This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on February 3rd, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
The first Wednesday in February is something of a holiday in the kidlit world: it's World Read Aloud Day! I don't know exactly when this tradition got started, but it's definitely picked up steam in the past few years, with schools across the U.S. and around the globe inviting authors to join them for virtual readalouds.
Last year was my first time participating. I Zoomed into four classrooms/school libraries to give them a sneak peek at David Dixon's Day as a Dachshund and answer questions about Class Critters. Two of last year's visits were requests I received via email, and the other two I set up myself. This year, I got fourteen requests! I was ultimately able to accept eleven of them (which was feasible because a few of the schools decided to celebrate World Read Aloud Day for the entire week).
Nine of those virtual author visits were initially scheduled for the actual date, Wednesday 2/1. Unfortunately, a few schools had to close unexpectedly due to inclement weather, so those visits got rescheduled last-minute. All of which to say, I spoke virtually at six different elementary schools on Wednesday!
I read an excerpt from Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! that takes place right after Madison transforms and her classroom is in chaos. When you're reading via Zoom, I've learned that it's vital to pick the right scene—one that has a lot of action and excitement and features different character voices and expressions. The energy is a challenge when you're not there in the classroom with the kids. You have to amp it up beyond what you might do in person. (And when you're dealing with elementary schoolers, your in-person energy level already has to be extremely high!)
My WRAD visits for Class Critters ranged from kindergarten up to 3rd grade. I also visited one 5th grade group; they got a sneak peek from my next book, The Thirteenth Circle! After the short reading, it was all about the Q&A. A few questions I received:
Where did you get your inspiration/why did you write these books?
Why is there magic in these books?
Did you draw the pictures or just write the words?
How many books have you written?
How long does it take to write a book?
Do you like being an author? Why?
What's your advice for young writers?
What's your favorite animal?
Do you have any pets?
Surprisingly, no one asked me my age, or how much money I make! (Though as I said, a few visits got rescheduled—so there's still time...)
I love answering questions from kids—whether or not they're related to books and writing. It's really special to make a connection with a young student. It's hard to grab kids' attention, and even harder to hold onto it. If knowing a little more about me helps a child want to read my stories, then I'm happy to share. (To a point, obviously...)
Participating in World Read Aloud Day last year was what encouraged me to start offering free virtual school visits year-round. My free visits follow the same format as the WRAD visits: I read a bit from whichever of my books is age-appropriate for the kids I'm speaking to, and then answer questions. One year later, I feel great about keeping this free offering available for schools. Yes, it's time out of my workday, and I do believe in being paid for my time...but I don't have to do any extra preparation for these visits. All I have to do is show up.
In return, I reach new readers. Schools and libraries buy my books that might not have done so before. As a solidly midlist author, I need to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Every book sold matters.
But it's not just about the sales. Talking to kids keeps me connected to why I do what I do. Seeing their faces and hearing their questions—about my books, about being an author, about my life—inspires me. Knowing that one or more students in each classroom might leave their brief time with me feeling like they, too, could publish a book one day...it's magical. As a child, I would have loved to meet a real author. Now, I get to be that person.
So! As I said, I have a few more virtual school visits on the calendar in the next couple weeks, but that's not the end. My schedule is always open to talk to young readers and aspiring authors. If you know a teacher or school librarian who would like a virtual reading and Q&A, please put them in touch with me! I can't wait to meet them and their students.
~Kathryn
What I'm:
Reading: I found a YA mystery, The Agathas, in a Little Free Library recently, and devoured it! It's about a rich former popular girl and a working class bookworm teaming up to solve the murder of a classmate. The victim used to be the rich girl, Alice's best friend; the other wannabe detective, Iris, may have been the last person to see the victim alive. I love a good mystery, and this one was twisty-turny enough to keep me guessing until pretty close to the end!
Watching: My husband and I finally watched "The Bear," many months after everyone else on the planet. It was very good! Heartbreaking, anxiety-inducing, but great storytelling.
Loving: I got to go into my daughter's classroom last week for "Fun Friday," and I decided to do a storytelling activity. I crafted it kind of like a Mad-Lib: I wrote the skeleton of a story and let the kids fill in the details. After I read the completed story, they all drew their illustrations. Here's my daughter's picture of Parker, the superhero zookeeper, and his best friend, Tyler the giraffe.
