[LM_NET] HIT: author websites for author visits

[Bryn Samuels <brynmarie@YAHOO.COM>]

Thanks to all who responded. My original post asked what author websites were 
especially helpful in choosing an author for a school visit.  And what specifically 
on those sites (or in other promotional materials) helped make your decision feel 
successful.  I liked what people had to say about an author's attempt at connecting 
not just to the students, but to the teachers/librarians BEFORE being invited (i.e. 
links to lessons and curriculum on their site).  It sure does make a difference 
when the author finds ways to appeal to their self-sustainability, meaning the more 
they get students excited about reading and their craft and the more they get the 
teachers/librarians excited about ways to implement the author's materials within 
the curriculum, the more they keep themselves in a job!

***www.toddstrasser.com
 
While the website is nothing to write home about, Todd is an absolutely wonderful 
presenter !  We just had him at our middle school and the students and staff loved 
him.  Priced below $2000 a day, he earned every penny of it at our school - gave 2 
assemblies each one over an hour long, 1 writers' workshop - about 1 1/2 hours 
long, and sold/signed books during our p.m. homeroom.  I cannot recommend him 
highly enough.

***www.tonibuzzeo.com

***Shelley Gill
http://www.shelleygill.com/
Roland Smith
http://www.rolandsmith.com/
We choose an author at least once a year. We go strongly by word of mouth. Other 
authors who enjoy our school will share names of others and will often let them 
know it's was a fun school to visit. Quite a few sites say slide projectors but 
when we have actually connected with the author they have switched over to PPT. 
It's nice to sell authors to the teachers if the author's website has a nice 
interface and something extra like Shelley Gill's. I also try to connect with 
teacher conventions to see if we can get an author before or after to help with 
costs.

***I look for a sense that the author or illustrator "gets" how to connect to the 
curriculum in a school- providing more than just an "all about me."  We've had some 
authors who have been engaging, but not much more than a live, breathing version of 
their books.  We've had authors of wonderful books who were a complete flop at 
speaking to and with kids. And then there are those authors who clearly do get 
it... developing materials that will help prepare teachers to engage students with 
their books and their craft.  A great example of this is Vermont author/illustrator 
Tracey Campbell Pearson   (www.traceycampbellpearson.com) or Matt McElligott 
(www.mattmcelligott.com).  Both do a remarkable job eduring their visits explaining 
the work of their craft- and how it connects to the work that the students 
themselves do in school.  An example from Tracey Campbell Pearson's website is 
pasted below:
"An author's visit should get children excited about books and reading. I have been 
visiting schools since the early 1980's. I love making books and I enjoy working 
with children. However, those are not the only reasons I visit schools. I also want 
to plant a seed that tells the students that they are all artists and writers. 
Below is a description of my program and details on how to arrange a visit..."

***The two I like best are Jan Brett's and Matthew McElligott 
http://mattmcelligott.com/authorvisits/index.php
The only trouble with Matt's website is that it is SO good and so positive about 
great places he's visited, it's almost scary to think of having him at my school!  
He also has a fantastic newsletter you can sign up for.  I'm sure others have 
mentioned Jan Brett's site - she also has a newsletter you can sign up for.  

***(in response to the outdated question) Yes.  We just had Harry Bliss come to 
visit and had to scramble for an
overhead that worked.  We could not supply him with the slide projector--luckily 
the company sponsoring his trip had one on hand.  He
took it in stride though, and laughing said he guessed it was time he got with the 
times.

***We just had Kevin O'Malley visit (wowed the kids with personality....but adults 
wished he talked more about his books and the writing process).  Susan Stevens 
Crummel is on board for next year.  What did I find helpful and engaging about her 
website?  Hmm.... She showed pictures of presentations with younger grades using 
puppets.  She had links for lessons ideas (across the curriculum) to use with her 
books.  This is very helpful because my teachers often turn to the library looking 
for ideas to tie in the author books to classroom activities/topics.  The website 
gave good descriptions of what she needs (so I know we can provide it), 
presentation outlines, and I appreciated letters from librarians where she had 
visited. 

 
Bryn Samuels
Nashville, TN

~bryn
scholarlybrio.blogspot.com

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