Children's Books discussion

Hi all.

I am about to do my first book reading - at Barnes and Noble.

I am excited about it, but also a little bit nervous. Haha! I'm afraid of 5 year old kids!

I plan to have 2 different pictures for the kids to color (both squirrels from the book), and I will have bookmarks to give the kids.

It will take about 12-15 minutes to read the book - depending on how interactive they are.

I also have actual videos with squirrels from the real experiences that lead to the book.

Is this overkill?

Any suggestions on how to make it a fun time (and hopefully get the parents to buy the book)?

Thank you!
Paul Sterman

Have you attended any story times, for example at your local library? Learn from their example what works, how to regain their attention if something distracts them or if they get bored.

Jelly beans or nuts for the kids who make the best predictions before you turn the page?

Exaggerated voices, including some quiet ones so the audience has to be quiet and attentive to hear you.

Well, I'm not an expert either, so I hope someone else chimes in.
Good luck!

When I do readings, I also sing a song at the beginning and after I read the book. I sing the ABC's because my book is called ABC, Can You Find Me?, which is an alphabet search book so it fits. I also recently made coloring pages too which I will hand out at the end, so at least if the parents don't buy a book, they will have something to remind them of it later. The coloring pages have my website and other info. on it. Don't forget the business cards!! Hand them out freely!

Probably more basic than you're looking for, but Respect your audience. Don't talk down or use a baby voice, etc. They may be 5, but you can still respect them and take their ideas seriously, and expect them to be capable of understanding, thinking, and respecting each other. They may well need reminding of that last point, but I've found that if you treat them like humans, they almost always respond!
At that age, just asking them if they have squirrels in their yard or nearby park may have them happily telling you squirrel stories for as long as you're willing to let it last!

I'm in the same boat! I have some story time dates coming up, and the thought of all those eyes staring back at me is pretty frightening. I've done a number of school visits, but somehow this feels different. I found it helpful to look up videos of other authors doing story time. It removed some of the mystery. I also reached out to other authors who I know do an amazing job with story time. Things like crafts and coloring pages are a hit. Crafts are better as prepackaged units though. Parents can take them home if they would rather. It also provides an opportunity for parents to linger, which gives you a chance to interact—good for sales. Lastly, swag... Stickers, buttons, and story-related crafts and coloring pages were the big ones. When I first thought about it, my go-to was bookmarks. But everyone I talked to said that littles at that age wouldn't really be able to use them. It made sense to me so I redirected. Hope this helps....

Hi Paul,
I would bring some packages of your own crayons. I did a B&N book reading and coloring contest and I appreciate that they provided crayons , but there were only four colors in the packs, which I did not know ahead of time. I now have my own crayon packages for my coloring pages. Enjoy your special event!

These are all fantastic suggestions! I have some of these reading events coming up to support the release of my first picture book. And the thought of presenting to kids make me nervous, even though I have no problems running training sessions for my colleagues at work.

This is a great post! have my first reading event in 2 weeks at Barnes & Noble. I am so glad I saw this - thank you everyone! I would have been unprepared.