Past Visit Highlights
Omaha, NE visits with
Dr. Lydia Kang
““I learned that you can still explore your curiosity. Being an adult can be so rigid and you think you don’t have time for it. She encouraged us to pursue it.””
Los Angeles, CA visit with
Erika Kendrick
“We had powerful conversations about important themes like social media, mental fitness, self-esteem, and resilience—topics that are so relevant to their everyday lives.”
Maine tour in collaboration with I'm Your Neighbor Books with
Omar Mohammed
“When my EL students returned from Omar’s talk, they asked to spend the rest of the day reading Omar’s book. These are students that resist when I put books in their hand…asking to read. Of course, I let them! They were so captivated by him and the fact that he was once in their position.”
Chula Vista, CA visit with
Mónica Mancillas
“The 2nd grade teacher said she loved how our students could see themselves in her books.”
Harlem, NYC visit in collaboration with Meet the Writers with
Isi Hendrix
Los Angeles, CA visit with
Rex Ogle
“Students were SO excited to meet a ‘real author IRL’. There were a lot of emotions from his story and students and teachers were empowered to tell their own stories. ”
Lowell, MA visit with
Vichet Chum
“The first thing I thought of is that I wanted to write about the kids in this community; I wanted to write particularly about the Cambodian kids in this community who are in community with one another”
Hawai’i Tour with
Malia Maunakea
“They say that books are mirrors and windows, but it is rare that my students get to see their lives and experiences (and an author) that mirrors their own stories. Mahalo to everyone that made this visit possible.”
“There were teachers in the back of the classroom crying because this was the first book that many of their students have owned.”
Montrose, CO tour with
Brandon Mull
“A student at the high school visit called a friend on his cell phone immediately after and said, ‘Dude, do you want to see a signed copy of Fablehaven?’. We happened to walk out of the middle school at the passing period, and every single person we passed wanted to fist bump Brandon, or high-five, or tell him, ‘I love your books.’”
Springfield, IL visit with
Kristi Wientge
“Our students loved [the visit] and they absolutely adore Kristi!”
Richmond, CA visit with
Mayra Cuevas
“Once she started talking...I became more interested in wanting to read the book and see the other books in my class differently too. Maybe those books
might speak to me too if I gave them a chance.
”
Escondido, CA visit with
Susie Ghahremani
“The teachers are SO dedicated to their students, and I was proud to be their first author visit!”
Easton, MD visit with
Terry Jennings
“Our students were so engaged and excited. They could not believe they each received a book!”
Brooklyn Center, MN visit with
Kao Kalia Yang
“ It was clear to me that the students had not had an in-person author visit. I knew from the onset that I had to deliver not only the power of words, but speak to how these stories come from my life, my own journey as a kid in a refugee camp, a poor child in America with hopes and dreams, and then show them the life of this writer. ”
Los Angeles, CA with
Gail Lerner
WNDB x WAAC Collaboration
with Michael Genhart, Leah Henderson, Dawn Quigley, Aida Salazar, Monique Gray Smith, Traci Sorell, Natasha Tarpley, and Lee Wind
“I was thrilled to be able to present my book, featuring a Latinx family, to a room full of Latinx students. Even more thrilling was watching these children gleefully see themselves reflected in the story. Representation totally matters!!!!”
“One extra magical moment was when a student realized she and Dawn [Quigley] are from the same tribe. Our time with Dawn was a valuable “windows and mirrors” experience and a wonderful reminder of the power of writing and sharing stories that celebrate each person’s uniqueness and heritage.”
“My students were so lucky to have the incomparable Lee Wind come to speak to them. Having a role model who is an LGBTQ author is an incomparable experience.”
Mississippi visit in partnership with The Freedom Project Network with
Angie Thomas
“As a fellow Mississippian, it was so inspiring to speak with someone who made it from where I am from.”
NYC visit in partnership with Meet the Writers with
Tomi Adeyemi
“It was my first school visit since the pandemic and it felt so meaningful to share that space with them. I really love what this organization is doing. ”
Los Angeles summer book giveaway with
Leslie Margolis
“All the teachers and students are still raving about the event and equally ecstatic about reading their new books... they are so proud to be an owner of a brand new book.”
Houston, TX virtual visit with
Tahereh Mafi
“Tahereh Mafi inspired me to share my stories and to not let what others say get to you.”
Portland, OR virtual visit with
Grace Lin
“It is such a dream of mine to bring amazing authors to schools that don’t get them...and it couldn’t have happened without your help. WAAC is such an inspiration! ”
Washington DC virtual visits with
Andrea Davis Pinkney
“The inspiration she gave our scholars will help them to continue to persevere”
L.A. visit with
Erin Entrada Kelly
“She inspired me to be myself”
Washington DC visit with
Christine Platt
L.A. visit with
Veronica Roth & Sarah Enni
“I can honestly say that this was the happiest I have seen our students. Having Veronica Roth here meant the world to them”
Charlotte, NC visit with
Vanessa Brantley-Newton
“Vanessa’s visit was a triumph! She is truly inspirational on so many levels and our 2nd graders and their teachers greatly enjoyed her talk. She is a beautiful and talented individual who touched a great many.”
L.A. visit with
Jay Coles
“Both the author and the book were very inspirational. He really motivated me to speak up for what I believe.”
Washington DC visit with
E. Lockhart
Charleston, SC visit with
Brandy Colbert & Ashley Woodfolk
In a perfect world, all schools would be able to host authors and other creative artists. Luckily, our less-than-perfect world has organizations like WAAC that make this possible throughout the community."
- Erin Entrada Kelly
In their own words...
“One of our Hmong students was in tears to realize that someone like her was an author.”
“I am thankful that Jay Coles spent time with us and shared his story. It was very inspirational and I aspire to be someone like him.”
“This author visit was AMAZING. I saw a dramatic difference in my students. They were absolutely energized about writing.”
“There are no words to describe the amazing staff at [the school] and the work that they do every day with limited resources. I am in awe of their energy and enthusiasm for teaching and being agents for change.”
“Our students thought it was amazing meeting the author of the book they had in their hands. ”
“Learning how she comes up with her ideas to write
really gave me ideas on how to help me even just write my assignments
for class.”
“I really liked learning about Ms. Cuevas
background because I felt like she was like me at my age and I could
become a writer too!”
“it was beneficial to have an author visit whose cultural background aligned with that of our students.”
“Meeting Angie Thomas showed me that she faced a lot of the same obstacles. I also learned that you need to lean on the people beside you to have extra support when we are trying new, hard things.
”
“She gave so much good advice for someone who wants to make a story one day and share it with the world. AKA me.”
“The experience was INCREDIBLY exciting, and students, parents, and teachers have talked to me about it frequently since. One librarian, in Olathe, the small agricultural town about eight miles from Montrose, told me, ‘I think this is the biggest thing that has ever happened here.’”
“I liked how she told us about her past. I have the same experiences of being bullied.”
“Our visit with Jay Coles was awesome because it’s not something that every school does. It was exciting to meet an author, and I’m very thankful for the book.”
“I learned that you have to speak out when you see something wrong, for yourself and for your community.”
“I cannot express how grateful we are to WAAC for our experience, how overwhelmed (in a good way) students were to receive their own books, and how grateful we are to Brandon Mull. He was an incredible presenter, infinitely generous with his time, and inspiring. I think he is now the favorite author of at least a quarter of our town’s young people.”
“I like how she wrote her books! It made me want to write a book!”
“This author visit has to be one that I am going to remember for a while…I learned that what I am experiencing as a teenager is normal. I do not have all the answers to fix my problems…In my mind, I was listening and telling myself that my problems will resolve themselves with time.”
“Spending time with an actual author and receiving a signed copy of his book was a special experience that students treasured. They excitedly told their teachers and peers about the visit, proudly carrying their signed books in their hands for the entire day. Students learned that authors process difficult life experiences and emotions through their work. It was especially meaningful for students to know that they are not alone in their own feelings of sadness, confusion, and anger. They learned that writing is a form of raising one’s voice and finally being heard.”
“Jay Coles is one of the most free-spirited and joyful souls I have ever met. #bestauthorever.”
“I had never met an author before, so that was really cool!”
“I was really excited to meet this author, and actually find out that she is REAL!”
“[The students] all felt so special that this incredible person who wrote this beautiful book took time to spend with THEM.”
“WAAC does a wonderful job connecting students with authors! The students and teachers were engaged readers who welcomed me with open arms. ”
“My school visit to Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High School was both fun and powerful, equal parts exciting and enlightening. Upon stepping into the school, a student who had read my book, approached me. He was an 11th grader. He was shaking and tearing up and holding a piece of paper. “Mr. Coles,” he had said. “I know your book is about the Black Lives Matter movement. My best friend was killed by the police last year. Can I read you this poem that I wrote?” He read me this beautiful and heart wrenching poem that set the tone for my topic of encouraging them to dare to rise up against the expectations of society, to encourage them to continue striving for their goals, and to equip them with skills for activism and resistance. As an author, this was very important to me. It was great to actually be in a room with the teens I’m writing for and get to hear from them, learn from them, and encourage them in what they’re already doing. So highly recommended and I hope I can get the chance to do it again.”
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