Here I am during one of my 120 presentations this past year. Find out more about hosting me!

I’ve done about 120 school presentations in the past year, for audiences ranging from pre-kindergartners to high schoolers. No matter the age group, at the end of a visit a school principal or other administrator will often ask me how things went.

I always tell them, honestly, that my perspective is the one that matters the least — what really counts is how the students and staff feel about our time together.

That’s why after each visit my hosts receive a survey so that I can learn more about what worked well and where I might be able to make improvements. I’m not through visiting schools for this academic year — I’ve got at least a dozen campuses on my itinerary for April and May — but as we near the end of the 2025-26 calendar, I’m taking stock this week of the feedback I’ve received in the past twelve months.

Yesterday’s focus was on the question, “What do you wish that Chris had done more (or less) of during his presentation(s)?” Today, I’m sharing responses to the survey question, “For better or for worse, what stood out about the feedback that you received after Chris’ visit?”

A teacher texted me in the middle of the fourth grade presentation to tell me she absolutely loved how Chris presented the practice of writing to our students. I loved how he made a point to let students know how important they are – no matter what they look like or their background.

The kids couldn’t stop talking about the visit and how cool it was that Chris signed their books.

The kids and adults were all very complimentary of the visit.

This was the first time my campus had experienced an in person author visit, and the staff and students were really excited. We are an extremely poor school and I wish that there were a less expensive option for students to buy his books, but other than that…we loved it!

Great feedback from students and staff!

All positive feedback from staff and students.

Our 3rd-5th graders were captured by Chris. He had all 480 kids glued to every word!

Nothing but positive feedback.

The kids’ excitement!

There was a large difference between the grade levels on how teachers responded to the presentation. The fourth grade teachers loved his presentation and mentioned that they appreciated the very concrete comments about writing and topic choice. The fifth grade teachers were not as impressed – they thought that it felt a little long. The fourth grade teachers as an audience were much more engaged however, so I would take that feedback with a grain of salt.

Noted! And just to be clear, my hosts determine the duration of my sessions with their students, up to an hour. As long as the students — and the grownups in the room — have good questions, and as long as I can hear the questions and the students can hear my answers, my inclination is to keep going and use all the time my hosts have set aside.

He kept the students’ attention. :)

Teachers and students enjoyed his presentations. Students also loved getting him to sign his books.

The students were very engaged and well-behaved. Kids are talking about writing their own books.

Please see my Author Visits page for more information about hosting me, including a video of me in action as well as details about grants and other funding tips. I’d love to visit your campus or library soon!