1. Practice at home (with family or friends) then do a trial run at school - make sure to check audio. You can even open a second account to practice between devices if you need to.

2. Have a back-up device nearby.

3. Prep the students to get the best results.

4. Be flexible (time zones can trip you up along with glitchy tech) - have a plan if the students have wait time (maybe have a book to read just in case).

6. Plan where students will sit & where computer & display will be. It's best if you can project. Don't forget speakers.

7. If students will be asking questions, it's best if they are written ahead on cards.

8. Go over expectations - students must stand close to the camera & speak clearly, must sit quietly unless author wants them to be noisy (Tom Angleberger got them riled up on purpose - fun guy).

Authors/Illustrator Connections

Authors Who Skype for Free

Skype in the Classroom

Skype an Author Network (some free and some fee)

Lee and Low (multicultural publishers) Authors/Illustrators (may be a fee)

Online Author Visits (fee)

Kate Messner's suggestions for successful author connections

Want to visit with an author who isn't on these lists? Ask - they might just say yes. Many authors are on Twitter or you can check with their publisher.

Authors on Twitter

Mystery Skypes

Instructions from Pernille Ripp

Langwitches Blog Mystery Skype Jobs

World Read Aloud Day 2013

World Read Aloud Day 2012

Ame Dyckman and again Ame Dyckman

Kate Messner Visit

Reading with Students in Romania

Mystery Skype

Skype article in Reading Today

Tom Angleberger - Origami Yoda, Fake Mustache, Horton Halfpott
Kate Messner - Marty McGuire, Eye of the Storm, Capture the Flag & many others
Stephen McCranie - Mal and Chad graphic novels
Michael Scotto - Latasha and the Little Red Tornado
Laurel Snyder - Bigger Than a Bread Box, Any Which Wall
Linda Urban - Mouse Was Mad, Hound Dog True, A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Erica Perl - Chicken Butt, Dotty, When Life Gives You O.J.
Sarah Albee - Poop Happened
Abby Klein - Ready Freddy series
Mina Javaherbin - Goal!
Alan Silberberg - Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze

Jean Marzollo - I Spy books

Librarians & Teachers

Shannon Miller - Iowa

John Schu - Illinois

Colby Sharp - Michigan

Erin - Massachusetts

Donna - Vermont

Cathy - Maine

Craig - Nebraska

Matthew - Maryland

Sarah - Wisconsin

Stacy - Oklahoma

Mary - Wisonsin

Allison - Oregon

Cynthia - Texas