http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/celebrate-children-authors-illustrators-20675.html
Contribute to ReadWriteThink / RSS / FAQs / Site Demonstrations / Contact Us
- About IRA
- About NCTE
- About Verizon Thinkfinity
- Standards
- Our Advisors
- Our Authors
- Community Stories
- Promotional Materials
- News
What’s Happening This Week
There is much more to explore in our calendar. Find other important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, each with related lessons and resources.
Looking for age-appropriate book recommendations, author interviews, and fun activity ideas? Check out our podcasts.
Home › Classroom Resources › Calendar Activities
February 03
Celebrate Children's Authors and Illustrators Week
E-mail
/
Share
/
Print This Page
/
Print All Materials (Note: Handouts must be printed separately)
| Grades | 3 – 12 |
| Calendar Activity Type | Literacy-Related Event |
|
|
Children's Authors and Illustrators Week (the first week in February) features a variety of activities that are intended to promote literacy in an engaging and interactive way. Encourage a lifelong love of reading with your students by participating in events such as author and illustrator visits to your school, storytelling, literary presentations, writing workshops, and more.
Invite your students to "step into the shoes" of their favorite author or illustrator. Have students first read several of the author's books and then conduct research on his or her background and career. Next, have students become their favorite authors and prepare presentations for the class. Presentations can include displays representing the authors' work, question and answer sessions, interviews, press releases on the authors' latest books, and so on. Students' presentations can also include creative costumes or props representing their authors' and illustrators' backgrounds and works (e.g., a Winn-Dixie shopping bag for Kate DiCamillo, or a teddy bear for Don Freeman).
Hold an "Authors Open House" and invite other classes in to meet the authors!
- Children's Authors and Illustrators Week
This website includes a description of this literacy event, in addition to contact information for the Children's Authors Network! Also featured are tips for parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians.
- Author Visit Guide
This indispensible guide from the Children's Authors Network! can help you plan for Children's Authors and Illustrators Week. The reproducible resource includes planning and follow-up checklists, helpful hints, suggested questions, and funding ideas.
- Children's Authors
This site offers an alphabetical list of links to sites of children's authors and illustrators.
- Chatting About Books
ReadWriteThink podcast host Emily Manning chats with kids, parents, and teachers about the best in children's literature for ages 4 through 11. Discussions include reading tips and fun activities to do with children before, during, and after reading.
Activities & Projects
Grades 3 – 5 | Activity & Project
Plan a visit to a library to discover more about this magical place.
Grades 3 – 5 | Activity & Project
Children can enjoy a community-building experience by meeting with friends to choose, read, and discuss books together.
Tips & How-To's
Grades K – 6 | Tip & How-To
Help children pick books that spark their interest, leave them feeling accomplished, and ready to hunt for their next book!
Grades 6 – 8 | Tip & How-To
Help a Child Write a Book Review
Learning how to evaluate and write a review of a book is an excellent foundation for the critical thinking skills that a child will continue to draw on and refine throughout his or her life.
Printouts
Grades K – 2 | Printout | Charting Progress
Encourage an interest in reading by creating a chart to keep track of all the books a child has read. The chart also asks children to rate the books.
Grades 3 – 5 | Printout | Writing It Out
Children in the upper elementary grades can use this form to write a book review to share with friends.
Grades 3 – 5 | Printout | Charting Progress
Children can use this chart to keep track of the books, stories, and magazine articles that they read. This organizer can also help with comparison of different genres and formulation of opinions about the texts.
Podcast Series
Grades K – 5 | Podcast Series
Chatting About Books: Recommendations for Young Readers
Emily Manning chats with kids, parents, and teachers about the best in children’s literature for ages 4 through 11. Discussions include reading tips and fun activities to do with children before, during, and after reading.
Podcast Episodes
Grades K – 5 | Podcast Episode
Libraries and bookstores can overwhelm even the most lit-savvy parents and teachers. Listen in as Emily shares a fabulous resource for finding the very best picture books for children.
