Creating a Magical Reading Experience: School Author Visits

Initially, the thought of writing this blog sparked both excitement and nerves within me. However, the chance to inspire authors to create enchanting experiences for children motivated me to move forward.

Here’s how I plan my author visits:

The first step involved sending a warm email to schools, introducing myself and providing links to my website. This allowed them to take a look into my world and discover my books. I highlighted the enriching experiences students would enjoy, featuring various engaging activities.

• Book Overview:
  • A concise summary of the story’s themes, age range, and characters.
  • A brief synopsis of my book.
• Gift of a Book:
• I recommend donating a signed copy of your book to the school library, just as I did. This allows students to enjoy the story long after the visit and provides teachers an opportunity to explore your work as well.
• Organising a Competition:
• This project centered on the theme of my story, featuring a sad sloth as the main character. The children were tasked with creating an animal that represented a specific emotion. The winner received a prize pack, including a signed copy of my book, character stickers, and a personalised letter.*You can collect competition entries when gathering book orders, giving you time to review all the children’s wonderful work.
• Creating an Author Event Poster:
  • Design a colourful, eye-catching poster for the school’s author event, it generates excitement and informs students and staff about the upcoming visit.
• Crafting Bookmarks for Each Student:
  • Create personalised bookmarks featuring characters from your book and memorable quotes, complete with QR codes linking to your author website, serving as keepsakes and encouraging further exploration of your literary world.
• Outlining the Event Schedule and Activities:
  • Develop a clear timeline for the event, including:
    • An introduction to the book and characters (I used plush character toys)
    • Reading time, with a specified duration
    • A student Q&A session
    • A closing activity connected to the book’s theme

I include a character from my book and a visualisation technique to end the reading on a positive note.my book addresses themes of sadness, I wanted to leave the children with a meaningful lesson. I introduced my character, Monkey, whose gentle spirit resonates with the story. I encouraged the kids to imagine a joyful place inspired by elements from the tale, helping us conclude the event on an uplifting note.

Worksheets Related to the Book:

I provided an ancient kindness tree activity, as the story revolves around an ancient tree, with my character Monkey embodying kindness. Children can cut out leaves with kind words to attach to the tree. This activity can be utilised before or after the event.

Ordering Books:

For ordering my book, I request that the school has parents place cash in an envelope with the child’s name and class, that can be collected a few days before my visit. This allows you to dedicated each book to the child. You can also gather all competition entries, allowing you ample time to select a winner. 

Remember to offer a discount on your book, even if it’s small—everyone appreciates a good deal! This could potentially boost your sales!