Connecting Students to Authors: How to Host Author Talks
Join Becky Brent, Teresa Mulholland, and Suzi Tonini to learn strategies for planning inspiring and motivating author visits! BookBreak Partnerships Manager Becky Brent and Academy District 20 Teacher Librarian Teresa Mulholland will provide an overview of BookBreak, a new approach to providing access to author talks. Developed by the Library Speakers Consortium, BookBreak creates virtual author events each month to livestream into individual classrooms and school libraries, all of which are recorded and available on-demand throughout the school year. CSL School Library Consultant Suzi Tonini will share resources for planning in-person author visits and connecting with Colorado authors and illustrators.
About the presenters
Becky Brent is a Partnerships Manager with BookBreak. She is a mother of three, and her PTA Board membership led her to pursuing a master’s degree in Elementary Education. Becky has over a decade of educational work experience in Louisville, KY, which includes many years as a second-grade classroom teacher and collaboratively developing the BookBreak program. As a community advocate and organizer for local young author programs and children’s book clubs, she is passionate about supporting and empowering people of all ages on their lifelong learning journey. She works with schools and districts across the country in 48 states and globally, helping to create a culture of avid readers to bring confidence and inspiration to all students.
Teresa Mulholland is a Teacher Librarian, IB Coordinator, and Digital Learning Coach at Ranch Creek Elementary with over 20 years of experience teaching in Academy District 20. She taught for years in intermediate classrooms and worked on the planning team for Ranch Creek before transitioning to supporting and enriching instruction in the library while working on her second master’s degree. Along with her husband and three children, all current D20 students, she loves living in the mountains of Colorado. She can be found running on a trail, curled up with a good book, or planning her family’s next travel adventure.