How To Prepare For An Author's Visit
Following is information to help you prepare for my visit:
What I Do:
I give a one-hour author/student interactive presentation. It begins with a discussion of books versus television and why some people are readers while others are not. Next I talk about why I'm a reader and explain how the reading experience moved me into writing. Then I tell the students about my books, explaining how I came to write them and the various phases of their development from initial idea to finished book, showing preliminary cover sketches, galleys, rejection letters, idea sources, etc. Finally, I do a short reading, followed by a question period of approximately 10 minutes.
Age/Grade Level:
The presentation is suitable for grades 4 through 8, especially grades 5, 6, and 7
Number of Students:
Because of the interactive nature of my presentation, I prefer to speak to 50 or 60 students at one time. (Maximum: 90 students)
Setting:
This varies. A classroom is fine for small groups; a library or theatre is good for larger numbers. No gymnasiums, please. Students may be in desks, on chairs, or sitting on the floor. My natural style is to walk as I speak, but I can stay in one spot if I have to. Please be conscious of temperature and ventilation. Over the course of an hour many bodies tend to overheat and use up the air.
Preparation:
Author visits are enormously more enjoyable and successful if students know something about me and my books prior to the presentation. Ideally, they will have read at least one of my novels. An expedient way to accomplish this is through classroom read-alouds. I would also encourage you to urge students to think ahead of time about questions they might like to ask.
I hope I shall have the opportunity of meeting you and your students.