On Wednesday, November 8, I went to The Willows Community School in
the Los Angeles area for my first official, all-day school visit. (I
did a brief reading at a school in Burbank last month.) What an
adventure! I presented all day, working with grade levels 1-6.
The kids were well-behaved (for being kids!) and asked some good
questions. I was particularly happy to find out how well-read these
kids were. I spent some time talking about how I became a writer by
being a reader, telling them funny stories about my childhood
escapades as a bookworm and then asking them about their favorite
books.
I was reminded of just how much I like kids. They have a wonderful
energy, and their personalities aren't hidden by layers of social
masks as adult personalities tend to be.
Things I learned:
1. Don't worry about "selling" your books. Just put on a great show for the kids. The librarian at the school confided in me that a well-known author came to visit some time ago and was a real turn-off because he spent the whole day "selling" his books. Of course you're going to read from your stuff, but it's so nice to talk about things like books and writing from a broader standpoint, and to riff off of what the kids say as well. This is for THEM! (Besides, it's like the rule of "Show, don't tell"; if you do a good job for the kids, your books will basicallly sell themselves.)
2. Bring the teachers a handout. Not everybody has the background in education that I do, but it's a good idea to come up with some lesson/project ideas using your books as a jumping-off point. Again, not all of my ideas were directly focused on my books; some were about themes and genres of my books and took off in different directions.
3. Enjoy the kids. They are so excited to meet you, and they want your attention. Be very focused on each child who asks you a question--or who answers one of yours. Wait until they finish their entire question/answer before responding. (This can be tough, as they sometimes stammer and ramble a bit.) Try to personalize your response before generalizing again for the group. The bottom line is that you should take their questions and comments seriously. If they answer one of your questions in an off-topic way, never make them feel like they gave a wrong answer, but that you are collecting various insights and they have added to the whole.
4. Handle hecklers with friendly humor and pleasant deflection. For example, one student asked a question of mine with an answer based on a different story premise ("Jack and the Beanstalk," to be exact!). He was being funny for his friends, also seeing how I would handle a little challenge. I laughed and said, "That would be a great idea in a different story. Maybe you could write that sometime."
5. Be gracious and flexible with your hosts. If you are in any way a prima donna, the librarian and/or teachers are going to have you pegged (and are likely to spread the word to colleagues and other schools.) It's a privilege to present at a school - not only are you interacting with your actual readers, but you are also automatically drumming up business!
6. Overprepare. You want some Plan B and Plan C material in case anything falls flat. In addition, different audiences have different needs, and kids appreciate a certain amount of variety.
7. As author Marsha Skrypuch pointed out to me (and my father, a college professor, used to tell me), don't just lecture, ask some questions and get a discussion going. The kids love being involved - and it keeps them listening. They tend to lose interest if you drone on and on.
8. If possible, try to have your visit coincide with a book fair and have your books available there. In any case, your publisher should have a point person assigned to help set up the book end of school visits.
9. Allow plent of extra time for getting to the school. I planned for everything except the road construction that kept me from following the librarian's directions. I was glad that I'd allowed some padding when I was a mere 3 blocks from the school and had to turn back, then follow a road with no U-turns allowed for quite a while before doubling back and calling the school for new directions!
10. This school visit revved me up for writing again - a real bonus!
I'll end by saying that the 6th graders had very insightful questions, better than I've heard in some SCBWI workshops! One boy asked about how you know whether an idea is better suited for a short story or a novel. Oh, and the 3rd graders were so loving! I called on one girl who said, "I don't have a question; I have a comment: I just LOVE your book, The Secret Keeper!" At the end, they were sneaking up trying to get my autograph on scraps of paper and their teacher had to call them away.
I was really nervous about this going in, but I feel a lot better about it now that I have a full day's experience under my belt. Besides, my nerves silpped away once I got focused on the kids! The librarian must have e-mailed her friends, by the way, because the very next day I got an e-mail from another private school librarian asking me to present in April.
Kate Coombs
