismarciecolleen.com
marciecolleen@gmail.com
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster; and Epic Reads Impulse/Harper
Older Elementary and Middle School
10 am – 2 pm EST
gailnall.com
gailnallwrites@gmail.com
Robbie Byerly
ARC Press Publishing
Younger Elementary
10 am – 4 pm EST
www.trainingwheelsseries.com
Robbie.byerly@americanreading.com
Dee Romito
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Older Elementary/Middle School
9 am- 2 pm EST
http://www.deeromito.com
dee@deeromito.com
David A. KellyRandom House Books for Young Readers / Lerner PublishingElementary9 am – 5pm ESThttp://davidakellybooks.com
davidakelly@gmail.com
Melanie ConklinPenguin (Putnam)Older Elementary or Middle School10am-2pm EST
http://www.melanieconklin.com/
melanie@melanieconklin.com
Nancy ViauAlbert Whitman & Co.Younger ElementaryNoon – 3 pm EST
www.NancyViau.com
nancyviau@comcast.net
Creston Books, Berkeley, CA
Grades 3-6
11:30 Am- 2:30 PM EST
http://www.
djac2185@verizon.net
HarperCollins
Older Elementary (3rd-6th)
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Pacific)
Dan Paley
Tilbury House
Young Elementary
8am- 3pm PST
www.danpaley.com
dp@danpaley.com
Gerry Swallow (Dr. Cuthbert Soup)F
Bloomsbury
Older Elementary and Middle School, ages 8-12.
10-12AM Pacific
awholenotherbook.com
doctorcuthbertsoup@awholenotherbook.com
Authors & Illustrators: If your schedule is full & you need to be crossed off the list, please email to let me know. If you’d like to be added to the list, directions are here. Please note that this particular list is limited to traditionally published authors/illustrators, only to limit its size and scope. I’m one person with limited time. However, if someone else would like to compile and share a list of self-published, magazine, and ebook author/illustrator volunteers, I think that would be absolutely great, and I’ll happily link to it here. Just let me know!
Happy reading, everyone!
“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
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