World Read Aloud Day 2026 will be on February 4, 2026!
Educators and librarians, I know you have so many wonderful authors to choose from when looking for a volunteer for your students. I’m happy to once again be coordinating the self-published author and illustrator volunteers. I know they are so happy to be included and share their books with young readers.
When you find a volunteer you’d like to work with, please contact them using the info on the sheet. As schedules fill up, I will remove their names from the list.
It’s that time of year again! World Read Aloud Day 2026 is just around the corner, and I’m happy to once again be coordinating the self-published published author and illustrator volunteers.
World Read Aloud Day is February 4, 2026! This is a wonderful day for educators or librarians have a volunteer do a FREE virtual visit with your group on this day.
In order to volunteer for World Read Aloud Day, your book(s) must be written for kids (teens and younger). No adult books please! Any books containing hate speech, discriminatory language, or messages/themes that contradict LitWorld’s mission of diversity and inclusion will not be accepted. To be clear, I will not include books that are racist, anti-LGBTQ+, or sexist on this list.
WRAD virtual visits are not elaborate or time-consuming to plan. Your presentation should last 10-15 and should go something like this:
1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books. 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations
It’s time to get ready for World Read Aloud Day 2025! The list of self-published volunteers is live! Keep reading for all the details:
If you’re new here, I’m Judy Campbell-Smith. I am the author of AJ’s Neighborhood, a picture book I self-published in 2022, and Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World, released by Sleeping Bear Press in March 2024. A few years ago, I discovered that the amazing Kate Messner was organizing volunteers for World Read Aloud Day, but she was focusing on traditionally published authors and illustrators. So I decided to step up so that self-published authors and illustrators could also participate in this wonderful celebration of reading and literacy.
World Read Aloud Day is February 5, 2025! If you are an educator or librarian, you can contact a volunteer to zoom with your group on this day.
WRAD virtual visits are not elaborate or time-consuming to plan. Your presentation should last 10-15 and should go something like this:
1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books. 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations
Use the contact info listed to get in touch with the volunteer directly to request a visit. In your message, be sure to include:
Your name and what grade(s) you work with
Your city and time zone (this is important for scheduling!)
Possible times to connect on February 5th. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
Your preferred platform (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
A phone number where you can be reached on that day in case of technical issues
A note for educators and librarians: please honor your commitments and plan accordingly. Please do not double book or cancel unless there is an emergency. Also, if you’re looking for traditionally published authors and illustrators, check out Kate Messner’s list of traditionally published authors and illustrators.
A note for self-published volunteers: please remember to let me know when your schedule is full so that I can remove your name from the list! If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time to join in the fun! Use this link and fill out the form:WRAD 2025 – Call for Self-Published Volunteers
Welcome to the Back Matter Break Down! Today, I am happy to bring an interview with Lindsay Farley! Her book is unique in so many ways as it brings together sports and social-emotional learning, plus math in the back matter! I’m excited for you all to learn more about her journey, so let’s go!
Book: An Above Par Day
Author: Lindsay Farley
Illustrator: Anglika Dewi
Publisher / Year: Kiddywink Crew, 2023
Topics: Golf, Sports, Social-Emotional
Blurb: Does practice really make perfect? And is perfect really what it’s all about? An Above Par Day is an engaging and relatable story about a boy, Liam, who thinks he will be as good as the pros when he goes out on a real golf course. Liam’s frustration gets in the way of enjoying his family golf outing. Will he be able to turn his attitude around and make some memories with his sister and parents?
Word Count: 762
Back matter word count: 309
At what phase of the drafting/revising/publishing process did you decide to add back matter in your book?
I think I always knew I would add some type of back matter. But I was all over the place with what I wanted it to be for a while! In the very beginning stages I wanted to include a “board game” in the back. Then I went back and forth about adding in more information about the actual game of golf (i.e. explain par, bogie, etc). I also thought about having readers figure out the scores throughout the book, but I felt that took away from the storyline.
I ended up adding in the back matter right at the end, right before it was published. After what I thought was the final read through, I felt like it didn’t showcase the math in golf as much as I wanted it to. I didn’t want to interrupt the actual story with too much math, so back matter felt like the perfect place for it.
What did the first draft of the back matter look like? Can you show us snippets?
The very first draft of the back matter was a board game. Here are pictures of what I had initially envisioned. I had the thought that you would go to my website to download and print the cards (a few of the cards are pictured here), but then I thought maybe it would be better to bring this game and activities to visits instead of having them in the book.
Tell us about the back matter revision process. Why did changes occur?
Initially I was publishing this book on my own. And then, in a twist of fate, I met my now business partner, Julianna Bria. We created Kiddywink Crew together, and this book was published as part of our kids entertainment company.
A big part of what we do with Kiddywink Crew is promote the importance of conversations between kids and adults. That helped me think about the back matter differently. That’s a big part of why I changed it to questions for kids and adults to talk about from the book.
Is your back matter aimed for kid readers or adults? What do you hope readers will take away after reading your back matter content?
It’s aimed at parents and kids so they can talk about the math in the book. I hope kids and adults see the math throughout the story, and use some of the questions to inspire questions they can ask their children the next time they play golf!
Have you heard back from any readers about how they are using the Math Connections?
I’ve heard from a few teacher friends that they’ve used it with their classes! As a parent, I totally get why it might be hard to use with your kids, especially when you are reading at night and are ready for it to be bedtime! But I do hope that more people refer back to the questions as they reread the book!
Reflecting on this process and what you learned, what tips (if any) can you offer picture book writers for writing back matter?
I think my biggest tip would be to wait until you’ve finished the manuscript. It might even be best to wait until it’s illustrated too. I think you figure out the best back matter for your book once it’s as final as possible.
Thank you, Lindsay! It’s so interesting to see your thought process! Hopefully it will help other authors as they are problem-solving their own back matter.
Now for the giveaway! Here is Lindsay’s generous offer: We have kids as guests on our Kiddywink Crew podcast. I would like to offer up a kid spot on our podcast for a lucky winner! Best for kids ages 4 – 10. To enter: Leave one comment on this blog post by February 26, 2024 at 11:59pm PT. A winner will be chosen at random and notified on February 27, 2024. One entry per person!
I’m so excited about World Read Aloud Day 2024 coming on February 7, 2024. This is a day when authors and illustrators celebrate the power of reading aloud by volunteering their time to read to children around the world via Zoom! This event was founded LitWorld and Scholastic, and I am so excited to be once again organizing the self-published authors and illustrators who are volunteering their services to read on WRAD 2024!
If you’re reading this, I hope you are interested in scheduling a visit by one of the amazing authors on my list. If you’re new to WRAD, here is what the typical visit entails, as stated by author Kate Messner:
WRAD VISITS AREN’T LONG OR FANCY PRESENTATIONS. USUALLY, THEY LAST 10-15 MINUTES AND GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS: – 1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books. – 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel – 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing – 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations for the kids
TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS, here’s how to connect with an author or illustrator to Zoom with your classroom or library on World Read Aloud Day:
Check out this List of Self-Published Authors & Illustrators, and visit their websites to see which ones might be a good fit for your students.
Contact the author directly using the email provided or clicking on the link to their website and finding the contact form. Please be sure to provide the following information in your request:
Your name and what grade(s) you work with
Your city and time zone (this is important for scheduling!)
Possible times to connect on February 7. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
Your preferred platform (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
A phone number where you can be reached on that day in case of technical issues
Please understand that not all authors will be available at all times. It may take a few tries before you find someone whose books and schedule fit with yours! (As authors become fully booked, there info will disappear from the list, but only as fast as receive updates.)
IF YOU ARE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST, fill out this form to sign up: SIGN UP: World Read Aloud Day 2/7/24
VOLUNTEERS, once your schedule is full, please send an email & I’ll remove your name from the list as soon as possible.
My list is only for self-published folks, but the amazing author Kate Messner has a list of traditionally published authors volunteers. To check out that list, visit Kate’s website! (Also, shout-out to Kate Messner for all of her hard work and for keeping me in the loop with WRAD stuff — she’s the best!)
It’s that time of year again! We are getting ready for World Read Aloud Day which will be held on February 7, 2024. For those unfamiliar, World Read Aloud Day was founded by an organization called LitWorld to “celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right.”
One of the big/amazing/fun things that happens on WRAD each year is that authors and illustrators volunteer to do free virtual visits with children around the world. The amazing Kate Messner is organizing traditionally published authors & illustrators who would like to participate…
And, once again, I am organizing the self-published /non-traditionally published volunteers!
IF YOU ARE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR or ILLUSTRATOR, I hope you will sign up to participate in WRAD 2024! Last year was so fun, and many of our participants said they were able to connect with kids and reach new readers by having their name on the list.
WRAD virtual visits are not elaborate or time-consuming to plan. Your presentation should last 10-15 and should go something like this:
1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books. 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations
I hope you will join us! If you’re a self-published author or illustrator who would like to offer free virtual visits for World Read Aloud Day (February 7, 2024) please click this link and fill out the form:
World Read Aloud Day 2023 is just around the corner! This year’s annual celebration will be on February 1 and is brought to us by LitWorld and Scholastic. On World Read Aloud Day, authors and illustrators celebrate the power of reading aloud by volunteering their time to read to children around the world via Zoom!
I learned about World Read Aloud Day from author Kate Messner who is coordinating author and illustrator volunteers who are traditionally published. To check out that list, visit Kate’s website! (Also, shout-out to Kate Messner because she already figured out this whole process & I’m 100% copying her–THANK YOU, KATE! )
WRAD VISITS AREN’T LONG OR FANCY PRESENTATIONS. USUALLY, THEY LAST 10-15 MINUTES AND GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS: – 1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books. – 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel – 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing – 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations for the kids
I’m so happy to be coordinating the self-published authors and illustrators who are volunteering their services to read on WRAD 2023! I know there are some amazing authors and stories on this list, and I hope they all get a chance participate in WRAD this year!
TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS, here’s how to connect with an author or illustrator to Zoom with your classroom or library on World Read Aloud Day:
Check out this List of Self-Published Authors & Illustrators, and visit their websites to see which ones might be a good fit for your students.
Contact the author directly by using the email provided or clicking on the link to their website and finding the contact form. Please be sure to provide the following information in your request:
Your name and what grade(s) you work with
Your city and time zone (this is important for scheduling!)
Possible times to connect on February 1st. Please note authors’ availability and time zones. Adjust accordingly if yours is different!
Your preferred platform (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
A phone number where you can be reached on that day in case of technical issues
Please understand that not all authors will be available at all times. It may take a few tries before you find someone whose books and schedule fit with yours!
IF YOU ARE A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST, fill out this form to sign up: SIGN UP: World Read Aloud Day 2/1/23 – Call for Self-Published Author Volunteers
VOLUNTEERS, once your schedule is full, please send an email & I’ll remove your name from the list as soon as possible.
World Read Aloud Day 2023 is coming! On February 1, 2023, authors and illustrators from around the world will do virtual visits for schools and libraries.
LitWorld founded WorldRead Aloud Day in 2010 to celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right. Since then, World Read Aloud Day has evolved into a global movement of millions of readers, writers, and listeners from communities all across the world coming together to honor the joy and power of reading and sharing stories, and continue expanding the definition and scope of global literacy.
WRAD VISITS AREN’T LONG OR FANCY PRESENTATIONS. USUALLY, THEY LAST 10-15 MINUTES AND GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS: – 1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books. – 3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt from a chapter book/novel – 5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing – 1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations for the kids
I saw Kate putting out a call for authors & illustrators to volunteer, but she wasn’t able to include self-published volunteers at this time. SOOOOOO, I decided to go ahead it do it!
If you are a self-published author or illustrator, and you would like to be listed as a WRAD virtual read-aloud volunteer, please fill out this form to sign up: SIGN UP: World Read Aloud Day 2/1/23 – Call for Self-Published Author Volunteers
Teachers & Librarians, please stay tuned because I will post the list and you will be able to get in touch with any volunteers who fit your needs/time zone.
Are you a self-published picture book, middle grade or YA author?? I hope you’ll sign up and spread the word!
Judy Campbell-Smith 