Virtual Author Visits

Virtual Author Visits for Students Grades PreK-8th

When you schedule a Virtual Author Visit with Judy Young, your students get to participate in the same type of exciting and educational programs that Judy has presented in-person at over 1,300 schools nationwide. During each session, Judy shares where she gets her ideas, as well as the writing and publication process. Her programs are specifically tailored with grade level variations and have lots of visuals to keep your students’ attention focused.

Schools usually schedule students in grade level or combined grade level groups, with up to five sessions during the day. Sessions lengths are a 15 minute read-aloud for PreK, 30 minutes each for grades PreK-1, 50 minutes each for grades 2-3 and 60 minutes each for grades 4-8. Individual classroom teachers usually log into their session on their classroom computer and project the visit for students to watch. However, some schools choose for grade levels to meet together in assembly style.

Judy realizes that school situations vary and she will work with you to schedule a virtual visit to meet your school’s or event’s specific needs. Judy’s virtual author visits utilize the ZOOM platform, but she may be able to use other platforms.

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I heard several wonderful compliments about your presentations today.  I appreciate your great communication too.  You were the icing on the cake for our students as they finished out our March is Reading month celebration.

Pam Lillie/Principal of Krause Elementary – Armada, MI

Types of Virtual Author Visits

SINGLE SCHOOL VISITS

Your school can schedule a virtual author visit solely for your school, selecting the date, programs and session start times that best fit your school’s schedule. This is the “most personal” type of virtual author visit as there is more time for your students to ask questions and have personal interaction.

MULTIPLE SCHOOL VISIT EVENTS

Several times a year, Judy offers special “Multiple School Virtual Author Visit Events” at a greatly reduced price. During these special visits, schools across the nation log into sessions all at the same moment. The dates, programs and session start times are pre-set cannot be changed. However, each event has several time options for each grade level combination: PreK-K-1;  2-3;  4-6;  5-8.             If you would like to be put on Judy’s email list to receive information     about when multiple-school virtual author visits are scheduled, contact Judy.

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TEAM UP! Collaborate with Other Schools in Your District

Team up with one, more, or all schools in your district to share a virtual author visit. Participating schools collaborate together to select the date, programs and session start times that best fit their needs. Essentially, this is creating a special children’s lit fest for your district’s students!

SPECIAL AUTHOR VISIT EVENTS

Judy also offers the following events:
*Virtual Family Night “Meet the Author” Programs: grades K-6.
*Virtual Author Visits for libraries, young author conferences, and children’s lit fests.
*Virtual Professional Development on Teaching Poetry Writing: grades 2-5 and 5-8.
Contact Judy About Your Special Needs.

It’s easy to get more information or to schedule a presentation.

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Program Descriptions

Focus on Fiction!

Students will be motivated to write their own stories when they hear how two simple questions can outline a story from beginning to end! Students will also learn how nonfiction facts can grow into fiction books as Judy shares the behind-the-scene stories of how ideas change to words, and words turn into books.

To see the grade level program choices/featured books: Read More

Discover the Wild World of Buck Bray

Your students will take an exciting adventure into some of America’s National Parks without leaving the classroom as Judy tells how she got the ideas for the books in The Wild World of Buck Bray series. Judy also shares her on-location research and the writing process of this adventure/mystery series.

Program Variations Available for Grades: 4/5/6 (60 minutes)

Meet Digger and Daisy

In this interactive program, your youngest students will “help” Judy read Digger and Daisy Go to the Zoo. Students will also learn the role of authors, illustrators and publishers, as well as participate in an activity showing how authors do what they are learning: checking for capitalization, punctuation, and creating “better” sentences.

Program Variations Available for Grades: PreK (15 minutes read aloud only); PreK/K/1 (30 minutes full program)

It’s Poetry from A to Z!

From ballads about butterflies, jingles about jellybeans or quatrains about quilts, your students will discover the magic of poetry as author Judy Young presents award-winning R is for Rhyme, A Poetry Alphabet. As Judy reads her poems and shares the stories behind them, students enter into the poetry writing process, learning about poetic tools, terms and techniques such as rhythm and rhyme, metaphor and alliteration, and specific poetic structures.

Program Variations Available for Grades: PreK (15 minute read-aloud); K/1 (30 minutes); 2/3 (50 minutes); 4/5/6 (60 minutes); and 6/7/8 (60 minutes*)
*can be adjusted from 50-90 minutes to meet MS class period lengths.

Westward Bound on the Oregon Trail!

Your students will go West as they travel with Judy down the Oregon Trail. Using A Book for Black-Eyed Susan and Minnow and Rose, Judy will discuss the research and writing process of historical fiction as your students follow in the footsteps of the pioneers, seeing the landmark sights and wildlife the pioneers saw and hearing about their daily lives on the trail.

Program Variations Available for Grades: 2/3 (50 minutes) and 4/5/6 (60 minutes)

Sleepy Snoozy

In this interactive program, your youngest students will have fun hearing the tongue-twisting poems and interesting facts about how and where a variety of animals sleep. about a variety of animals. Students will also learn the role of authors, illustrators and publishers, as well as participate in an activity showing how authors do what they are learning: checking for capitalization, punctuation, and creating “better” sentences.

Program Variations Available for Grades: PreK (15 minute read-aloud); PreK/K/1 (30 minutes full program)

The Hidden Bestiary

Your students will travel around the world as they discover marvelous, mysterious and maybe even magical creatures hidden in the illustrations and determine whether the creatures are endangered, extinct or never existed! Students will also discover the unique “reversed” writing process of this book, in which Judy wrote to illustrations that were created first!

Program Variations Available for Grades: 2/3 (50 minutes) and 4/5/6 (60 minutes)

Show Me Missouri

Missouri students will go on an adventure through the Show Me State with author Judy Young, who was born and raised in Missouri and raised her children in that state as well. Students will hear about Missouri’s history, geography, people, events, wildlife and resources as well as see some of the initial sketches for the illustrations painted by her husband, Ross. Ending with some MO riddles, this program has fun audience participation.

Program Variations Available for Grades: PreK/K/1 (30 minutes); 2/3 (50 minutes); 4/5/6 (60 minutes)

So You Wanna Be an Author

Students are looking toward their futures and there are many careers in writing and publishing! Judy shares myths, truths and behind-the-scene aspects of professionally writing and publishing books for children. From getting ideas, to writing and revising, and then the process to submit for publication, this program is perfect English and creative writing classes.

For Middle School and High School audiences: (60 minutes*)
*can be adjusted from 50-90 minutes to meet class period lengths.

Family Nights and Special Events: Meet Author Judy Young

Often schools, libraries or children’s literature festivals want a special speaker at their family nights or special events. In a virtual program designed for a mixed audience of both children and adults, Judy takes participants “behind the scenes” to discover the working life of an author. As she reads from her books, Judy the writing process from where ideas come from to rough drafts, final manuscripts and publication. She also discusses the illustration process from the author’s perspective. This program can be for an assembly style presentation, where the visit is presented virtually to an in-person audience or links can be sent to a limited number of families for a remote presentation at their homes.

For Mixed Audiences of K-6 Grade Students and their Families: (50 minutes)

What Schools Are Saying!

Thank you so much for the fabulous presentations and for being so accommodating for the last minute changes we needed. I’ve heard lots of great feedback from your “visits” from both teachers and kids. Also, the format you used with multiple choice presentations and the pricing made your visit so accessible to every class and every grade! I LOVED that!! Thank you many times over, and I look forward to having you share your expertise again in the near future

Mernie Maestras / Librarian

Boone Trail Elementary
Wentzville, MO

Wow- THANK YOU! We were so impressed with the amazing visit and conversations you had with our students/staff last week. I was able to sit in on one of your sessions and our students were so engaged and excited to listen and share with you. Your work has inspired and sparked our literacy- reading love with our students. We look forward to many more Judy Young reads and the positive outcomes we will continue to see from our time together with you.

Lisa Weigel / Superintendent

Arickaree School
Anton, CO

I just wanted to reach out and thank you so much for offering the presentation for RAA week! ALL our students LOVED it! I was present in every presentation and LOVED them all!!! Students are still talking about you and your books and I’m continuing to read more books to them and do the activities you shared! Thanks

Trina Hellbusch / PreK-8 Media Specialist

Boone Central Schools
Albion, NE

Judy, Thank YOU! I have heard such great feedback from your visit. Students were so excited about your books and teachers loved hearing about your experiences! Thanks for offering such a wonderful experience to the Vineland kiddos!

Jillian Lutz / Librarian

Vineland Elementary
De Soto, MO

Thank you so much for spending time with our students! You did a great job and everyone loved it!

Elissa Tomlinson / Media Specialist

Westside Elementary
Valdosta, GA

Thank you, Judy! The kids had a great time seeing other students around the US while hearing about your books!

Alicia Hicks / Head Teacher

Slana School
Slana, AK

Happy aloha Friday!
I appreciate your quick response with my students’ questions answered. You are amazing! I’m sure you receive so many emails so I am grateful. I will be sure to share your answers with them. Lucky for us, we have access to your chapter books so it’ll be fun to read, especially because we met and “know” the author!

Cara Dote / 2nd Grade Teacher

Kipapa Elementary
Mililani, HI

I heard several wonderful compliments about your presentations today. I appreciate your great communication too. You were the icing on the cake for our students as they finished out our March is Reading month celebration.

Pam Lillie / Principal

Krause Elementary
Armada, MI

I highly recommend Judy to come all day to your school. She met with every grade in separate assemblies. Her program was excellent! She had the kids writing with her by the end of the lesson! Now the kids are excited about becoming authors and they love all of Judy’s books! It was one of the best programs I have ever had! It is money well spent!

Julie Dupree / Principal

Apollo Elementary
Bossier City, LA