Author Visits

HVLA Author Visit Recommendations

• Phil Bildner - He lives in New York and LOVES working with kids. He has picture books and chapter books. He is very down to earth and really engages the kids!
• Chris Grabenstein - he was great. All info on his website and he lives in NYC.
• Dan Elish - http://www.danelish.com/
• Wendy Mass -a few years ago and she was great. 
• Jerry Craft - 6th grade found him fascinating.
• Bill Tompson - the author of Chalk. He has a new book called, Fossil. His presentations are fun for kids.
• Nancy Krulik - who has a new Magic Bone, short chapter book series, that’s quite funny for 2nd & 3rd Graders.  She’s the author of the George Brown, Class Clown and Katie Katie Switcheroo books.
• Adam Gidwitz or Michael Buckley--both for grades 4, 5, 6. Local Brooklyn people and very charming & funny plus the books are good
• Raina Telegemeir and Dave Roman - Graphic Novelists as well as husband and wife. Both are really personable, young, and did not cost a lot of money. Raina wrote and illustrated the graphic novels "Smile" and "Drama." Those two books are really popular with our Upper School and Middle School girls and boys.
• Stephen Savage - For the really young students, Stephen Savage has written and illustrated some very
  good books -- "Little Tug" and others.
• Charise Harper - She writes the Just Grace and Fashion Kitty series, which would be great for girls.  She's got such a lovely personality and is so passionate about her work.  She is from our district and we've had her many times.  No idea what she charges on a regular basis as I'm guessing we get some sort of a "family discount".  Check out her website -- www.chariseharper.com
• Maryann Macdonald - her new book, Odette's Secrets, tells the story of Jews in Paris during the Nazi invasion with sensitivity and from the perspective of a 10 year old girl. It was a starred review on Kirkus and PW. It's the book on WWII that we middle grade librarians have been waiting for. Maryann also has dozens of picture books popular with younger girls like How to Hug and Pink Party. She lives in NYC and does author visits. Her website: http://www.maryannmacdonald.com
• Eliot Schrefer - author of the highly readable Endangered, is local to NYC. I have seen him in a panel discussion with other adults and found him extremely engaging, articulate, and charming. Haven't seen him with students, but I would not hesitate to invite him for 6th grade and up.
• Christ Soentpiet - lives just outside the city--I haven't seen him present, but his work is wide ranging, multi cultural, and beautiful. Worth investigating.
• Yona Zeldis McDonough - is local; I have met her and found her quite engaging. I have not seen her present, but she has a lot of experience and an interesting oeuvre including the Doll with the Yellow Star, a really beautiful book. 
• Eric Velasquez is local to NYC has a varied, beautiful, multi-cultural array of works; haven't seen him but have spoken with him and have heard from other professionals who have seen him present and said he was wonderful.
• Jacqueline Woodson - local author of Locomotion, Show Way, Miracles Boys
• James Howe - author of Bunnicula, The Misfits, and 70 other books for children and young adults
• Rebecca Stead - Newbery winning author of When You Reach Me
• Neela Vaswani - co-author of Same Sun Here
• Gene Luen Yang - author of American Born Chinese. He came from California, was shared with another school, and was widely successful. 
• Poets - including Katha Pollitt, Tracy K Smtih, and Rachel Hadas have all been booked through the agency Blue Flower Arts