Virtual Author Visit Read Alouds for World Read Aloud Day 2022!

Are you ready for World Read Aloud Day? It’s an annual celebration of sharing stories from the amazing folks at LitWorld and Scholastic. This year’s World Read Aloud Day will be February 2, 2022!

If you’re new to this page, I’m Kate Messner, author of more than fifty books for kids, including these new releases.

I’m also a former middle school teacher and a forever reader. Each winter, I help out with LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day by pulling together a list of author & illustrator volunteers who would like to spend part of the day doing quick virtual read-aloud visits with classrooms around the world to share the joy of stories.

Before we get to the list, I want to share one other fun WRAD surprise. This is a busy time for many authors, and while we wish we could visit every one of your classrooms live, that’s just not possible. So this year, I’ve recorded a special World Read Aloud Day video for you, from FERGUS AND ZEKE AND THE 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL! This is the fourth book in our easy reader series about two mice who are classroom pets and the best of friends. (It’s just been released, and you can order copies now!)

Okay…on to this year’s read-aloud volunteer list!

WORLD READ ALOUD DAY IS FEBRUARY 2, 2022!

The authors & illustrators listed 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 a few 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 Zoom with your classroom or library on World Read Aloud Day, here’s how to do it:

  • Check out this list of volunteering authors and illustrators, 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 connect on February 2nd. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
    • Your preferred platform (Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, etc.)
    • 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 personal lives, 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 you’re a traditionally published author or illustrator who would like to be added to the list, you can fill out this form to sign up.  Once your schedule is full, please send an email via my website contact form, and I’ll remove your name from the list. Please note that due to deadlines and other obligations, it may take up to a week for me to update.

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