BACK TO SCHOOL (VISITS): BE PREPARED
by Kelly Milner Halls

       Once a writer moves past the submission process and into sales, marketing becomes paramount to the continued health of their published status. Those in it for the long haul know school visits build a sense of relationship between authors and readers, and willingly accept invitations when their schedules allow. 
      
       But how can a writer be sure the classroom experiences will be a positive one -- for the students and for themselves?  We asked 30 experienced children's book authors -- including Tedd Arnold, Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, Chris Crutcher, Tomie dePaolo, Lurlene McDaniel, Jon Scieszka, Jerry Spinelli -- the same question: "What is your best tip for making a school visit successful?"

       As you'll soon discover, the Boy Scout motto repeatedly rolled from their lips. Explore their seasoned responses below to guarantee you and your audience will, indeed, BE PREPARED.

      If you're looking for resources beyond author advice, click HERE for a list of books, articles and websites to guide you toward success.

A

JENNIFER ARMSTRONG
THE KINDLING, SHATTERED, IN MY HANDS
www.jennifer-armstrong.com

"Number one, no hesitation: get the principal of the school on board as the host of the day.  It all starts at the top.  The best days I've had in schools were the ones where the principal met me at the door and introduced me to each group; message: 'There's nothing more important in my school than developing a love of reading.'  The worst days have been the ones where I never met the principal; message: 'We're too busy with paperwork and meetings to worry about books and reading and making a fuss over some author.'

"Hands down, it makes the biggest difference."

TEDD ARNOLD
HUGGLY series, MORE PARTS
www.teddarnold.com

"I have one all-inclusive tip that will make the visit great for both the children and the author:

"Advance preparation of the children--Make sure: they have all read and discussed at least several of the author's books; they have done some research on the author (internet, published material, etc); they have discussed possible questions to ask; they have done some spin-off projects--artwork or writing--based on author's works and displayed festively in the hallways and/or presentation room.

"Then, the kids will get the most out of the event and the author will have an interested, receptive audience.

"And here's a little-known tip more in the category of "a nice touch" that I've only experienced a couple times in 15 years of school visits: A well marked, reserved parking space that is as close as possible to the main entrance. I can't begin to tell you the number of schools that have left me NO parking space at all! I end up down the street somewhere, after driving around the block a couple times. And I have to cart in a lot of props and materials."

CATHERINE ATKINS
WHEN JEFF COMES HOME, ALT ED

"My best single tip is to be prepared.  Plan ahead.  The school should know what to expect from an author, and an author should feel confident the logistics will be in place when she arrives.  Ideally the students will be familiar with the author's work; if not, the author should be ready to introduce her work in terms kids can relate to.  I tell students WHEN JEFF COMES HOME is the story of a boy who is kidnapped and returns home.  This usually leads to a good discussion and questions like, 'Does he have to go back to school?' and 'Do they catch the kidnapper?' "

B

TONI BUZZEO
TERRIFIC CONNECTIONS WITH AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATORS AND STORYTELLERS
THE SEA CHEST, DAWDLE DUCKLING, LITTLE LOON AND PAPA
www.tonibuzzeo.com

"Always focus on advance preparation!  If you're the school contact person--library media specialist, literacy specialist, teacher, or cultural enrichment liason--get your hands on a copy of TERRIFIC CONNECTIONS WITH AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATORS, AND STORYTELLERS by Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz and focus on both the nuts and bolts preparations to be sure that the details are all smooth, but most importantly, focus on the preparation of students.  That means reading the author's/illustrator's work, yes!  But it also means extending the preparation to include rich and meaningful curriculum connections.  Work with teachers throughout the building (including specialists) to determine how they will tie the author's work into their classroom content.  And ask for student work to display that showcases these connections.  The whole school will be more invested in the visit when you have all taken time to integrate the guest's work into the LEARNING in the school!"

LAURA BACKES
CHILDREN'S BOOK INSIDER
www.write4kids.com

"I think the best single tip is getting the kids involved in some way. Younger kids like being read to, of course, but they also like to see (and hold) anything related to the book. I know nonfiction writers who bring objects from their research (fossils, Native American artifacts, one writer even lugs his canoe on visits!), elementary school children like to see the various drafts of manuscripts with editor's marks in red pencil (it lets them know that even professional writers get "graded"); kids from about third grade and up can participate in brainstorming with the author on the main character for his/her next book, write a poem together, create a setting, etc.  Anything that keeps the visit from just being a lecture."

CATHERINE BALKIN
HARPERCOLLINS LIBRARY PROMOTIONS

"What makes an author appearance at a school successful is early and careful planning.  You should book the author about a year in advance and spend the whole year promoting the visit and getting the kids to read the author's books.  There's nothing worse for an author to come into a school where the kids don't know who he or she is and only a few have ever read his or her books."

CHERIE BENNETT
LIFE IN THE FAT LANE, ANNE FRANK & ME
www.cheriebennett.com

"Best tip: Involving the kids and really listening to them instead of just lecturing at them and/or reading to them.  For example (though I realize this example is unique to us) when we're speaking about one of our novels that we've also adapted to the stage, we have scenes available for students to come forward and read.  It's always successful and very popular!"

JUDY BLUME
DOUBLE FUDGE
www.judyblume.com

"Teacher/student preparation.  Nothing worse than coming into a classroom where the kids haven't read your books and the teacher hasn't talked with them about what they'd ask you (the author) if they had the chance. 

"I've been to classes where the teacher disappears as soon as I arrive, where the kids had no idea I was coming or why I'm there once I'm introduced.  Fortunately that's not the norm but it's happened.  And it doesn't make for a good experience, to say the least."

C

MEG CABOT
PRINCESS DIARIES series
www.megcabot.com

"Don't wear a short skirt.  If they make you sit in one of those little chairs, all the boys will be able to look up your skirt.  And they WILL look up your skirt.

"I was going to add that this is especially disadvantageous if you don't happen to be wearing any underwear, but I thought that might be a case of too much information.  Not that this ever happened to me.  But you can put it in if you want to."

ELISA CARBONE
STEALING FREEDOM, STORM WARRIORS, THE PACK
www.elisacarbone.com

"Have fun. Kids are all about having fun. So, develop a program that is interesting and entertaining both for you and for them. Then, decide that you're going to have a great time presenting it. This will calm your nerves, and ensure that they'll remember you as 'that really fun author who came to talk to us about books!' "

MICHAEL CART
LOVE & SEX, TOMORROWLAND www.simonsays.com/subs/book.cfm?isbn=0689832036&areaid=183

"Actually I have two: One is to make sure the students are familiar with the author's work. The second is more cautionary: the author needs to be sure that she/he knows something about the school/community. This last derives from a videoconference visit I did last year with what turned out to be a Christian school. The kids had been exposed to my work and, as a result, I was getting teary questions from them of the 'Aren't you a Christian?' ilk. Not a happy experience for any of us."

CHRIS CRUTCHER
WHALE TALK, STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES
www.aboutcrutcher.com

"The best single thing you can do to make a school visit successful is to make sure every kid who sees the author has read something, or had it read to them, some of the author's work.  Add some discussion to that; anything about the author's life that makes her or him real to the students when she or he steps out there.  The single thing I want when I go into a school visit is to have the relationship established.  Everything comes out of that."

KAY CURTIS
BOOKING AGENT
www.nothingbutcurtis.com

"To make your school visit a success you should have an agent plan it. For
example if you have someone working on the details for you your only concern
is to do what you are ment to do which is entertain the kids do a good job
so that you will be asked to come for another visit.

"The details would be, how many sessions you are going to do, and for how
long, will you be doing a book signing after each session or would you do a
general session at the end of the day.

"When do you have lunch, and with whom,  do you make a vist to every class
room etc... you get the drift....Good planning and working out all the
details before hand and having one contact person. Another thing if your
honorarium cheque is not handed to you what do you do?"

D/E

TERRY DAVIS 
VISION QUEST, IF ROCK & ROLL WERE A MACHINE
www.terrydavis.net

"A lack of pretense may not be the top tip, but it's up there.  Maybe related to a lack of pretense is to remind ourselves that there's no need to condescend. 

"If we can be entertaining, then we shouid go ahead and entertain.  But if that isn't who we are, then we need to remind ourselves that simply to give kids information is important.  We have a lot of information we can give young people. Writers are thoughtful people, and for the most part the only agenda we have is to try to be accurate about what it is to be human.  Thoughtfulness and intellectual honesty is at a premium.  We need to remember that we have a lot to give."

TOMIE DEPAOLA
STREGA NONA, MEET THE BARKERS, 26 FAIRMOUNT AVE
www.bingley.com/MyWebPage.html

"Make sure the children and teachers know who the author is and know his/her books BEFORE the author visits the school."

F/G

ALEX FLINN
BREATHING UNDERWATER, BREAKING POINT
www.alexflinn.com

"Try to visit with students who have already read the book or encourage them to read it.  In the absence of this, teacher preparation (such as discussing the book's topic and brainstorming possible questions) is helpful.

"At the best large school visit I did (about 300 kids), they had bought a few copies of my book to use as giveaways.  None of the kids had read the book yet, so I was worried that no one would ask questions.  I decided to offer the books to the first few students to ask questions.  I got lots of questions because even after I'd given the books away, the kids with their hands up kept them up.

"Although these books were purchased by the school, I would say that if the author is getting big bucks for the appearance, it might still be worth his/her while to give a few out."

H

JENNIFER HOLM
OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, BOSTON JANE
www.jenniferholm.com

"Be willing to just "hang out" with the kids -- have lunch with them (pizza is always good), and talk about what they're interested in (also if you play video games like I do it really helps!)"

JOAN HOLUB
DOLL HOSPITAL, WHY DO DOGS BARK, EEK-A-BOO
www.joanholub.com

"Plan ahead.  Make sure the kids have heard of you and your books, and that the teacher has read some of your books to them or made your books available to them.

"Also: Make sure you've rehearsed your speech, so that you know what to say and how long it will take to say it.  Make signed book marks ahead of time to give to kids who don't or can't buy your books."

DEBORAH HOPKINSON
PIONEER SUMMER, A BAND OF ANGELS
www.deborahhopkinson.com

"I usually bring a real quilt to schools with me. The quilt is a replica of the quilt that James Ransome painted in our book, SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT.  When students have read the book, they walk into the room, see that quilt and they are floored.  They start to ooh and aah.  An author visit MEANS so much more when students have the context; if they have read at least some of an author's books.  I love it when the person organizing the visit lets me know in advance which grade levels have read which books. That allows me to target my presentation a lot better."

I/J/K

VERLA KAY
GOLD FEVER, IRON HORSES, COVERED WAGONS
www.verlakay.com

"First, the children must have read your books before you come. Otherwise, they don't appreciate you at all.  As far as the author goes, 'being prepared' before you get to the school with a planned program that is APPROPRIATE for the ages you are seeing is probably the most important thing.  Not too long for the age group, content
that will interest the children, and knowing ahead of time what you plan to talk about so you don't just 'flounder' around.  And above all, laugh if anything goes wrong.  If you are having fun, the audience will, too.  If you are nervous or embarrassed, they will be uncomfortable, too."

JANE KURTZ
JAKARTA MISSING, RIVER FRIENDLY RIVER WILD
www.janekurtz.com

"My most fabulous school visits are ones where teachers and the librarian have collaborated to design activities that will help students really know and love my books before I get there.  For example, I recently spoke in a school where one of the teachers had taken the text of the then-unpublished Water Hole Waiting and had her students create art--telling them that I had no idea what the pictures would look like and would be excited to see their interpretations (which I was).  We had a passionate and intense discussion about the different animals coming to the water hole because they knew the text inside and out...and so meeting me went beyond entertainment and became a real reading and writing and art experience."

L

DON LESSEM
DINOSAUR WORLDS, BIGGER THAN T.REX
www.dinosaurdon.com

"What makes a school visit work is PARTICIPATION. No matter how fascinating you think YOU are, or your OEUVRE is, kids want to be on stage or see their classmates on stage being creatively embarrassed. The challenge is to do that in a way that keeps them thinking and rewards not demeans the participants. Asking kids to identify objects, or predict the outcome, or act out a scene works wonderfully. I consider the visit a complete success if the kids use up the question time and still want to stay after the bell, if they come up to look and talk after it's over, and most of all if they are so juiced up with ideas that their teachers are rolling their eyes thinking, 'How am I going to get these kids to sit down and shut up?'  I hope they never do."

DAVID LUBAR
HIDDEN TALENTS, DUNK
www.davidlubar.com

"Find out what the plans are for lunch.  Don't assume you'll be fed.  Ask for a microphone.  Even in a small room, it can help keep the kids quiet. Suggest that the kids read one of your books before your visit. Bring something you can give the kids when they ask for an autograph (book mark). If you are signing books, make sure there's enough time allowed. Be prepared for anything.  (e.g. my presentation requires an overhead projector, and the kids need to bring pencil and paper.  But I'm prepared to work without an overhead, and I'm prepared to do my presentation if the kids don't have pencil and paper.)  If you are traveling to a hotal, get a contact number you can call in case nobody shows up to bring you to the school."

M/N

WALTER "THE GIANT STORYTELLER" MAYES 
www.walterthegiant.com

"The best thing that a school can do to make sure my appearance goes smoothly is to remember that I am a guest in their home and should be treated accordingly. When I receive hospitality--nothing fancy, just simple consideration--things usually go well.  When I am treated as the hired help or worse, things generally go poorly.  I send out a checklist of things to remember: water, microphone, have the list of books available, etc.--it appalls me how often it hasn't been read."

LURLENE MCDANIEL
TELLING CHRISTINA GOODBYE, A ROSE FOR MELINDA
www.eclectics.com/lurlenemcdaniel/

"My single best tip:  ask the person making the arrangements for your visit to be certain that the majority of the students you'll be speaking to HAS READ YOUR BOOK, or at least, some of your work.  Nothing is more difficult than standing before groups of students who don't know you, or who've never heard of you.  Everyone gets shortchanged when the listener is totally ignorant of your material."

CLAIRE RUDOLF MURPHY
www.clairerudolfmurphy.com

"For me a successful school visit is when the students and teachers have prepared ahead of time for my visit by reading at least some of my books and are aware of what I do. But since that is putting the onus on the teachers and librarian, the most important thing for me is students that are excited about learning. If they are, than
even if they haven't been exposed to my work, they will be open to it and afterwards want to read and write and that's what it's all about."

O/P

DOROTHY HINSHAW PATENT
SHAPING THE EARTH, BIODIVERSITY
www,dorothyhinshawpatent.com

"It's most important to connect with the kids.  That can be hard when you've got a large group, but trying to put them in your shoes, if you're talking about yourself, or your character's shoes, if you're talking about one of your books, can help; e.g. "Have you ever tried to make friends when you're new to a group and been ignored?  Doesn't that feel terrible?  Well, that's just what happens to Carie in my book......" that sort of thing.

"I also try to connect with individual children after a talk, or in the lunch room.  A wise teacher will sometimes bring a budding writer up to meet me in person, and I always treat that child with interest and respect, asking what he/she likes to write, etc.  Even if you don't connect with a large group, if you can inspire just one child, your visit will have been a success."

Q/R

JOHN H. RITTER
CHOOSING UP SIDES, OVER THE WALL
www.johnhritter.com

"I always insist that my audience be comprised of students who have read and studied my work.   It's astonishing how many schools or book festivals expect a YA novelist to show up and entertain the troops for a day without ever having exposed the children to the writer's work.

"It makes for a far better experience all around, mainly because the kids and I  have instant common ground.  So with any presentation I give, whether on storytelling, revision, or the musicality of language, I can reference my work and the process I went through to 'get the words right' in the published draft."

SARA RYAN
EMPRESS OF THE WORLD
www.sararyan.com

"Getting an agenda in advance of exactly where I'm supposed to be and when,
including how many students are in each class, plus teacher names, that
also has contact information for my host in case any problems come up."

S/T

JON SCIESZKA
TIME WARP TRIO series, 3 LITTLE PIGS
www.guysread.com/

"What makes a school visit successful for me, in a word, is enthusiasm. If the kids and teachers are enthusiastic about a visit, it almost doesn't matter what happens.

"One of the most memorable school visits I ever made would seem like a disaster on paper. The school parent who was going to pick me up in the morning got lost both finding my hotel and getting me to school. A kindergartener threw up a good portion of his 3 Little Pigs cupcake on my shoe. One of the banners in the hall welcomed 'John Scievka.' Despite all of the librarian's coaching, the principal welcomed me as 'Jon Skeezeeska.' The 3rd grader playng the Stinky Cheese Man in the play completely froze and forgot his first lines.  But every class, every teacher, the principal and his staff, even the ladies serving lunch were so enthusiastic about meeting an author and sharing their ideas and excitement . . . that I couldn't help but be thrilled in return.

"I wouldn't recommend upchucking cupcake on every author, but it helps to be so enthusiastic you feel like you might."

MARILYN SINGER
BOTTOMS UP
www.marilynsinger.com

"What makes a visit most successful for an author is when the kids are prepared--meaning they've read your books and have written questions in advance to ask you."

JERRY SPINELLI
STARGIRL, MANIAC MCGEE
www.jerryspinelli.com

"I'm afraid you're going to hear this elsewhere, but here it is: The kids should be familiar with at least some of the visiting author's work. (On the other hand, it was a violation that led to this amusing memory: A kid once piped up from the back of a library: 'Who are you?' A teacher literally dragged him out of the room by his ear.) Ideally, the reading, the discussing, the study, the projects should have been done, so that the author's visit comes as a happy, friend-to-friend icing on the cake."

TODD STRASSER
GIVE A BOY A GUN, DRIVES ME CRAZY, THE WAVE
www.toddstrasser.com

"My single best tip: It is best when the students at the school you visit have read one of your books."

U/V/W

NANCY WERLIN
BLACK MIRROR, THE KILLER'S COUSIN
www.nancywerlin.com

"For me, the key factor is having an explicit contract of understanding up front that details the gist of the visit in full so there are no surprises on either side on the day of the visit."

LISA WHEELER
WOOL GATHERING, SAILOR MOO
www.lisawheelerbooks.com

"I think as authors, we should always recommend that a school familiarize students with our books beforehand. Younger kids will be excited to meet the author who wrote the book teacher read, and older kids will have time to formulate good questions before your visit."

ELLEN WITTLINGER
HARD LOVE, RAZZLE, LEO & BREE
www.ellenwittlinger.com

"My top priority is probably high on everybody else's list too: teachers who are excited about the visit, kids who are well-prepared for it."

X/Y/Z

KAREN ROMANO YOUNG
SMALL WORLDS, OUSIDE IN
www.wrenyoung.com/

"You have to enjoy yourself.  You have to get excited about the opportunity to talk to kids about your work -- this thing you feel so passionate about. It's a disservice to your audience if you are anything less than joyful about telling them about your work.  I've had kids tell me that they weren't interested in the topics of my books -- i.e. car mechanics --until they became intrigued by how passionate I was when I talked about them.  I also recommend to kids that whatever they find to do in life, it should be something that they get as much joy from and feel as strongly about."