SCHOOL VISIT DAY
Our festival is a two-day event. On the Friday before the festival, we send visiting authors to local schools, dependent upon funding. We try to reach as many Title One schools as we can, with free books included.
Because school budget cuts and library funding cuts make it difficult for schools to afford author visits, we think School Visit Day is the most important part of our festival. Meeting a working author/illustrator is one of the greatest motivators for getting kids excited about reading and about creating their own stories.
If you'd like to be a sponsor for School Visit Day, please contact us at PoulsboKidsBookFest@gmail.com or visit the Donate page.
Author Rosanne Parry visited Xalilc Elementary.
Staff at Island School on Bainbridge are about to eat some bugs, thanks to Mary Boone, author of Bugs for Breakfast.
Students at Vinland got to hear all about writing nonfiction from author Karen deWitz.
Suquamish Elementary got a visit from Karen deWitz, who shared her guidebook about all the critters you find on our local beaches.
Indigenous author, Andrea Fritz, came down from Victoria to visit students at Wolfle Elementary.
The bug-eating continued over at Wolfle Elementary, where author Mary Boone talked about writing science-based books.
The following schools received a free author/illustrator visit in 2024:
TITLE ONE Woodlands Elementary, Bremerton – 3rd and 4th graders (125 free books)
Kristin Varner, Author/Illustrator
TITLE ONE Suquamish Elementary, Suquamish – 3rd and 4th graders (114 free books)
Karen DeWitz, Author
TITLE ONE Wolfe Elementary, Kingston – 3rd graders (73 free books)
Andrea Fritz, Author/Illustrator
TITLE ONE Wolfe Elementary, Kingston – 2nd graders (44 free books)
Mary Boone, Author
TITLE ONE Chimacum Elementary, Chimacum – 3rd-6th graders (200 free books)
Lily Lamotte, Author/Illustrator
TITLE ONE Quilcene K-12, Quilcene – 3rd -5th graders (42 free books)
Lily Lamotte, Author/Illustrator
TITLE ONE Ordway Elementary, Bainbridge – 3rd and 4th graders (132 free books)
Rosanne Parry, Author
TITLE ONE Suquamish Early Learning Center, Suquamish – Head Start Kids (54 free books)
Andrea Fritz, Author/Illustrator
Vinland Elementary, Poulsbo – 2nd -5th grade assembly
Karen DeWitz, Author
Island School, Bainbridge – all school assembly
Mary Boone, Author
Blakely Elementary, Bainbridge – 3rd and 4th graders
Rosanne Parry, Author
Xalilc Elementary, Bainbridge – 3rd and 4th graders
Rosanne Parry, Author
Hilder Pearson Elementary, Poulsbo – 1st and 2nd graders
Nora Nickum, Author
The following schools received a free author/illustrator visit in 2025:
TITLE ONE Suquamish Early Learning Center - Head Start Kids (57 free books)
Toni Yuly, Author/Illustrator
TITLE ONE Ordway Elementary, Bainbridge - 4th Graders (67 free books)
Dan Gemeinhart, Author
TITLE ONE Suquamish Elementary, Suquamish - 3rd graders (62 free books)
Sonja Thomas, Author
TITLE ONE Woodlands Elementary, Bremerton - 3rd graders (66 free books)
Ben Guterson, Author
TITLE ONE David Wolfle Elementary, Kingston - 3rd graders (62 free books)
Lynn Brunelle, Author
Island School, Bainbridge - K-5th grade
Ashely Erdely, Author
St. Ceclia's, Bainbridge - K-5th grade
Ashely Erdely, Author
Xalilc Elementary, Bainbridge - 3rd and 4th graders
Dan Gemeinhart, Author
Blakely Elementary, Bainbridge - 3rd - 5th graders
Sonja Thomas, Author
Vinland Elementary, Poulsbo - 3rd-5th graders
Ben Guterson, Author
Richard Gordon Elementary, Kingston - 3rd-5th graders
Aron Nels Steinke, Author/Illustrator
Hilder Pearson Elementary, Poulsbo - 3rd-4th graders
Aron Nels Steinke, Author/Illustrator
Poulsbo Elementary, Poulsbo - 3rd-5th graders (25 free books)
Kristin Varner, Author/Illustrator