Engaging Author Studies in the Elementary Classroom

An author study is a unit centered around the books of one author. It gives students an opportunity to learn more about the author and explore many books written by the author. I love using author studies in the classroom because they are a wonderful way to motivate readers and inspire young writers and artists. Author studies create an opportunity for students to develop an appreciation and love for writers. As a teacher, I always gravitate towards books written by authors that I love the most, and I love to find authors who are also illustrators. I have listed some of my favorite children's authors below that I love sharing with students.

1. Eric Carle

2. Judy Blume

3. Beverly Cleary

4. Roald Dahl

5. Arnold Lobel

6. Dr. Seuss

7. Mo Willems

8. Jacqueline Woodson

9. Kevin Henkes

10. E.B. White

11. Laura Numeroff

12. Beatrix Potter

13. Laura Ingalls Wilder

14. Stan and Jan Berenstain

15. Ezra Jack Keats

I recently completed an author's study for a graduate course that I am taking at UT Martin. The author that I was assigned is Nic Stone. She is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction and middle grade fiction. I learned so much about her and gained such an appreciation for her and her books through the study. She is best known for her book Dear Martin, which I recently read and highly recommend. I am currently reading Dear Justyce, the sequel to Dear Martin.