Road to a Successful Author Visit - Part 1

Today I hosted an author/illustrator visit with Hannah E. Harrison with Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st Grades.  The build up for this event started about three weeks ago when I began meeting with 1st grade classes.  To introduce the author I began with her book, My Friend Maggie, along with two books with similar themes; Your Alien by Tammi Sauer and Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman.



 

Prior to reading these books I asked students to try to identify what all of the books have in common.  As we read through them, the classes easily identified that they were all about friendships.  I would read Boy + Bot first, followed by Your Alien.  After reading Your Alien I integrated a movement activity by using Emily Arrow's, Your Alien.


We ended this session by singing "Will You Be A Friend of Mine," to the tune of "Mary Had A Little Lamb", which I used every time I met with the classes and on the day of the author visit:

Will you be a friend of mine,

friend of mine,

friend of mine?

Will you be a friend of mine

and tap your nose with me?

I would use this song as a way to review the books we just read.  I found it very useful throughout the time as a call back.   For example, after reading Extraordinary Jane I would insert the motions; be graceful like Jane's mom, be strong like Jane's dad, be daring like Jane's brothers and so on.  This song served as a way to unify each session I met with the classes.

For these grade levels I found this introduction to the author/illustrator paired with the activities provided a solid way to begin the author/illustrator study.  Following posts will discuss activities, building anticipation and the day of the visit.