It's going to be a great day !

Tell-tale signs it's going to be a perfect day at a school.

I can often tell if it’s going to be a great day at a school within minutes of my arrival. IF a student on the sidewalk says,

“HEY! You're the author my teacher told me about,”

I know it's going to be a perfect day.

When office receptionists greet me with, “Ohh, you’re the visiting author. It’s great to have you here,” I know my visit is expected and welcomed by the entire staff.

The picture above is from a school's cafeteria. It announced my visit and advertised to the students/staff that I'll be speaking at their parent night.

IT WAS A P E R F E C T DAY & EVENING AT THIS SCHOOL IN NY.

It’s critical to prep students for an author visit. Share at least one book with the students prior to the special day.

For the younger students: Say Daddy! or D is for Dump Truck.

For grades 2 and 3: T is for Titanic, D is for Dump Truck, or D is for Drum

Upper grades: T is for Titanic or Crossing the Deadline (a Civil War era book)

In TN, V is for Volunteer for any grade level.

Crossing the Deadline is best for the grade level teaching U. S. history.

A great author visit begins weeks before the day of the event. It starts with getting kids excited about the “real - live - author” they are going to get to meet.