Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs (for free!)

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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 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 who start out offering free visits begin to charge later on, and 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 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)

Sarah AlbeeR.J. AndersonDale BasyeJulie BerryHelene BoudreauLarry Dane BrimnerChristine Brodien-JonesSusan Taylor BrownLeslie BulionStephanie BurgisJennifer CervantesKatie DavisKenneth C. DavisJulia DeVillersErin DionneBonnie DoerrGail DonovanKathleen DubleKathleen DueySarah Beth DurstDeva FaganGreg FishboneDee GarretsonDonna GephartBridget HeosTess HilmoMark JeffreyDerek Taylor KentRose KentJane KurtzR.L. LaFeversIrene LathamLindsey LeavittDanette HaworthSara Lewis HolmesJo KnowlesJessica LeaderDebbie LevyCynthea LiuEric LuperTorrey MaldonadoLeslie MargolisNan MarinoKate MessnerRita MurphyRichard NewsomeWendy OrrMitali PerkinsSarah PrineasOlugbemisola Rhuday-PerkovichYolanda RidgeKaren Romano YoungKurtis ScalettaLaura SchaeferLisa SchroederAdam SelzerLaurel SnyderMargo SorensonTricia SpringtubbAnna StaniszewskiMelissa ThomsonJennifer TraftonAnne UrsuGreg van EekhoutCynthia WillisTracie Vaughn Zimmer

For Teen Book Clubs
(Also check out the list of adult authors below; many also work with teens.)

R.J. AndersonAnn AngelHeidi AyarbeKim BaccelliaPam BachorzCyn BalogTracey BaptisteLauren BjorkmanAmy Brecount WhiteSarah Rees BrennanLarry Dane BrimnerJennifer BrownJessica BurkhartKay CassidyAngela CerritoCrissa-Jean ChappellEllen Dee DavidsonKenneth C. DavisJaclyn DolamoreKathleen DubleKathleen DueySarah Beth DurstDebby Dahl EdwardsonBeth FehlbaumMegan FrazerMargie GelbwasserDavid Macinnis GillCarla GunnTeri HallBrendan HalpinS.A. HarazinSue HarrisonCheryl Renee HerbsmanJim C. HinesJennifer HubbardJennifer JabaleyDenise JadenChristine JohnsonTara KellyJames KennedyJo KnowlesDaniel KrausNina LaCourMarie LambaKristen LandonAnita LibertySarah Darer LittmanCynthea LiuElisa LudwigEric LuperSarah MacleanTorrey MaldonadoLeslie MargolisPeter MarinoNeesha MemingerMarissa MeyerLynn Miller-LachmanSaundra MitchellMike MullinGreg NeriPatricia NewmanCaragh O’BrienMicol OstowJackson PearceMitali PerkinsAmy PlumBeth RevisOlugbemisola Rhuday-PerkovichLena RoyCarrie RyanSydney SalterLisa SchroederInara ScottAdam SelzerKristina SpringerLaurie StolarzTiffany TrentMelissa WalkerMary Rose Wood

For Adult Book Clubs
(Also check out the authors listed above; middle grade & teen novels can be great book club selections!)

Christa AllanCharlene Ann BaumbichSandra GullandCarla GunnSue HarrisonSarah MacleanMaryann McFaddenKitty MorseOlugbemisola Rhuday-PerkovichKelly SimmonsGarth SteinGwendolyn Zepeda

Picture Book Clubs for Younger Readers  (4-8)

Marsha Diane ArnoldMike ArtellLouise BordenLarry Dane BrimnerSusan Taylor BrownLeslie BulionKatie DavisElizabeth DulembaKathy DuvalMarty Rhodes FigleyLaurie JacobsJane KohuthJane KurtzKara LareauDeb LundWendy MartinKate MessnerWendy OrrMichael ShouldersMargo SorensonJennifer WardNatasha Wing

If you’re an author of a traditionally published book who would like to be added, please email me (kmessner at katemessner dot com).  If you’re a publicist and would like to send a list of all your authors who Skype with book clubs, that’s fabulous, too.  Again…this is a list of 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!

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