At the end of our fiction writing unit, when my students' final drafts are turned into hardcover books, we have some type of publishing party. In the past we have had an Author’s Tea where we invite parents to hear our stories, and we have also read our stories to our kindergarten buddies.

However the students’ favorite audience seems to be their peers. For this reason, we have a cozy read-in where students wear their pajamas to school and bring their sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets. Before the read-in begins, each student puts a library card in the back of his or her book. When a classmate reads a book, he or she writes his name on the library card so that the author knows who has read his book.