Barry is Visiting… Now What?

Barry is visiting our school, now what do we do?

There are many things that can be done to make Barry’s visit more meaningful. The most important thing is for the students and staff to be exposed to Barry’s books and music ahead of time – before his actual visit. Think about it. Don’t you enjoy an author more if you’ve read his work before you’ve met him? Isn’t a concert more enjoyable if you’ve heard the songs before? All classes should have the chance to read Barry’s books ahead of time and listen to his songs. This is the reason Barry sends a box of books and CDs to your school before the visit and makes all his books and songs available on this website. Please share Barry’s books and songs with your students…and use this web site with your classes. You will find links on writing, pictures and stories about how Barry got started in his career as a writer. The more your students read, listen, and know, the more meaningful the visit will be for them.

Can we open Barry’s CDs?

Of course! Not only will the students enjoy the funny stories, poems and humor books Barry has written, the music teacher can teach the students some of his songs, and all teachers can play his CDs in the classroom. Open the CDs and play them; they can still be returned for full credit. The art teacher might enjoy watching Barry’s art video from the public library and all students and teachers will have a chance to see and hear David Clark, the illustrator of most of Barry’s books, in a video in the book section of this web site.

What else should we do?

Contact the local newspapers: big and small. Suggest they come and do a story about Barry’s visit to your school and suggest they bring a photographer. Sample photos are available on this web site if they can’t send a photographer. Don’t forget to tell the local library that Barry will be visiting and leave them the website address. They will surely get requests for Barry’s books and music before and after his visit. Invite teachers and media specialists from other nearby schools to watch the program. If you like the presentations, please tell other principals, librarians, and teachers about the visit.

Can our school sell the books?

Yes, just like the school sells books at the School Book Fair except these can be autographed by the author. The reason you are bringing an author into your school is to promote reading and help your students become better readers and writers. If Barry does his job right, the students will be excited about his work and want to read more on their own. Barry offers his books at a special price to schools that sponsor a visit; because of this, his books are not always found in local bookstores, but any store can order them and they are all available on Amazon and other on-line book and CD retailers.

Who handles the book sales?

Autographing books is part of the author visit and book sales are often handled by the school media specialist, reading teacher. or person who set up the author visit. The PTA or PTO will often help to coordinate the book orders — or you can just give Barry the book orders and he can sign them on his own.

Will Barry sign autographs?

Barry will sign books and CDs, but you do not want kids coming up to get a scrap of paper signed. Once that starts, everyone wants a paper signed and it creates chaos. After the kids have seen Barry’s program, he can leave a follow-up order form that has his photograph on it; there are often additional requests for books once the kids have seen Barry and he is happy to autograph the picture on this form to be given out to all students.

But Barry will autograph books and CDs at school right?

Yes! Barry feels that any student or teacher who buys a book or a CD, should be able to have it signed and he does not place a limit on how many books or CDs he will autograph. He will stay after school to sign books, if he has to. If he runs out of books, he will sign them at home and send them to the school when he returns home.

How can we relate Barry’s books to the school curriculum?

We are glad you asked that! Click this link to find a brief guide to each of Barry’s books