These are the books I’ll be featuring in my 2025-26 author visits. Find out more about hosting me!

I’ve done 167 author presentations so far this academic year, and often at the end of a visit a school principal or other administrator will 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, but as the 2024-25 calendar starts to wind down, I’m taking stock this week of the feedback I’ve received so far.

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 wrapping things up by sharing responses to the survey question, “For better or for worse, what stood out about the feedback that you received after Chris’ visit?”

Many teachers thanked me for having Chris come out. They felt it added to the kids’ schema about the writing process, and to have it come from an author was the best. The students checked out all of his books the following Monday, and I introduced his wife, Jennifer’s, book to them and that one got checked out too!

Everyone was really happy! It was a great day and Chris’ books keep flying off the shelves in the library. :)

So many positive comments, not one negative comment. Everyone loved it!

The feedback was all very positive.

Time management, interactions with the kids, the way he explained things

The teachers and students loved him.

Students were talking about him the next day at lunch so I know it made an impact on their day.

The students were still talking about it days after.

Everyone was impressed at Chris’s ability to control the room. He used our hand signals to redirect students. He was calm and patient when students got excited or had a hard time settling down!

They all want to read his books now. They are excited to see signed copies (we are a new school, so these are the first signed books we have).

The kids were so excited to meet such a well known author. They are still wanting to read his books and I can’t keep them on the shelf.

Students and teachers were delighted to meet a real live author who was (kinda) famous!

(Ha! I’ll take “kinda famous” over merely “kinda delighted” any day.)

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!