Author Visit & Cool Student Posters to Encourage Reading

I visited a really wonderful school recently for their annual Author Day. It was so well organized and fun. The PTA ordered copies of my books months in advance so each class had a chance to read or hear my books read aloud before my visit. When I arrived I met an enthusiastic audience of well-prepared students. They had lots of great questions about the writing process and being an author.

Each grade made a cool group poster. What a great way to support literacy school-wide, with colorful student art, many great book titles, and fun messages.

They used themes which matched my books and encouraged reading such as:
You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover,
Dive Into Reading,
Swim Into an Ocean of Books,
Hop Into Reading,
Slow Down & Read,
and Bee a Reader!
Please take a look at the group posters and a few close-ups.
One fifth-grade class read SHIFTY and made this cool group poster with student art and scenes
from the novel.




Uh-oh! Is someone about to be towed?


This must be Lester. I love the cat's expression, the shading and especially the detail of the L on the cat collar. Sweet!


Yikes, below must be when Soli runs over some nails.

Did Soli drive this car or just wish he had?






Another group of students made a poster full of book covers and inside flaps. I was thrilled to see SHIFTY there (rubbing book flaps) with such great titles.

Seeing SHIFTY right next to Gary Paulsen's HATCHET made me happy because HATCHET was one of our family's favorites when my sons were younger.



This colorful poster showed more titles, student art, and first lines of books.



Again, I was happy to see MERMAID MARY MARGARET in such good company!





One of the younger grades read THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL in advance of my visit. They made this neat poster. The R-E-A-D was formed with snails colored by the students. Seymour Snail definitely approves of this reading message.


The Kindergarten class had read BUZZ BUMBLE TO THE RESCUE. They recently bought a Venus Fly Trap, too. Wow, were they excited. What a great group. Here is part of their colorful poster with a "Bee a Reader" theme. Buzz approves!





Well, maybe you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a lot about a school's students, teachers, librarian, principal, PTA, and parent community by their support of reading.

Thank you, Dolphins, for inviting me to your school.

Forecast: Reading and a life-long love of books!