The meteorologists have been buzzing for days, and that giant icy blob on the weather map is headed your way. The wood is stacked, you’ve been to the grocery store, and the hot chocolate is on the stove. There’s just one more snowstorm priority. What will you read while you’re cozied up and hunkered down?
This morning, the Albany Ave. Elementary Library in North Massapequa, NY sent me a photo of some excited readers getting ready for their big snow with my picture book OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW.
OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW is the story of a girl who goes cross country skiing with her father and discovers the secret world of animals under the winter snow. It’s a book I wrote because I’ve always been a fan of snowy weather and wait every winter for that first big storm.
Here are some other suggestions for reading by the fire when that first big storm arrives…
For Younger Readers:
I had to start with this one because it’s a winter-storm classic, now and forever. Thank you, Ezra Jack Keats, for THE SNOWY DAY.
Jane Yolen’s OWL MOON illustrated by John Shoenherr was one of our family’s favorites when the kids were small. It’s about a father and daughter on a quiet, snowy, moonlit adventure in the woods, searching for owls.
WINTER BEES AND OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD is a lovely, frost-laced poetry collection by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen. This one is perfect for reading aloud by the fire.
BLIZZARD by John Rocco helps us to remember the adventure of going outside for the first time after that big, big snow. It’s a little like being an Antarctic explorer!
And finally, I love THE LITTLE SNOWPLOW by Lora Koehler, illustrated by Jake Parker. This story of a small plow training for the big day is a great one for young truck fans.
For older readers:
TWELVE KINDS OF ICE by Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrated by Barbara McClintock, is one of the loveliest cold-weather read-alouds you’ll ever find. With the quiet joy of a freezing lake, it introduces readers to all the kinds of ice we see while we’re waiting to skate.
COLD AS ICE is Book 6 in Sarah Mylnowski’s Whatever After series of fractured fairy tales, popular with 2nd-4th grade readers. This one will be a particular treat for fans of the movie Frozen, since it plunges two kids into the icy world of The Snow Queen.
BREADCRUMBS by Anne Ursu is a Snow Queen retelling for older elementary readers. For everyone, really… This is one of my all-time favorite novels, so lovely and frosty and magical you’ll be able to see your breath when you read it.
ICE DOGS by Terry Lynn Johnson is a great title for middle school kids to curl up with while the storm rages outside. It’s the story of a teen dog sledder struggling to survive a storm and save her team.
For grown-ups:
WINTER WORLD: THE INGENUITY OF ANIMAL SURVIVAL was a book I picked up while I was researching OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW, but it’s one I’ve read many, many times since. Whether he’s writing about ravens, summer trees, or winter insects, naturalist Bernd Heinrich has a way of looking more closely than the rest of us – and reminding us through science how magical it is to wonder.
What are some of your favorite “big snow” reading recommendations to pick up when a winter storm rolls in?
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 Maschari HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray Older Elementary & Middle School 8 am- 12pm EST http://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 McAnulty Random House Kids Elementary 8:30 am- 2pm EST www.stacymcanulty.com author.stacymcanulty@gmail.com
Kim Norman Penguin, Sterling & Scholastic Younger Elementary 10am-3pm Eastern Time Zone www.kimnormanbooks.com kimnorman@mac.com
Ammi-Joan Paquette Philomel/Penguin Elementary 11am – 3pm EST www.ajpaquette.com joanpaq@gmail.com
Melanie Crowder Atheneum / Simon & Schuster Upper Elementary, Middle School or High School 8 am -11 am MST www.melaniecrowder.com
Julie Falatko Viking Children’s Books Elementary 9 am – 2 pm EST http://juliefalatko.com julie@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 Geographic Middle School, Older Elementary 1 – 3 Eastern Time sarahalbeebooks.com albees@taftschool.org
Jennifer Swanson National 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’s Elementary 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Central) http://mirandapaul.com wisconsinauthorsbooking@gmail.com
Molly B. Burnham Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins older elementary East Coast time available school hours www.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 Scholastic Upper 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 Miller Elementary Flexible to your needs–worldwide. (I’m PST) http://www.erindealey.com
Laura Sassi Zonderkidz (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) Younger Elementary, Preschool 10am – 2pm EST www.laurasassitales.wordpress.com
Sarah Darer Littman Scholastic Press/S & S Aladdin Upper Elementary/Middle School/High School 8 am- 4pm EST http://sarahdarerlittman.com sarahdarerlittman@gmail.com
Gail Nall Aladdin/Simon & Schuster; and Epic Reads Impulse/Harper Older Elementary and Middle School 10 am – 2 pm EST gailnall.com gailnallwrites@gmail.com
I’ll be updating this list every few days until WRAD, so if you check back, you’ll find that the options will change. Schedules will fill, so some folks will no longer be available, but there will also be new people added.
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
Hey, author-illustrator friends! To help schools plan their celebrations for LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day I’m putting together a list of author & illustrator volunteers who would like to read aloud to classrooms on that day.
(image courtesy of LitWorld)
World Read Aloud Day 2016 is Wednesday, February 24th. For the past several years, some authors & illustrators have spent part of their day reading aloud to classrooms via Skype to help schools celebrate. These aren’t long, fancy presentations. They typically run 10-15 minutes each, and 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 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
Interested in volunteering? If you’re a traditionally published* author or illustrator, here’s how to sign up:
Send an email to worldreadaloudskype@gmail.com.
In the subject line, write WRAD Skype volunteer.
In the body of the email, please put these SIX pieces of information, in this exact format, so that it can be copied & pasted into the list:
-YOUR NAME
-YOUR PUBLISHER
-GRADE LEVEL FOR WHICH YOUR BOOKS ARE MOST APPROPRIATE
(Younger Elementary, Older Elementary, All Elementary, Middle School, or High School)
-HOURS YOU’LL BE AVAILABLE AND YOUR TIME ZONE
-YOUR WEBSITE
-EMAIL WHERE YOU’D LIKE TO BE CONTACTED WITH WRAD SKYPE INQUIRIES OR A LINK TO YOUR WEBSITE CONTACT PAGE
So…the body of your email should look something like this example:
Laurel Snyder Random House Books for Young Readers Elementary 8 am- 2pm EST http://laurelsnyder.com
Laurel-email@gmail.com
Thanks for using this exact format. It saves so much time. Once I have all of your information, I’ll add you on the list and share it.
IMPORTANT: Whenever your schedule for WRAD is full, please send another email to worldreadaloudkskype@gmail.com to let me know that, and I’ll cross your name off the list so you don’t keep getting requests.
*This list is limited to traditionally published authors/illustrators 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 and ebook author/illustrator volunteers, I think that would be absolutely great, and I’ll happily link to it here. Just let me know!