I love nothing better than visiting schools and sharing my books with children and teachers! My goal is to inspire students to strive to be better readers and writers!
You probably have some questions about how this is all going to work. My Author visit frequently asked questions should answer many of your questions. I have also created an author visit brochure that you might find helpful. Here is a link to a newspaper article about one of my author visits.
Do you want to get an idea of how I read books aloud to students? Below is “Dr. Toughlove’s Read Aloud” where I am reading my first book, Jamal and Me.
Once we have decided that I will be coming to your school for an author visit, we need to do some planning before I arrive. Completing the form Author visit questions and preparation form is very helpful and should enable us to plan effectively.
I have conducted Author Visits/Readings at the following schools/hospital:
Church Hill Elementary School, Church Hill, MD
Grasonville Elementary School, Grasonville, MD
Kent Island Elementary School, Stevensville, MD
Makefield Elementary School, Yardley, PA
Putnam Valley Elementary School, Putnam Valley, NY
Sudlersville Elementary School, Sudlersville, MD
Tyler Elementary School, Washington, DC
Walden School, Yorktown Heights, NY
White Marsh Elementary School, Trappe, MD
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Reactions to Author Visits:
“Well the main reason I liked the story was because the heroes were female kids, so I feel like that can inspire other young women to stop more than just bullying. Another reason I liked Playground Heroes was the illustrations. I think they really help explain what’s going on in the story.” Female student, aged 10
” Our students loved your author visit at our school. Your student-centered visit was engaging, literacy based and so valuable in its content. Thank you for sharing your beautiful book with our students, and for listening to their voices in your discussion of kindness and respect for others. We would love to have you visit again, and we will keep reading your wonderful work!”
Margaret Podesta, Principal, Putnam Valley Elementary School
“Dr. Franks-Randall visited Sudlersville Elementary to encourage our students to use their creative minds to write and not only has she encouraged but she has empowered them to think and write creatively.”
Thomas Walls, Principal, Sudlersville Elementary School
“The students were so excited to have Carol Franks-Randall visit our school again this year. Many students remembered her visiting last year and reading her book Jamal and Me. They couldn’t wait to hear her new story, Playground Heroes. I really enjoyed the interaction between the students and Dr. Franks-Randall while she was reading her book. We can’t wait for her next visit to our school.”
Kathy Barletta, Reading Specialist, Grasonville Elementary School
“As a first-grade teacher at Tyler Elementary School, the author visit was engaging for my students and left them wanting to know more about the main characters in the story. Students asked if I could read Talking Buddies again the next day. They were also excited to see Lila in the hallway. They said, “Look, that’s Lila in real life from Talking Buddies!”
Ms. Thomas, First-grade teacher, John Tyler Elementary School
Do you or your students want to learn a little bit about me before I come to your school? Go to the Fun Things About Carol Franks-Randall page of my website to learn more. You can also consider embarking upon an author study before (or after) my visit. This link was written by a kindergarten teacher but can certainly be adapted for grades K-5.
Not sure how to create a book buying flyer for students to purchase signed copies? A sample book buying flyer is here.
You may also want to check out the Just for Kids page on my website. It provides tips for young writers, and contains two Dr. Toughlove’s Read Aloud videos. In one I am reading Playground Heroes and the other features Jamal and Me.
I would welcome the opportunity to come to your school and work with your students! Please feel free to click on the Contact page on the main menu to get in touch with me.
Hope to see you before too long!