Skype with an Author on World Read Aloud Day 2012

Did you know that LitWorld's annual World Read Aloud Day is coming up on March 7th?

"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

Last year, a bunch of us who write books for kids got together and volunteered to read aloud via Skype to classrooms and libraries all over the world, for free. These weren't big, fancy presentations — just a few minutes of reading aloud, followed by some questions — but they were great fun.

This year, a number of authors have again volunteered their time to read aloud to classrooms and libraries all over the world. 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 7th.
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 make a note of it here.  (Authors, please let me know that if you can!)

World Read Aloud Day – Skyping Author Volunteers for March 7, 2012

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

Sarah Albee
Simon and Schuster/Random House/Walker-Bloomsbury
MG fiction/PB/MG nonfiction
http://www.sarahalbeebooks.com
R.J. Anderson
Carolrhoda Lab (US) / HarperCollins (US/Canada) / Orchard (UK)
upper MG / YA (Ages 10+)
http://www.rj-anderson.com
Jennifer Carson
L&L Dreamspell
MG
http://www.findawonder.com
Stephanie Burgis
Atheneum Books
MG
www.stephanieburgis.com
Loree Griffin Burns
Houghton Mifflin/Henry Holt
MG Nonfiction
http://www.loreeburns.com
Samantha Combs
Astraea Press/Musa Publishing
YA and MG
http://www.samanthacombswrites.webs.com
Karen DayRandom HouseMGhttp://www.klday.com
Alison Ashley Formento
Albert Whitman & Company
PB
http://www.alisonashleyformento.com
Joan Holub Holt/Aladdin PB/MG http://www.joanholub.com
Jacqueline Houtman
Front Street/Boyds Mills Press
MG
http://www.jhoutman.com
Kate MessnerChronicle Books/Scholastic/Walker-Bloomsbury
PB/Chapter books/MGhttp://www.katemessner.com
Saundra Mitchell
Houghton/Delacorte/HarperTeen
YA
www.saundramitchell.com
Note: Though Sandra writes for older readers, she says she'll happily read other people's picture books to elementary classes, too!

Ammi-Joan (A. J.) Paquette
Tanglewood/Walker
PB/MG
http://ajpaquette.com
J.L. Powers
Cinco Puntos Press
Young Adult Fiction
http://www.jlpowers.net
Sarah Prineas HarperCollins (US), Quercus (UK, India, Aus) Middle grade http://www.sarah-prineas.com
Kim Purcell
TRAFFICKED
Penguin/Viking Feb 2012
YA
http://kimpurcell.com
Olugbemisola Rhuday-PerkovichScholasticMGhttp://olugbemisolabooks.com/
Lisa Schroeder
Sterling/Aladdin/Simon Pulse
PB/MG/YA
http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com
Laurel SnyderRandom HousePB/MGhttp://www.laurelsnyder.com

For authors…

How to be added to this list: Are you a traditionally published author who would like to Skype into classrooms & libraries to read aloud to kids for free on March 7th? Just leave me a comment with your name, publisher(s),  the age groups for which you write, and a website where teachers & librarians can find contact information.  Please use this format to keep things simple:

Kate MessnerChronicle/Scholastic/Walker-BloomsburyPB/Chapter books/MGwww.katemessner.com

For teachers & librarians:

Are you new to Skype?  Wondering how a Skype author visit works?  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.  Check out my SLJ feature, "An Author in Every Classroom: Kids Connecting with Authors via Skype. It's the next best thing to being there."

Thanks – and happy reading, everyone!

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