Hi there – and welcome to the World Read Aloud Day author Skype volunteer list for 2017!
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 2017 is Thursday, February 16, 2017
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 16th. 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 send an email to me know when you’re all booked up!)
World Read Aloud Day – Skyping Author Volunteers for February 16, 2017.
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 Maschari
HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray
Older Elementary & Middle School
8 am- 2pm EST
http://www.jenmaschari.com
jen.maschari@gmail.com
http://loreeburns.com
Laurel Snyder
Chronicle/Walden Pond Press
Elementary
Laurelsnyder.com
laurelsnyderauthor@gmail.com
Barb Rosenstock
Knopf/Random House, Calkins Creek, Dial, Dutton
Elementary
8am-3pm, CST
www.barbrosenstock.com
barb@barbrosenstock.com
Jen Swann Downey
Sourcebooks
Middle School
I am flexible and in the Eastern Standard Zone.
www.jenswanndowney.com
jsdowney@earthlink.net
Stacy McAnulty
Random House, Running Kids Press
Elementary
8:30 am- 3pm EST
www.stacymcanulty.com
author.stacymcanulty@gmail.com
Sarah Albee
Crown/Bloomsbury/Harper Collins/National Geographic
Older Elementary, Middle School
10-2 Eastern Time
sarahalbeebooks.com
albees@taftschool.org
Josh Funk
Scholastic/Viking/Sterling
Younger Elementary
3pm – 9pm EST
http://www.joshfunkbooks.com
joshfunkbooks+av@gmail.com
Jennifer Swanson
National Geographic Kids, Charlesbridge
Older Elementary, Middle School
10am to 4pm EST
www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Jennifer@JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Christine Pakkala
Boyds Mill Press
Younger Elementary
10 am-2 pm EST
christinepakkala.com
pakkala@optonline.net
Molly B. Burnham
HarperCollins
Elementary
9-4 EST
www.mollybburnham.com
mollyb.burnham@gmail.com
Lori Richmond
Bloomsbury; Simon & Schuster
Younger Elementary
9:30 am – 3:00 pm EST
http://www.loridraws.com/
lori@loridraws.com
Nanci Turner Steveson
HarperCollins Children’s
Upper Elementary/Middle School
7:30-10 Mountain Time
www.nanciturnersteveson.com
Auntiebook@gmail.com
Deborah Freedman
Viking Children’s Books
Elementary
9 am — 4 pm EST
http://www.deborahfreedman.net/wrad
Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic Press/S & S Aladdin
Upper Elementary/Middle School/High School
8 am- 6pm EST
http://sarahdarerlittman.com
sarahdarerlittman@gmail.com
Lauren Magaziner
Penguin Books for Young Readers
Elementary
9 am – 6 pm EST
http://laurenmagaziner.com/
lauren@laurenmagaziner.com
Lindsey Leavitt
Random House, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury
Elementary & Middle School
All day, Mountain time
www.lindseyleavitt.com
contact@lindseyleavitt.com
Dana Alison Levy
Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House
Elementary
8:30-3 EST
www.danaalisonlevy.com
dana@danaalisonlevy.com
Karen Romano Young
Chronicle Books
Upper elementary or middle school
9-5 EST
www.karenromanoyoung.com
wrenyoung@gmail.com
Melanie Conklin
Penguin (Putnam)
Elementary and Middle School
10am-2:30pm EST
http://www.melanieconklin.com/
melanie@melanieconklin.com
Laurie Wallmark
Creston Books
Elementary
9-5 (Eastern time)
www.lauriewallmark.com
laurie@lauriewallmark.com
Annette Simon
Candlewick
Younger Elementary
8 am – 2 pm EST
annettesimon.net
annettedsimon@comcast.net
Jennifer Brown
Little, Brown Books; Katherine Tegen; Bloomsbury
Older Elementary, Middle School, High School
8:30am – 2pm CST
www.JenniferBrownAuthor.com
JenniferBrownYA@gmail.com
Leslie Bulion
Peachtree/Charlesbridge
Elementary
7:30 am – 6pm EST
http://www.lesliebulion.com/
http://www.lesliebulion.com/contact
Mike Grosso
Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Older Elementary, Middle School
9:30am-10:15am and 3:15pm-6:00pm CST
http://mikegrossoauthor.com
me@mikegrossoauthor.com
Carmella Van Vleet
Holiday House/Charlesbridge/Nomad Press
Elementary
9:00 am – 3:00 pm EST
http://www.carmellavanvleet.com/
http://www.carmellavanvleet.com/contact.html
Laura Shovan
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House Children’s Books
Older Elementary
Hours: Flexible (EST)
www.laurashovan.com
laurashovan@gmail.com
Sara Nickerson
Dutton Children’s Books
Older Elementary
9am-2pm PST
http://saranickerson.com
saranick@comcast.net
Jane Kelley
Random House Children’s Books; Feiwel & Friends
Older Elementary
10 am – 2 pm CST
http://janekelleybooks.com/Home.html
janekelley@janekelleybooks.com
Rita Antoinette Borg
Horizons/Bloomsbury
Younger Elementary
3 hours/ Gmt +1 with Rome Italy
www.ritaborg.us
rita@ritaborg.us
Kara LaReau
Candlewick & Abrams/Amulet
Elementary
10-11am and 2:30-3:30pm EST
karalareau.com
karalareau@me.com
Anne Broyles
Charlesbridge, Tilbury House, Pelican Elementary
9-3PM PST
www.annebroyles.com
annebroyles@annebroyles.com
Cynthia Levinson
Peachtree/HarperCollins/Simon & Schuster
Older Elementary, Middle School
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST
http://www.cynthialevinson.com
clevinson@austin.rr.com
Ellen Wittlinger
Merit Press/F&W Media
High School
10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST
http://www.ellenwittlinger.com
pritchwitt@aol.com
Jenny Lundquist
Aladdin M!X/ Simon & Schuster
Older Elementary
9:15am – 2:30pm PST
wwww.jennylundquist.com
jenniferlundquist@gmail.com
Robin Newman
Creston Books
Kindergarten – Third Grade
10:00 am – 2:00 pm EST
www.robinnewmanbooks.com
robin@robinnewmanbooks.com
Karen Leggett Abouraya
Dial/Fable Learning
Upper Elementary
7:00 am – 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
handsaroundthelibrary.com
Karen@handsaroundthelibrary.
Anica Mrose Rissi
Simon & Schuster BFYR
Younger Elementary: Grades 1-4
10am to 5pm EST
anicarissi.com
anicamroserissi@gmail.com
Monica Tesler
Simon & Schuster
Older Elementary
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST
www.monicatesler.com
monicatesler@gmail.com
Sue Fliess
Albert Whitman & Co/Sky Pony Press
Younger Elementary
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. EST
www.suefliess.com
sue.fliess@gmail.com or http://www.suefliess.com/
Robin Yardi
Arbordale & Carolrhoda
Elementary (K-6)
7:00 am – 2pm PST
http://robinyardi.com
robin@blueeggbooks.com
Ronni Arno
Simon & Schuster/Aladdin
Older Elementary / Middle School
9 am – 2 pm EST
www.ronniarno.com
Sarah Sullivan
Candlewick Press and Macmillan
All Elementary and Middle Grades 5-7
8 am – 5 pm EST
www.sarahsullivanbooks.com
sarah@sarahsullivanbooks.com
Alan Katz
Bloomsbury
Elementary
9 am – 2 pm EST
alankatzbooks@aol.com
alankatzbooks@aol.com
Abby Cooper
FSG/Macmillan
Older elementary/middle school
9 AM – 3 PM Central
Www.AbbyCooperAuthor.com
AbbyRCooper@gmail.com
Madelyn Rosenberg
Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)/Holiday House/Scholastic
All Elementary, Middle School
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., EST
http://www.madelynrosenberg.
madelynruth@gmail.com
Laura Murray
GP Putnam’s Sons
Younger Elementary
9 am -2 pm EST
www.LauraMurrayBooks.com
http://www.lauramurraybooks.com/contact
Mary Crockett
Sourcebooks
Middle and High School
8 am – 2 pm EST
www.marycrockett.com
https://marycrockett.
Paula Chase
Kensington Books/Dafina Imprint
Middle School
9 am- 1:30pm EST
www.paulachasehyman.com
paulachy@gmail.com
Lisa Schroeder
Scholastic and Simon and Schuster
Older Elementary, Middle School, High School
8 am – 12 pm PST
www.lisaschroederbooks.com
lisaschroederbooks@gmail.com
Julie Segal Walters
Simon & Schuster
Younger Elementary
Available 12:00 – 3:00 EST
www.juliesegalwalters.com
julie.segal.walters@gmail.com
Dee Romito
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Older Elementary, Middle School
9:30 AM-2 PM EST
www.deeromito.com
dee@deeromito.com
Katy Kelly
Random House
Older Elementary
9:30-6:30 EST
katykellyauthor.com
katykelly202@gmail.com
Jenn Bishop
Alfred A. Knopf / Random House
Older Elementary, Middle School
10 am – 5 pm EST
http://www.jennbishop.com
jenn@jennbishop.com
Gail Nall
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Older Elementary and Middle School
10am-2pm EST
http://www.gailnall.com
gailnallwrites@gmail.com
Holly Thompson
Henry Holt, Delacorte/Random House, Shen’s/Lee&Low
Elementary, Middle School, High School
8am-5pm Japan time; 8am-11am EST
www.hatbooks.com
www.hatbooks.com/contact.htm
Erin Teagan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Older Elementary
8am-1pm EST
www.erinteagan.com
teaganek@hotmail.com
Brooks Benjamin
Delacorte/Random House
Older elementary/middle school
11:30am–12:45pm & 2:00pm–7:00pm EST
www.BrooksBenjamin.com
cbrooksbenjamin@gmail.com
Jennifer Wolf Kam
Charlesbridge Publishing
Middle School/High School
8 am- 2:30 pm, EST
http://www.jenniferwolfkam.com
jrwkam@aol.com
Hannah Barnaby
HMG/Knopf/Putnam/Simon & Schuster
All Elementary; Middle School; High School
9am – 2pm EST
http://www.hannahbarnaby.com
hannahrodgersbarnaby@gmail.com
Sarah Aronson
Dial
Older Elementary
All day- Central Time Zone
www.saraharonson.com
sarah.n.aronson@gmail.com
Janet Sumner Johnson
Capstone Young Readers
Older Elementary
9 am- 2pm PST
http://janetsumnerjohnson.com
rjljohnson.janet@gmail.com
Ammi-Joan Paquette
Philomel/Penguin, Candlewick, Bloomsbury
Elementary
11 am- 2pm EST
www.ajpaquette.com
http://www.ajpaquette.com/contact.php
Corey Ann Haydu
Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins
Older Elementary and Middle School
9-4 EST
www.coreyannhaydu.com
coreyannhaydu@gmail.com
Erin Petti
Mighty Media Press
Upper Elementary/ Middle School
10am-4pm
www.erinpetti.com
erin.m.petti@gmail.comJ. C. Phillipps
Viking/Houghton Mifflin
Younger Elementary
10 am – 2pm EST
www.jcphillipps.com
julie_c@rocketmail.com
Tamara Ellis Smith
Schwartz & Wade (Random House)
Middle School
8:30-11 and 12:30-2 (EST)
www.tamaraellissmith.com
http://www.tamaraellissmith.
Bridget Hodder
Macmillan/ Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Grades 4-8
all day – EST
www.BridgetHodder.com
http://www.
Ellen Booraem
Penguin Books for Young Readers
Middle School
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. EST
ellenbooraem.com
evb9@myfairpoint.net
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins; Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic
Elementary & Middle School
8 am- 2pm EST
http://olugbemisolabooks.com
olugbemisola@olugbemisolabooks.com
Jodi Kendall
HarperCollins Children’s Books
Upper elementary/Middle School
9:30am-12noon EST
www.jodikendall.com
http://www.
Julie Falatko
Viking Children’s Books
All Elementary
9:30-2:30 ET
juliefalatko.com
juliefalatko@gmail.com
Miriam Spitzer Franklin
Skypony Press
Older Elementary
9-2 EST
www.miriamfranklin.com
mspitzerfranklin@gmail.com
Virginia Zimmerman
Clarion Books/HMH
Grade 5-8 / Older Elementary / Middle School
830 am – 230 pm EST
www.virginiazimmerman.com
VAauthor@gmail.com
Shari Green
Pajama Press
Older Elementary
9:00 a.m. – noon PST
www.sharigreen.com
sharigreenbooks@gmail.com
Jody Feldman
HarperCollins/Greenwillow
3-7
All Elementary, Middle School
7:30am – 4:30pm Central
www.jodyfeldman.com
jody@jodyfeldman.com
Monica Carnesi
Penguin Random House
Elementary
9 am to 4 pm EST
www.monicacarnesi.com
monicacarnesi@mac.com
Lee Gjertsen Malone
Aladdin/ Simon & Schuster
older elementary and middle school
9am to 4pm, EST
http://www.LeeGjertsenMalone.com
LeeGjertsenMalone@gmail.com
Megan Maynor
HarperCollins Children’s Books
Younger Elementary
9:30am-2:00pm CST
meganmaynor.com
http://www.meganmaynor.com/contact-us/
Trisha Speed Shaskan
HarperCollins Children’s Books
Younger Elementary
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST
http://www.trishaspeedshaskan.com
trishaspeedshaskan@gmail.com
David Huyck
Kids Can Press; Tundra Books
All Elementary
9am-noon Central time
http://davidhuyck.com/
hello@davidhuyck.com
Kirby Larson
Scholastic/Random House/Walker Books for Young Readers/Little Brown
All Elementary and Middle School (depending on the title)
10 am – 2 pm, PST
http://www.kirbylarson.com
http://www.kirbylarson.com/contact/
Augusta Scattergood
Scholastic Press
Upper Elementary, Middle School
10 AM- 12 Noon, 2- 4 PM, EST
http://ascattergood.com
gsgood2@gmail.com
Shannon Hitchcock
Scholastic
Older Elementary
10:00 am – 2:00 pm EST
http://www.shannonhitchcock.com
www.shannonhitchcock.com/contact.html
Constance Lombardo
HarperCollins
older Elementary
10 – 2 EST
http://www.constancelombardo.com
Annemarie O’Brien
Alfred A. Knopf/Random House Books for Young Readers
Older Elementary
7am – 8am PST or 6:30pm – 9:30pm PST (on Feb 15th, if international)
https://AnnemarieOBrienAuthor.com
Annemarie@AnnemarieOBrienAuthor.com
Denis Markell
Delacorte Press
Older Elementary/Middle School
9am – 4pm EST
dmarkell@aol.com
Miriam Spitzer Franklin
Skypony Press
Older Elementary
9-2 EST
Jill Diamond
Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR)
Grades 3-5 (Older Elementary)
9:30-4 PST
www.jilldiamondbooks.com
jilldiamond78@gmail.com
Anna Raff
Candlewick, G.P. Putnam and Sons, Viking
Younger Elementary
9am – 3pm EST
Annette Bay Pimentel
Charlesbridge
Older Elementary
8 am- 2pm Pacific Time
http://annettebaypimentel.com
Tricia Clasen
Julie Fortenberry
Ann Ingalls
Scholastic and Penguin Books for Young Readers
Early Elementary (K-1)
8AM to 12AM CST
http://anningalls.com
ann.ingalls.books@gmail.com
David A. Kelly
Random House Children’s Books
Elementary
11 am- 5pm EST
http://www.davidakelly.com
davidakelly@gmail.com
Dianne White
Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster
Younger Elementary7 a.m. to 2 p.m. MST
http://www.diannewrites.com
dianne@diannewrites.com
Laura SassiZonderkidz
Preschool – 2nd grade10am – 3pm EST
Website: http://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/Contact via website: https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/about/contact/
Jodi Wheeler-Toppen
National Geographic Kids/Capstone/NSTA Press
Older Elementary
9 am – 1 pm EST
OnceUponAScienceBook.com
Contact me at https://onceuponasciencebook.com/contact-me/
Terry Pierce
Tilbury House
K-3
8:30-2:30 PST
http://www.terrypiercebooks.
terry@terrypiercebooks.com
J.R.Poulter/J.R.McRae
Hachette/Macmillan + others
All ages
8.00am-6.30pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) UTC/GMT +10 hours
www.
j_r_poulter@hotmail.com
North South Books
Younger Elementary
8 am- 2pm EST
http://www.jackieazuakramer.
Kim NormanSterling, Scholastic & PenguinLower Elementary10 am- 2pm ESThttp://www.kimnormanbooks.com
kimnorman@mac.com
Elly Swartz
Farrar Straus & Giroux
Older Elementary, Middle School
8am-3pmEST
www.ellyswartz.com
elly.swartz@comcast.net
www.rosanneparry.com
S.A. Larsen (Sheri)
Leap Books
Older Elementary & Middle School
8 am- 2pm EST
http://www.salarsenbooks.com/
sheri@salarsenbooks.com
Ann Whitford Paul
FSG, HOLIDAY HOUSE, SIMON & SCHUSTER
Younger elementary
11-2 pacific coast time
Margaret Dilloway
Disney-Hyperion
Middle Grade (Older elementary-middle school)
7-10:30 am PST
dillowayschoolvisits@gmail.com
Michelle EdwardsRandom House/Schwartz and WadeYounger Elementary
9:30-4:00 CT
http://michelledwards.com/
Anne Ylvisaker
Candlewick Press
Grades 3-6
9am-12pm PST
www.anneylvisaker.com
ylvisaker@mac.com
Nora Gaydos
Elementary (K-4)
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. CST
http://www.mirandapaul.com
wisconsinauthorsbooking@gmail.
Stephanie Robinson
Delacorte Press
Middle Grade (Grades 4-7)
Older Elementary/Middle School
9:30-12:30 or 1:45-2:45 Easter Standard Time
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