Welcome to the Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs List! I’m Kate Messner, the children’s author and educator who maintains this site. I started it because I’ve found that virtual author visits are a great way to connect authors and readers, and I realize that many schools facing budget troubles don’t have the option of paid author visits. With that in mind, this is a list of authors who offer free 15-20-minute Q and A sessions with classes and book clubs that have finished reading one of their books. As an author, I offer free Skype chats for the following titles:
(Please check book release dates! Upcoming titles are also listed; Skype visits available upon book’s release!)
If you’re interested in booking a “virtual visit” with me, please visit my website or drop me an email (kmessner at katemessner dot com).
How does a Skype virtual visit work? Click here to read a blog entry about my students’ virtual visit with the fantastic Laurie Halse Anderson. It includes an overview of how a Skype chat with an author might work, as well as tips for teachers, librarians, & book club organizers to help your virtual visit run smoothly. You can click here to read my first School Library Journal technology feature on Skype author visits, called “Met Any Good Authors Lately? Classroom Visits Can Happen Via Skype” and this follow-up SLJ feature, “An Author in Every Classroom: Kids Connecting with Authors via Skype. It’s the next best thing to being there.” There’s also an ever-growing list of authors who offer both free and paid Skype visits at the Skype An Author Network.
Important note for teachers & librarians: Please check with the author via email to be sure he or she still offers free Skype chats before you purchase books or make plans. (Some authors offer only a limited number of free Skype visits, and some who start out offering free visits begin to charge later on. I don’t always get those updates right away.) And authors…if you’re on this list but no longer offer free Skype visits, please let me know.
Authors Who Skype With Classes & Book Clubs (for free!)
The following authors offer free 15-20-minute Skype chats with book clubs and classes that have read one of their books! (Many also offer more in-depth virtual visits for a fee.) To arrange a virtual visit, check out the authors’ websites for book choices and contact information. Then ask for their books at your favorite bookstore or visit IndieBound to find a store near you!
For Middle Grade Book Clubs (Ages 8-12)
Sara Lewis HolmesJacqueline HoutmanLynda Mullaly HuntMark JeffreyLynne KellyDerek Taylor KentRose KentMorgan KeyesJo KnowlesJane KurtzR.L. LaFeversIrene LathamJessica LeaderLindsey LeavittDebbie LevyCynthea LiuC. Alexander LondonDayna LorentzEric LuperJoAnn Early MackenTorrey MaldonadoLeslie MargolisNan MarinoStephen McCranieKate MessnerRita MurphyRichard NewsomeJennifer NielsenBarbara O’ConnorWendy OrrMitali PerkinsErica PerlSarah PrineasKatie QuirkOlugbemisola Rhuday-PerkovichYolanda RidgeKaren Romano YoungKurtis ScalettaAugusta ScattergoodLaura SchaeferLisa SchroederAdam SelzerLaurel SnyderMargo SorensonTricia SpringtubbAnna StaniszewskiCatherine StineMelissa ThomsonJennifer TraftonAnne UrsuGreg van EekhoutJ and P VoelkelCynthia WillisBarry WolvertonBarbara WrightTracie Vaughn Zimmer
For Teen Book Clubs
(Also check out the list of adult authors below; many also work with teens.)
For Adult Book Clubs
(Also check out the authors listed above; middle grade & teen novels can be great book club selections!)
Picture Book Clubs for Younger Readers (4-8)
Marsha Diane ArnoldMike ArtellLouise BordenLarry Dane BrimnerSusan Taylor BrownLeslie BulionTracey M. CoxKatie DavisLori DegmanElizabeth DulembaKathy DuvalSonia Clark FosterBruce HaleLaurie JacobsJane KohuthJane KurtzKara LareauDeb LundJoAnn Early MackenWendy MartinKate MessnerJamie MichalakKim NormanWendy OrrErica PerlJean ReidyBarb RosenstockMichael ShouldersMargo SorensonJennifer WardNatasha WingIf you’re an author of a traditionally published book who would like to be added, please email me (kmessner at katemessner dot com). For the sake of being clear, traditionally published means published in print by a widely recognized children’s book publisher. I recognize that e-books and self-published titles are also part of the publishing world, but a list that encompasses all of those would simply be too overwhelming for me to maintain. If someone would like to start a list of ebook and self-published authors who Skype, I think that would be great, and I’ll happily link to it here. So again…this is a list of traditionally published authors who offer FREE 20-minute Skype chats with classrooms & book clubs that have read one of their books.
If you’re a bookseller or book club member, teacher, or librarian, thanks for stopping by – and feel free to comment with any questions!
11 Comments
Thanks for putting this list of free resources together for teachers. My campus will be embarking on project-based learning model this coming school year and as the campus instructional coach I could use this in order to combine technology into the project that is created. Please join in on my blog or twitter with any helpful comments.
http://www.PBLjourney.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/bbtcarter
Passed this one to my school librarian. I’d love to see some Skype visits for our students. Thanks for all of your work.
Thanks! So glad you found the list helpful!
Many thanks, Kate. Passing this on to our school librarian!
Thanks, Joanna!
Add Carol Cassella (author of Oxygen) to your list of FREE authors who skype with adult book clubs. We had a wonderful visit with her a couple of weeks ago.
Glad you had a great visit with Carol! To avoid confusion (and surprises!) I only add authors when they contact me directly to request it, though.
I enjoyed meeting you at NCTE 11. Thanks so much for this list!
It was so great to meet you, too! Hope the list is helpful!
I love this. Thanks for taking such good care of us, Kate.
Thank YOU for all you do for authors & books!
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