Top 10 Picks for Author Studies with Tons of Resources

While I’m sure many of us can name several authors who have written a handful of wonderful books that kids love to read—and let’s be honest, we love to read too—this month we decided to round up a list of 10 authors who are perfect for author studies because they have a great presence on the web, with lots of extra resources. Each author listed has an accompanying collection on our website along with free resources for you to use any way you can imagine. Because it is hard enough to narrow down to 10, this list is coming to you in no particular order!

10 Authors That Makes Great Author Studies

1. Seymour Simon: @seymoursimon has been writing exciting science books for children for more than 40 years. His books cover all age ranges from elementary to high school; even adults learn something new every time they open the pages of his books. Not only are his books engaging and packed with information, but he’s really involved through his website and Twitter as well. Check him out!

2. Judy Blume: @judyblume is a name that many of us longtime readers still swoon over while we’re introducing her stories to the next generation. It is hard to believe that Freckle Juice is 42 years old and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is 43 when our students are still gobbling up these timeless tales. This is an author who will touch the lives of generations yet to come, which is why she’s made the top 10.

3. Jon Scieszka: is a strong advocate for helping boys become lifelong readers. His program and website, Guys Read, helps reluctant readers find stories they like to read, gets them excited about reading and helps them realize that reading isn’t just for girls. He also writes stories that may be geared toward boys, but girls are also getting their hands on his books!

4. Patricia Polacco: was bullied and called dumb by classmates and peers because of her dyslexia. Despite her troubles in school, she was very close to her family, especially her grandparents. These life experiences are seen throughout her stories, which usually focus on two themes: diversity and intergenerational relationships. Students will relate to her truer-than-life characters who overcome their challenges and gain support from loving family and friends.

5. Greg Tang: @gregtangmath may not be your typical author study author, but he’s certainly one to get to know. Tang is “on a mission to improve the quality of math education and understanding in the United States.” Using riddles and creative thinking, his math books are engaging and fun while challenging readers to use creativity and common sense, rather than formulas and memorization, to solve problems. One of our favorites is The Grapes of Math.

6. Jack Prelutsky: It’s time to get silly! Jack’s books have made students laugh for decades. With a wide targeted audience, students of all ages can appreciate his poetry and humor. Jack Prelutsky has a website that invites students to join in the fun with poetry, music, a biography and activities. In fact, after writing poetry for over 40 years, he can now be found singing folk songs!

7. Peter Reynolds: @peterhreynolds exposes readers to lots of creativity and self-expression. His books encourage young readers to create, and his website offers creativity tips and ideas while showcasing his own whimsical art.

8. Gordon Korman: @gordonkorman has written more than 85 children’s and young adult fiction books, including the Swindle series and several books in The 39 Clues series. Korman is a believer that young people can write if given the time and opportunity; he wrote his first novel, This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall!, when he was in 7^th grade and has been writing ever since. He’s also quite active with his readers with a blog, a reader’s forum and Twitter.

9. Mo Willems: creates wonderful characters we all love, from Elephant & Piggie, to Knuffle Bunny and, of course, The Pigeon. His books lend themselves well to teaching comprehension strategies such as inferring, predicting and visualizing. The short text and simple illustrations allow readers to easily feel like writers, too! And while he doesn’t tweet, @The_Pigeon does.

10. Kevin Henkes: creates such lovable characters and relatable themes filled with emotions that students quickly fall in love with his books. Favorite characters such as Sheila Rae, Chrysanthemum and Wendall come to life with the details in the illustrations. In addition to his famous mouse characters, he has also written numerous other picture books as well as novels. One of our favorites, Olive’s Ocean, written for middle school students, has won many awards, including the Newbery Honor award.