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The SCBWI-Illinois Speakers Directory

This list of talented professionals is THE place for librarians, educators and special event planners in Illinois and surrounding states to find the perfect speaker to match their needs. Bookmark this page and return to it whenever you are looking for a children's author or illustrator in Illinois!

An Author's Wish List An indispensable guide to making your speaker's visit a success

Little Guy loves author and illustrator visits

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Scroll down and click on the speakers' names to learn more about them. To find a specific speaker, click on his/her last initial above.

Author Leone Castell Anderson

-- author of picture books and middle grade booksAuthor Mike Anderson -- author of chapter books, educational material and magazine articlesAuthor Jim Aylesworth -- author of picture books, poetry Author Cheryl Bardoe -- Author of picture books, nonfiction, science books and fairy talesAuthor Kathi Baron -- Author of young adult novelsAuthor Andrea Beaty -- Author of picture books, middle grade booksAuthor Franny Billingsley -- author of picture books, fantasy, middle grade and young adult novelsAuthor Juliet Bond -- author of picture books, middle grade novels and nonfictionAuthor Marlene Targ Brill -- author of picture books, easy readers, educational, nonfictionAuthor Robert Burleigh -- author of picture books, nonfiction, poetry, educational booksAuthorMary and Richard Chamberlin -- authors of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade, nonfictionAuthorFern Schumer Chapman -- author of young adult novels, nonfiction, and educational booksIllustrator Lisa Cinelli -- illustrator of children's booksAuthorEsme Raji Codell -- author of picture books, middle grade novels, nonfiction, educational books and memoirsAuthorScotti Cohn -- author of picture books and nonfictionAuthorNorm Cowie -- author of fantasy, middle grade and young adult novelsAuthorLaura Crawford -- author of picture books, easy readers and nonfictionAuthorCarolyn Crimi -- author of picture books and chapter booksIllustrator Stacy Curtis -- Illustrator of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade and educational booksIllustrator Gail Piernas-Davenport -- author of picture booksAuthor Pamela Dell -- author of chapter books, middle grade novels, nonfiction and educational materials
Author Mary Dunn -- author of fantasy and nonfictionAuthor Julia Durango -- author of picture books, poetry and middle grade novels Author Brenda A. Ferber -- author of picture books and middle grade novelsAuthor Beth Finke -- author of picture books and nonfiction available in print or BrailleAuthorJudith Fradin -- author of picture books, nonfiction and magazinesAuthorDennis Fradin -- author of picture books, nonfiction and chapter books Author Bonnie Geisert -- author of picture books, middle grade novels and nonfictionAuthor Jamie Gilson -- author of middle grade novels, chapter booksAuthor Jan Goldberg -- author of poetry, easy readers, educational books, chapter books, and nonfictionAuthor Carol Coven Grannick -- author of picture books, poetry and middle grade storiesAuthor Illustrator Gail Green -- author/illustrator of nonfiction, education and "how-to" crafts titlesAuthor Barbara Gregorich -- author of picture books, poetry, easy readers, chapter books, educational books and nonfiction Author Charlotte Herman -- author of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels Author Esther Hershenhorn -- author of picture books, middle grade novels, nonfiction and educational materialAuthor Kimberly Hutmacher -- author of picture books and nonfictionAuthor Jen Cullerton Johnson -- author of picture books, poetry, nonfiction, educational and spanish writingAuthor Ophelia Julien -- author of young adult novels Illustrator Cindy Kenney -- author of picture books, easy readers, nonfiction, educational books, chapter booksIllustrator Carol Koeller -- illustrator of picture books, easy readers and educational materialsIllustrator Jennifer Kohnke -- illustrator of picture books, educational books and OpEd IllustrationsAuthor Stephanie Kuehnert -- author of young adult novelsAuthor Patricia Kummer -- author of easy readers, educational material, nonfiction, books about countries and inventions Author Laurie Lawlor -- author of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult novels, and nonfiction Author Carol Lerner -- author of nonfiction booksAuthor Illustrator Tom Lichtenheld -- author/illustrator of picture books Author Cynthea Liu -- author of middle grade and young adult novelsAuthor Illustrator Kevin Luthardt -- author/illustrator of picture books Author Lisa Mallen -- author of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, nonfictionAuthor Patricia Malone -- author of young adult novelsAuthor Judith (Jude) Mandell -- author of picture books, fantasy, poetry, easy reader, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, nonfiction, educational booksAuthorCarmela Martino -- author of picture books, middle grade novels, poetry, young adult novels, nonfiction, short storiesAuthor Alice B. McGinty -- author of picture books, nonfiction, and educational booksAuthor Lorijo Metz -- author of picture books, middle grade, and science fictionAuthor Jenny Meyerhoff -- author of picture books, chapter books, middle grade and young adult novels AuthorIllustrator Laura Nyman Montenegro -- author/illustrator of picture booksAuthor Patricia J. Murphy -- author of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, poetry and creative nonfiction Author W. Nikola-Lisa -- author of picture books, poetry, nonfictionAuthor Janet Nolan -- author of picture books Author Nnedi Okorafor -- author of fantasy, chapter books, young adult novelsAuthor Mary Jessie Parker -- author of picture booksAuthor Beverly Patt -- author of picture books, middle grade, young adult novels, nonfiction, historical fictionAuthor Kimberly Pauley -- author of young adult novelsAuthor Patricia Hruby Powell -- author of picture booksAuthor Mary Jo Reinhart -- author of picture booksAuthor Aaron Reynolds -- author of picture books, middle grade and graphic novelsAuthor Janet Riehecky

-- author of picture books, easy readers, middle grade novels, educational material, nonfiction Author Heidi Bee Roemer -- author of picture books, poetry, nonfiction, educational materialAuthor Natalie Rompella -- author of picture books, nonfiction, and educational materialAuthor Barb Rosenstock -- author of picture books and nonfictionAuthor Deborah Ruddell -- author of picture books and poetry Author Barbara Santucci -- author of picture books, poetry, nonfiction, middle grade and short storiesAuthor Illustrator Meyer Seltzer -- author/illustrator of picture books, easy readers, nonfiction, educational books and riddlesAuthor Adam Selzer -- author of middle grade novels, young adult novels, nonfiction and educational booksAuthor June Sengpiehl -- author of picture books, fantasy, poetry, chapter books and nonfictionAuthorSara Shacter -- author of picture books, middle grade books, young adult novels, nonfiction, educational titlesAuthorLiesl Robbins Shurtliff -- author of picture books, fantasy, young adult novelsAuthorSuzanne Slade -- author of picture books and nonfictionAuthor Cornelia Maude Spelman -- author of picture booksAuthor Ruth Spiro -- author of picture books and parenting articlesAuthor J. Michael Spooner -- illustrator of picture books and animation concept artAuthor Cynda Strong -- author of picture books, poetry, educational and religious titlesAuthor K. Osborn Sullivan -- author of nonfiction, fantasy, young adult novelsAuthor Amy Timberlake -- author of picture books, middle grade fiction, young adult novelsAuthor Pam Todd -- author of middle grade and young adult novels Author Glennette Tilley Turner -- author of picture books, middle grade novels, educational material and nonfiction Author Darwin McBeth Walton -- author of picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, nonfictionAuthor Illustrator Sheila Kelly Welch -- author/illustrator of picture books, fantasy, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, nonfictionAuthorIllustrator Sallie Wolf -- author and illustrator of picture books and poetry

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An Author's Wish List

Reprinted with permission from TERRIFIC CONNECTIONS WITH AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATORS, AND STORYTELLERS by Toni Buzzeo, www.tonibuzzeo.com , and Jane Kurtz, www.janekurtz.com (Libraries Unlimited 1999) See the Libraries Unlimited website for more information.

An Author's Wish List was compiled by The POD, an online group of children’s writers.
All rights reserved.

SCHEDULING

  • Call the author to confirm the author visit!

  • Never ask the author to do additional sessions after details of the visit have been agreed upon.

  • If the author has 15 minutes between sessions, do not let students use that time to get their books signed. The author needs those 15 minutes to catch her/his breath, race to the restroom, get a drink, and sit down for a minute. Speaking to large groups of kids demands high-energy, and s/he can't do it nonstop without a break. If you expect an author to do extra things, like 'read something to the entire student body' or 'tell us how reading has changed your life,' tell her/him before the visit so that s/he can be prepared.

    PREPARING THE STUDENTS

  • Students must be familiar with the author’s books. If possible, prepare students by reading all of the author’s work with/to them. Otherwise, select several books to share beginning well in advance of the visit. In addition, the best school visits occur when preparations infuse the curriculum. Read the article on this topic by Toni Buzzeo entitled "The Finely Tuned Author Visit" in Book Links, March 1998 for ideas.

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    PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS

  • Prepare to introduce the author in a fun and lively way. The librarian or teacher who does this job is basically the warm-up band to get the kids fired up.

  • If the author is speaking in a large room--auditorium or gym--you must provide a microphone for the students' questions. It's impossible to hear students unless they are in the first few rows. (An alternative to this is to provide the author with a lapel mike and room to move to the person who is speaking.) If possible, have the students wear name tags. It is a tremendous help to the author both during the presentation and while signing.

  • Do not leave students alone with the visiting author. Authors are not hired to be baby-sitters. Likewise, if a teacher/librarian sees students disrupting, s/he should not be afraid to interrupt the session to remedy the situation. It is not the author’s job to teach manners.

    CREATURE COMFORTS

  • Provide someone, either an adult or an older student, to act as the author’s host or hostess for the day. S/he should greet the author when s/he arrives, introduce her/him to teachers and staff, and lead her/him from place to place. Provide on-going hot tea with lemon or cold water (author preference) for voice. Make time for a midmorning snack.

  • Allow enough time to get from one class to the next and for bathroom breaks.

  • Plan for a real lunch, rather than cafeteria food.

  • Don't plan evening activities that run late if the author is visiting your schools for a week. The author needs the evening to rest and regroup for the next day.

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    BOOK SALES AND SIGNINGS

  • Do not assume that an author will bring her/his own books to sell at a school visit. Check with her/him in advance. Many authors do not sell their own books and feel very uncomfortable being put into the position of doing so.

  • If the author does not sell her/his own books, order books the day the author confirms. You can never order books too early. The biggest mistake schools make is waiting too long to order.

  • Double check with booksellers or jobbers providing books to be sure that all titles are available.

  • Provide a reasonably comfortable adult-sized chair and table for the signing. Do not allow students to ask the author to sign slips of paper or body parts. Most authors will provide signed bookmarks--or provide a master sheet so the school can make them. That way, each child can take home something signed by the author whether or not they buy a book. Ask the author about this.

  • Likewise, if it's a young authors' conference and the students have written their own books, let them know that the author cannot sign hundreds of their books as well as her/his own.

  • Schedule an hour (or longer) session during which the author is in the library without a group. During this time, each class, in turn, can send students with books to sign. This gives the students the opportunity to visit with the author while their book is being signed and solves the problem of too many restless kids waiting for their turn.

  • Provide an adult to help at the signing table. It's hard for the author to keep an eye on all the visual aids that s/he's brought while the kids are picking them up and looking at them unattended.

  • There will always be students who want to buy books after the author's visit. Most authors will leave a few signed bookplates for that purpose, so make sure books are still available for sale after the event.

    PAYMENT

  • Pay the author's stated fee and do not try to negotiate a lesser fee. Author visits are exhausting and the fee is well-earned.

  • If you need the author’s Social Security number, or an invoice, before a school district issued check can be processed, tell the author in advance so that the check can be ready the day of the visit.

  • Don't make the author ask to be paid. This is very uncomfortable. Know that the author expects to be paid at the end of the day. There is nothing worse for the author than having to say, "Um, well, do you have my check?"

    ACCOMMODATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION

  • It is generally not a good idea to ask an author to stay in a private home. Many authors find it impossible to relax in someone else's home and feel they must be entertaining when they’d really rather not talk to anyone after talking all day. However, it is appropriate to verify that this is the author’s preference.

  • If you have arranged for someone to pick up the author, be sure that h/she arrives on time. The author will need time to catch his/her breath and set up materials before beginning presentations for the day.

  • When the author has to travel between morning and afternoon schools, provide someone to transport him/her there, or someone to lead him/her there so that s/he arrives on time.

    Last Updated: September 22, 2009

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