Skype with an Author on World Read Aloud Day 2014!

 Hi there! 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 2014 is March 5th.

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’d like to have an author visit your classroom or library for 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 clicking on the link to his or her website and finding a contact form or email.  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 March 5th. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
    • Your Skype username and a phone number where you can be reached on that day
  • 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 his or her 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 March 5, 2014

Authors are listed along with publishers, available times, and the age groups for which they write.  (PB=picture books, MG=middle grades, YA=young adult, etc.)

 Anne Marie Pace
Disney-Hyperion/Scholastic
Elementary
9am-2pm EST
http://www.annemariepace.com
 
JoAnn Early Macken
Disney-Hyperion, Candlewick Press, Holiday House
Elementary
11 a.m.-2 p.m. CST
http://www.joannmacken.com
 
Laurel Snyder
Random House Books for Young Readers
Elementary
8 am- 2pm EST
http://laurelsnyder.com
 
Erica S. Perl
Random House/Abrams/Scholastic
Elementary/Middle School
10am-2pm EST
http://www.ericaperl.com
 
Tricia Springstubb
HarperCollins
Elementary
10-2 EST
http://www.triciaspringstubb.com
 
Julia DeVillers
Simon&Schuster, Penguin
Elementary/Middle School 
9a-11:30 am and 12:30-3 pm EST
http://www.juliadv.com
 
Joy Preble
Soho Press & Balzer and Bray
Jr. High – High School
10 AM – 2PM CST
http://www.joypreble.com
 
Erin Soderberg / Erin Downing
Bloomsbury / Simon & Schuster
Elementary / Middle School
10am-3pm CST
http://www.erinsoderberg.com 
http://www.erindowning.com
 
Donna Gephart
Delacorte Press/Random House
Elementary/Middle School
10am-3pm EST
http://www.DonnaGephart.com
 
Sarah Albee
(Numerous publishers)
Elementary/Middle School
10am-3pm EST
http://www.sarahalbeebooks.com
 
Nikki Loftin
Penguin
Older Elementary (Third Grade & up)
10am-2pm CST
http://www.nikkiloftin.com
 
Monica Carnesi
Penguin/Paulsen
Elementary
9 am – 2 pm EST
http://www.monicacarnesi.com
 
Lisa Schroeder
S&S/Scholastic
Elem/MS/HS PST
7:30-9:30 PST; 10:30-12:00 PST
http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com
Kristen Kittscher
Harper Children’s
Elementary & Middle School
11am-6pm EST
http://www.kristenkittscher.com
 
David Macinnis Gill
HarperCollins
YA/older MS EST
9am-2pm EST
http://www.davidmacinnisgill.com
 
Kami Kinard
Scholastic Press
Upper Elementary/Middle School
9am-2pm EST
http://www.kamikinard.com
 
Bob Shea
Hyperion
Elementary 
10am-2pm EST
http://www.bobshea.com
 
Frances Bonney Jenner  
Irie Books
Middle School  
MST  8am-3pm 
http://www.prairiejourney.com
 
Laura Purdie Salas
Clarion and Millbrook
Elementary 
10am-1pm CST
http://www.laurasalas.com
 
Kimberley Griffiths Little
Scholastic
Elementary/Middle School 
1pm-4pm Mountain
http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com
 
Kate Messner
Bloomsbury/Chronicle/Scholastic
K-8
9-10:30 am EST
https://katemessner.com
 
Jennifer Fosberry
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Elementary 
10am-1pm PST
http://www.jfosberry.com
 
Barbara O’Connor
FSG/Macmillan
Elementary School (Gr 4,5 optimum)
12-1:30 EST
http://www.barbaraoconnor.com
 
Patrice Lyle
Leap Books
Middle School
Most times, CST
http://www.patricebooks.com
 
Kim Baker
Roaring Brook Press
Macmillan Elementary
Middle School 
9am-2pm PST
http://www.kimbakerbooks.com
 
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Disney-Hyperion, Two Lions, Abrams, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster
Elementary
9am-3pm

http://www.sudipta.com

 
Melissa Guion
Philomel
Elementary
10am – 2pm EST
 
Jody Feldman
Greenwillow/HarperCollins
Elementary/Middle School
9am-3pm CST
http://www.jodyfeldman.com 
 
Amy Goldman Koss
Dial Books for Young Readers
Elementary / Middle School
10:00am – 2:00pm Pacific Time
http://www.AmyGoldmanKoss.net
 
Liz Garton Scanlon
Beach Lane Books/S&S/HarperCollins/Bloomsbury
Elementary
10-1 CST
http://www.LizGartonScanlon.com
 
Ammi-Joan Paquette
Random House/Walker/Candlewick/Clarion
Elementary/Middle School
9-2 EST
http://www.ajpaquette.com
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

5 Replies on “Skype with an Author on World Read Aloud Day 2014!

  1. Great list, Kate! Thanks for this. You are so awesome for the community helping like this. I signed up too, but not sure if I did it correctly. So great to see the other authors who signed up. Thank you!