Organizing School Visits - podcast

School visits can be great fun; they are an opportunity for children's authors to connect with their audience in an interactive way. Children's author Peggy Thomas explains how to plan a school visit: she typically speaks to all k-6 elementary grades, then she breaks into sessions with each grade level to discuss the book and writing process, how she developed the idea and/or researched and number of revisions. Thomas then involves the kids in an explanation of the industry to illustrate the roles of the editor, publisher, publicist and other key figures. She recommends that authors start exploring school visits on a local level and branching out from there. Typically a librarian or reading teacher is the point of contact; together you can refine the event.