Author Websites With Discussion/Activity Guides

Many authors’ websites contain discussion or activity guides for use in the classroom, media center and book clubs.  Listed below are just some of them. Check back again as this list will continue to grow.

Laurie Halse Anderson: www.writerlady.com Includes discussion questions for her historical novels “Chains” and “Fever 1793” as well as excellent historical links.

New! Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi: “Spiderwick Chronicles” activities and handouts for teachers and librarians.

New! Judy Blume: Her website includes fun activities, trivia, report writing resources, information on what inspired each book, and resources on censorship.

Tami Lewis Brown: Teachers guides, videos and webquests for “The Map of Me” and activities, videos, music links, women’s history  for “Soar Eleanor”.  Go Here.

Sharon Creech: www.sharoncreech.com Features “Teach Creech”, a link to downloadlable guides to all her books, including “Walk Two Moons” and “Love That Dog”.

Cinda Williams Chima: Discussion guides for The Heir Trilogy (Warrior Heir, Wizard Heir, Dragon Heir). Good for the classroom or book club.

Christopher Paul Curtis: www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis The site offers activity guides and interdisciplinary connections for “The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963” and “Bud, Not Buddy”.

New! Jack Gantos: Find teacher and librarian guides as well as articles and interviews.

New! Jean Craighead George: Her website has a concise and useful activity to help kids brainstorm and write their own stories.

Patricia Reilly Giff: www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff Find teacher guides and thematic connections to “Lily’s Crossing”,  “Nory Ryan’s Song”, and more.

Danette Haworth: www.danettehaworth.com Her site includes a readers’ guide to her popular “Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning”.

Deborah Heiligman: www.deborahheiligman.com Find a teaching guide as well as great links for her non-fiction award-winner  on the Darwins, “Charles and Emma”.

New! Will Hobbs: www.willhobbsauthor.com  Lots of teaching resources in support of Will’s long list of middle-grade and YA adventures of interest to both boys and girls!

New! Deborah Hopkinson: Offers activities for students and teachers that support her rich array of non-fiction books, including Titanic: Voices from Disaster, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Grace Lin: www.gracelin.com This site features ideas for crafts and activities to complement her many books, including the Newbery Honor winning “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon”.

Kimberly Griffiths Little: www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com Her site includes a downloadable guide to her new book, “The Healing Spell”.

Wendy Mass: Educators guides for several of her books, including “Every Soul a Star”. Also has a link to request even more for “Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life”.

Lauren Myracle: The author of the middle grade series The Winnie Years  (11, 12,13 and 13+1) has a discussion guide.

Erin Moulton: Includes a Teachers Guide and Readers Theatre Scripts for “Flutter”.

Brandon Mull: Educators and Parents page that includes a downloadable teachers guide and video taped discussion starters for his series “Fablehaven”.

Jen Nielsen: Guides and resources for “Eliot and the Goblin War”.

Barbara O’Connor:  www.barbaraoconnor.com Find teachers’ guides, as well as reader and discussion guides, for books including “How to Steal a Dog”  and “Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia”.

New! Gary Paulsen: Information for teachers and students, including Gary’s Book Report Corner and resources for the Tucket adventures and the Brian Novels.

Rosanne Perry: Teacher and discussion guides and follow up reading lists for “The Turn of the Tide”, “Written in Stone”, “Second Fiddle”, and “Heart of a Shepard”.

New! Rodman Philbrick: Teaching guides to the “Freak the Mighty” books and “Rem World”.

Rick Riordan:  www.rickriordan.com This is a treasure trove with downloadable guides and many links to resources on Greek mythology.

Kurtis Scaletta: Some extra fun for “Mudville”.

New! Gary D. Schmidt: Resource page offers links to an educator’s guide for Okay for Now and a webcast from New York Public Library in which Gary talks about how he incorporated the extraordinary story of John James Audubon’s plates from his famous book, Birds of America.

Wendy Shang: More about Lucy Wu from “The Great Wall of Lucy Wu”.

New! Jerry Spinelli: Games and activities for classroom or for home.

Tricia Springtubb: Discussion questions, project guides and hands on activities for “What Happened On Fox Street” and “Mo Wren Lost and Found

Jacqueline Woodson: www.jacquelinewoodson.com Find interviews and notes on “Locomotion” and “Feathers”, as well as downloadable teaching guides to her books for older readers.

New! Jane Yolen: Her website includes teaching materials for her books and a “myth-writing workshop”.