Materials
Books by selected author
basket
Instructions
1. Every month, choose an author on whom to focus. Instead of just reading
books by that author, extend the activity by making the author more real to
the children.
2. Gather all your books (classroom books and borrowed books) by the author
and put them in a special basket labeled "Author Study" along with the
author's name. Gather any stuffed or plastic characters that are included in
the story and put them in or near the basket.
3. In a special place on the bulletin board, hang a photo of the author (check
the Internet or the book jacket). When you read the stories, share
information about the author. Encourage the children to look for similarities
in the author's books.
4. Send home a list of books by that author so the parents can also participate.
Author Note: The children in my class really enjoy this activity. For example,
they love pointing out that all Eric Carle books have a similar sun, the special
way he signs his name, and how he has changed through the years in the
photos on his book jackets. They love finding where Donald Crews has
drawn himself into the story and seeing the photo of when he was a little boy
going to "Big Mama's" house.
