Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs (for free!)

Welcome to the Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs List!  I’m Kate Messner, the children’s author and educator who maintains this site.  I started it because I’ve found that virtual author visits are a great way to connect authors and readers, and I realize that many schools facing budget troubles don’t have the option of paid author visits. With that in mind, this is a list of authors who offer free 15-20-minute Q and A sessions with classes and book clubs that have finished reading one of their books. As an author, I offer free Skype chats for all of my titles – check out the “Books” tab above for a list!

 

If you’re interested in booking a “virtual visit” with me, please visit my author-Skype page for current availability and directions for requesting a visit!

How does a Skype virtual visit work?  Click here to read a blog entry about my students’ virtual visit with the fantastic Laurie Halse Anderson. It includes an overview of how a Skype chat with an author might work, as well as tips for teachers, librarians, & book club organizers to help your virtual visit run smoothly.  You can click here to read my first School Library Journal technology feature on Skype author visits, called “Met Any Good Authors Lately? Classroom Visits Can  Happen Via Skype” and this follow-up SLJ feature, “An Author in Every Classroom: Kids Connecting with Authors via Skype. It’s the next best thing to being there.”  There’s also an ever-growing list of authors who offer both free and paid Skype visits at the Skype An Author Network.

Important note for teachers & librarians: Please check with the author via email to be sure he or she still offers free Skype chats before you purchase books or make plans. (Some authors offer only a limited number of free Skype visits, and some who start out offering free visits begin to charge later on.  I don’t always get those updates right away.)  And authors…if you’re on this list but no longer offer free Skype visits, please let me know.

Authors Who Skype With Classes & Book Clubs (for free!)

The following authors offer free 15-20-minute Skype chats with book clubs and classes that have read one of their books! (Many also offer more in-depth virtual visits for a fee.) To arrange a virtual visit, check out the authors’ websites for book choices and contact information.  Then ask for their books at your favorite bookstore or visit IndieBound to find a store near you!

For Picture Book & Young Chapter Book Readers  (4-8)

Marsha Diane Arnold
Mike Artell
Deborah Blumenthal
Louise Borden
Donna Janell Bowman
Larry Dane Brimner
Susan Taylor Brown
Leslie Bulion
Nancy Castaldo
Tracey M. Cox
Katie Davis
Keila Dawson
Erin Dealey
Lori Degman
Elizabeth Dulemba
Kathy Duval
Carol Gordon Ekster
Jonathan Emmett
Jill Esbaum
Carol Gordon Esker
Julie Falatko
Debbi Michiko Florence
Alison Ashley Formento
Sonia Clark Foster
Josh Funk
Laura Gehl
Susan Hood
Laurie Jacobs
Lisa Jahn-Clough
Jess Keating
Jane Kohuth
Jane Kurtz
Lindsey Lane
Kara Lareau
Tara Lazar
Gail Carson Levine
Deb Lund
JoAnn Early Macken
Wendy Martin
Kate Messner
Jamie Michalak
Kim Norman
Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Wendy Orr
Ammi-Joan Paquette
Erica Perl
Annette Pimentel
J.L. Powers
Jean Reidy
Candice Ransom
Mara Rockliff
Madelyn Rosenberg
Barb Rosenstock
Michael Shoulders
Amy Sklansky
Margo Sorenson
Sarah Sullivan
Jane Sutcliffe
Jennifer Swanson
Debbie A. Taylor
Carmella Van Vleet
Nancy Viau
Jennifer Ward
Lee Wardlaw

For Middle Grade Readers (Ages 8-12)

Sarah Albee
John David Anderson
R.J. Anderson
Aubre Andrus
Hannah Barnaby
Nora Raleigh Baskin
Dale Basye
W.H. Beck
Eric Berlin
Julie Berry
Jenn Bishop
Ellen Booraem
F.T. Bradley
Larry Dane Brimner
Christine Brodien-Jones
Susan Taylor Brown
Leslie Bulion
Stephanie Burgis
Kathleen Burkinshaw
Dori Hillestad Butler
Nancy Castaldo
Jennifer Cervantes
Melanie Conklin
Debbie Dadey
Elisabeth Dahl
Tara Dairman
Danielle Davis
Katie Davis
Kenneth C. Davis
Karen Day
Julia DeVillers
Jill Diamond
Erin Dionne
Bonnie Doerr
Gail Donovan
Jen Swann Downey
Kathleen Duble
Kathleen Duey
Brianna DuMont
Sarah Beth Durst
Peggy Eddleman
Mary Cronk Farrell
Jody Feldman
Greg Fishbone
Jo Franklin
D. Dina Friedman
Kimberly Newton Fusco
Dee Garretson
Dan Gemeinhart
Chris Grabenstein
Mike Graf
Danette Haworth
Bridget Heos
Tess Hilmo
Bridget Hodder
Sara Lewis Holmes
Jacqueline Houtman
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Michele Weber Hurwitz
Mark Jeffrey
Janet Johnson
Jess Keating
Lynne Kelly
Derek Taylor Kent
Rose Kent
Morgan Keyes
Kristen Kittscher
Jo Knowles
Jane Kurtz
R.L. LaFevers
Irene Latham
Jessica Leader
Lindsey Leavitt
Claire Legrand
Gail Carson Levine
Debbie Levy
Joanne Levy
Cynthea Liu
Nikki Loftin
C. Alexander London
Dayna Lorentz
Eric Luper
JoAnn Early Macken
Torrey Maldonado
Andrew Maraniss
Leslie Margolis
Nan Marino
Laura Williams McCaffrey
Stephen McCranie
Robin Mellom
Kate Messner
Rita Murphy
Mahtab Narsimhan
Richard Newsome
Wendy Orr
Ammi-Joan Paquette
Mitali Perkins
Erica Perl
J.L. Powers
Sarah Prineas
Katie Quirk
Candice Ransom
Laura Resau
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Yolanda Ridge
Anica Mrose Rissi
Mara Rockliff
Dee Romito
Madelyn Rosenberg
Dianne Salerni
Augusta Scattergood
Laura Schaefer
Lisa Schroeder
Heidi Schulz
Rachel Searles
Adam Selzer
Liesl Shurtliff
Laurel Snyder
Margo Sorenson
Tricia Springtubb
Anna Staniszewski
Catherine Stine
Sarah Sullivan
Jane Sutcliffe
Jennifer Swanson
Melissa Thomson
Jennifer Trafton
Anne Ursu
Greg van Eekhout
Carmella Van Vleet
Nancy Viau
J and P Voelkel
Beth Vrabel
Lee Wardlaw
Cynthia Willis
Dianna Winget
Barry Wolverton
Barbara Wright
Karen Romano Young
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

For Teen Readers
(Also check out the list of adult authors below; many also work with teens.)

Karen Akins
E. Kristin Anderson
R.J. Anderson
Ann Angel
Heidi Ayarbe
Kim Baccellia
Pam Bachorz
Cyn Balog
Tracey Baptiste
Janice Gable Bashman
Lauren Bjorkman
Deborah Blumenthal
Amy Brecount White
Sarah Rees Brennan
Larry Dane Brimner
Jessica Burkhart
Kay Cassidy
Angela Cerrito
Crissa-Jean Chappell
Bethany Crandell
Mary Crockett
Ellen Dee Davidson
Kenneth C. Davis
Christa Desir
Stephanie Diaz
Jaclyn Dolamore
Kathleen Duble
Kathleen Duey
Sarah Beth Durst
Debby Dahl Edwardson
Christina Farley
Beth Fehlbaum
Alison Ashley Formento
Megan Frazer
D. Dina Friedman
Margie Gelbwasser
David Macinnis Gill
Lori Goldstein
Carla Gunn
Teri Hall
Brendan Halpin
S.A. Harazin
Sue Harrison
Cheryl Renee Herbsman
Jim C. Hines
Jennifer Hubbard
Jennifer Jabaley
Denise Jaden
Lisa Jahn-Clough
Christine Johnson
Tara Kelly
James Kennedy
Jo Knowles
Daniel Kraus
Nina LaCour
Marie Lamba
Kristen Landon
Lindsey Lane
Mackenzi Lee
Claire Legrand
Anita Liberty
Catherine Linka
Sarah Darer Littman
Cynthea Liu
Dayna Lorentz
Amber Lough
Elisa Ludwig
Eric Luper
Sarah Maclean
Torrey Maldonado
Andrew Maraniss
Leslie Margolis
Peter Marino
Laura Williams McCaffrey
Kate McGovern
Neesha Meminger
Dawn Metcalf
Marissa Meyer
Lynn Miller-Lachman
Megan Miranda
Saundra Mitchell
Mike Mullin
Elisa Nader
Greg Neri
Patricia Newman
Caragh O’Brien
Sarah Ockler
Micol Ostow
Maria Padian
Ammi-Joan Paquette
Jackson Pearce
Ashley Perez
Mitali Perkins
Erica Perl
Amy Plum
Gae Polisner
J.L. Powers
Laura Resau
Beth Revis
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Emily Ross
Lena Roy
Amy Kathleen Ryan
Carrie Ryan
Dianne Salerni
Peter Salomon
Sydney Salter
Karen Sandler
Eliot Schrefer
Lisa Schroeder
Inara Scott
Adam Selzer
Kristina Springer
Alison Stine
Catherine Stine
Laurie Stolarz
Tiffany Trent
Melissa Walker
Lee Wardlaw
Carly Anne West
Elaine Wolf
Mary Rose Wood


For Adult Readers
(Also check out the authors listed above; middle grade & teen novels can be great book club selections!)

Michele Albion
Alma Alexander
Amy Alkon
Christa Allan
Charlene Ann Baumbich
Sandra Gulland
Carla Gunn
Sue Harrison
Gail Carson Levine
M.M. Holaday
Sarah Maclean
Andrew Maraniss
Louise Mathewson
Maryann McFadden
Kitty Morse
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Kelly Simmons
Garth Stein
Gwendolyn Zepeda
 

For Authors & Illustrators:  If you’re an author or illustrator of a traditionally published book who would like to be added, please email me (katemessner books at gmail dot com) with your name, website, and publisher, and whether you write picture books, MG, YA, or adult.  For the sake of being clear, traditionally published means published in print by a widely recognized children’s book publisher. I recognize that e-books and self-published titles are also part of the publishing world, but a list that encompasses all of those would simply be too overwhelming for me to maintain. If someone would like to start a list of ebook and self-published authors who Skype, I think that would be great, and I’ll happily link to it here. So again…this is a list of traditionally published authors who offer FREE 15-20 minute Skype chats with classrooms & book clubs that have read one of their books.

If you’re a bookseller or book club member, teacher, or librarian, thanks for stopping by – and feel free to comment with any questions!

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11 Comments

  1. Posted July 11, 2011 at 4:20 am | Permalink

    Thanks for putting this list of free resources together for teachers. My campus will be embarking on project-based learning model this coming school year and as the campus instructional coach I could use this in order to combine technology into the project that is created. Please join in on my blog or twitter with any helpful comments.
    http://www.PBLjourney.blogspot.com
    http://www.twitter.com/bbtcarter

  2. Posted July 13, 2011 at 2:29 am | Permalink

    Passed this one to my school librarian. I’d love to see some Skype visits for our students. Thanks for all of your work.

    • Posted July 14, 2011 at 1:34 am | Permalink

      Thanks! So glad you found the list helpful!

  3. Posted August 24, 2011 at 6:54 pm | Permalink

    Many thanks, Kate. Passing this on to our school librarian!

  4. Susannah Hogan
    Posted November 20, 2011 at 9:11 pm | Permalink

    Add Carol Cassella (author of Oxygen) to your list of FREE authors who skype with adult book clubs. We had a wonderful visit with her a couple of weeks ago.

    • Posted November 22, 2011 at 4:18 pm | Permalink

      Glad you had a great visit with Carol! To avoid confusion (and surprises!) I only add authors when they contact me directly to request it, though.

  5. Posted November 20, 2011 at 10:02 pm | Permalink

    I enjoyed meeting you at NCTE 11. Thanks so much for this list!

    • Posted November 22, 2011 at 4:18 pm | Permalink

      It was so great to meet you, too! Hope the list is helpful!

  6. Colby
    Posted December 9, 2011 at 11:11 pm | Permalink

    I love this. Thanks for taking such good care of us, Kate.

    • Posted December 11, 2011 at 12:47 pm | Permalink

      Thank YOU for all you do for authors & books!

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