AUTHOR VISITS with L.A. FIELDING
Canadian author of the X-tails children’s book series
A GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS
Learn more About The Author: L.A. Fielding
Why Have an Author Visit Your School?
Author visits are exciting for children. They create enthusiasm for literacy. When authors visit your school, they inspire children to read and write. They allow students to drift away into their imagination, and can create a lifelong love for books. We created this guide so that the event goes off without a hitch, and everyone benefits.
How To Book Your School Visit
Complete the Author Visit Request form online. We’ll follow up with a phone call, and then written confirmation of your school visit.
Honorarium
For a short time only, school visits within Prince George are free. For schools outside of Prince George, but within 200 km, the honorarium is $100 per visit. Outside of that area, please inquire. Payment is due on the day of the visit. If you’d prefer to prepay, please let us know.
You can work with your PAC to find creative ways to fund the honorarium; book fairs or used book sales are a great way to tie the fundraising into the event. We do offer schools a fundraising program as well! For each book ordered (through the school or through families) we give 40% back to the school or PAC. See our Fundraising for Schools for more information.
Getting Organized for the Event
Preparation
It is a good idea to prepare students ahead of time for the author visit. Reading them one of the X-tails stories is a great way to introduce them to the characters and create excitement. Talking to them about what an author is can be incorporated into the preparation. You can have the students prepare questions for the author in advance if you wish. Outlining expectations (waiting your turn to speak, raising hands for questions, etc.) is valuable.
Creating Excitement
You can use our free printable L.A. Fielding’s Author Visit colouring poster to print and colour, and put up around the school. You can also discuss ideas with your students about promoting the event.
Order forms are brought in by Larry on the day of his visit. The school distributes the forms to students, providing parents with the opportunity to purchase a personally signed book for their child or children. The school collects the forms a week or so later and then mails the order forms and payments to Larry. Once received, Larry personally signs all of the books and mails them to the school.
You can also request a parent volunteer to take pictures at the event and let the children pose with Larry for a photo opportunity. You can use our Media Kit, and add the event to your school newspaper and website.
What You Can Expect During Larry’s Visit
Typically, Larry’s visits are held in the library or multipurpose room where he reads one of his stories to the students. His readings are very interactive and include talking about the illustrator he works with and about why Larry started writing and his process. Each session is tailored toward the age group. At the end of the session there is the opportunity for questions from the students. It’s a lot of fun and we often hear that the students talk about his visit for many days afterwards!
Please ensure that the space is clean and set up for the appropriate number of students.
There are typically two classes in each session, and starting in the morning works best. The appropriate age groups are kindergarten to grade five, and the length of each session will vary: 30 minutes needed for the K’s; 35 - 40 minutes needed for grades 1 3; and, 40 - 45 minutes for grades 4 - 5. We can book up to 5 sessions per day. No technology is needed, as Larry simply has the students sit on the floor around him.
A schedule will be created by the school and provided to Larry prior to his visit. Here is an example:
- 8:40 am 9:10 am (Kindergarten)
- 9:15 am 9:55 am (Grade 1)
- 10:00 am – 10:15 am (Recess)
- 10:20 am – 11:00 am (Grade 2)
- 11:00 am 11:40 am (Grade 3)
- 12:00 pm – 1 pm (Lunch)
- 1:05 pm – 1:50 (Grade 4/5)
*if the above times are a challenge, session lengths can easily be adjusted, i.e. 30 – 45 minutes.
After The Event
Use the free downloadable Lesson Plans for the books, to continue the learning and excitement. The Lesson Plans offer a fun way for students to learn and be creative, all related to the X-tails story they have just heard or read.
Add a blurb & photos to your school newsletter, or on your school website, highlighting the event.
Complete and submit the Author Visit Evaluation form online.
What Are Other Schools Saying About Our Author Visits?
A group of friends on zoober-amazing adventures that you can share with your family!