This was my first World Read Aloud Day as an author.
I did Skype author visits with three classrooms. I was supposed to meet with a fourth, but I forgot to check their time zone and we ended up having to reschedule.
The classrooms ranged from first to third grade. All the kids asked really great questions and it was so fun to meet them all!
My sessions took about twenty minutes from start to finish. I tell the kids about my origin story and read them the free form verses that I made up that became Sumo Joe. I show them the picture book dummy that I made myself with the second version of my book. I walk them through the editorial process from illustration sketches to the folded and gathered (F&G) version. Finally, I read them Sumo Joe and they raise their hands if they notice words that were in previous versions of the book.
Q and A come next. If there is time permitting, I did a quick book talk of five diversity picture books.
Thank you to the teachers who sent me photos! Thank you to Kate Messner for organizing the free Skype authors list.
It was the best day ever!
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p.s. Related lists:
Best Read Aloud Books (E.B. White Award)
26 Perfect Read Alouds for Kindergarten
19 Perfect Read Alouds for 1st Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 2nd Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 3rd Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 4th Grade
10 Perfect Read Alouds for 5th Grade
7th Grade Books from a 7th grade Girl
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Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me