Author visits can be set up by a teacher, principal, librarian, PTA or any group within the school that wants to help reading and writing come more alive for the students.

Up to a year in advance contact me about my schedule. But don't hesitate to call at the last minute especially in the Pacific Northwest. I will send back a confirmation letter. Put my visit date on the school calendar.

Up to six months in advance have my books available in the school library. My presentation is extended and reinforced when students have the opportunity to read my books before and after my visit.

Up to two months ahead order my books from your favorite local bookstore or check my list of books for information on how to order directly from my publishers. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE GETTING MY BOOKS.

Up to one month ahead contact author about planning the day's schedule. I enjoy designing programs that suit the age of students and curriculum needs of the school, as determined by the teachers.

I would appreciate at least a 15-30 minute break between sessions so that students and teachers can talk to me individually. Two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon work best. I am willing to do brief walk-through presentations to the kindergartners.

Consider having one or more of the day's sessions be a writing workshop for a group of up to thirty students. These students need not be the best writers, just have an interest in working with an author and learning more about writing.

Up to one week ahead contact author to review plans. Make sure the teachers all have the schedule. Get volunteers for book sale. I would be happy to sign books following each session or during the lunch hour. Plan lunch for author. I enjoy eating lunch with teachers and/or student writers. It is a special treat for me to get to talk to people individually on such a busy day. Check out equipment needed - slide projector, screen, table.

Day of visit pat yourself on the back! You helped reading and writing come alive for the students at your school.

Recommendations:

"I would highly recommend the author Claire Rudolf Murphy. She recently presented programs at the Monroe and Sultan libraries as well as two elementary schools in the area. She is very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, interesting, well organized and a dynamic storyteller. She emailed me frequently before the program date about various details so I was assured all would go smoothly and it did! Her website at clairerudolfmurphy.com is full of information and even includes a timeline for hosting an author visit. She offers a variety of presentations from writing workshops to storytelling and her experiences as an author.

She writes for children and adults and her main book topics have been fiction and nonfiction about Alaska and the Gold Rush, but she recently co-authored Daughters of the Desert (about historical women of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths) and is working on a juvenile title coming out soon titled I am Sacagawea, I am York. We publicized our program as being for ages six and up and the audience included children through senior citizens.

Her program was so much fun, and included inspiration and advice about becoming an author, personal experiences living in Alaska, descriptions of her books, and a rousing Gold Rush story. She used panning for gold and the Eskimo yoyo with audience participants to illustrate the idea of not giving up when writing is not going well. Most important of all she was great at engaging the audience and welcomed any and all questions and comments."

-- Linda Allen
 Monroe Public Library
 Washington State